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Plan for closing the estuary of the Surinam river in times of war

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Plan for closing the estuary of the Surinam river in times of war

Wollant, Johann Friedrich Ferdinand

Title Leupe: Specieele kaart van de mond van Rio Suriname, met deselfs defensie werken, dieptens enz.

This map shows the ‘obstruction plan’, the closure of the estuary of the Surinam River in time of war, which was worked out in detail during and after the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, using the setup which was first improvised in 1781-1782.

The map focuses on the distance the blockade ships and gunboats need to travel to get into formation at the defensive line.

Two green lines indicate how the ships will sail from the port of Paramaribo to the line.

At the coast a post is shown from which signals will be sent to the fleet. The plantations around the estuary are also indicated.

Scale-bars of 1000 Rods of 12 feet = 200 ‘strepen’.

Please contact Nationaal Archief for reuse and copyrights.

Sources and literature

Heijer, H. den, Grote Atlas van de West-Indische Compagnie = Comprehensive Atlas of the Dutch West India Company, II, de nieuwe WIC 1674-1791 = the new WIC 1674-1791 (2012)