Sounding between the redoubts at the mouth of the Suriname River

Title Leupe: Plan van de Peyling der rivier Suriname, tusschen de redouten Leyden en Purmerend.

This anonymous map is a follow-up to Johan Christoph Henemans soundings in the mouths of the Suriname and Commewijne at low tide (VEL2018). Unlike Heneman, the surveyor only drew one line from the Purmerend redoubt on the westbank of the Suriname River to the Leyden redoubts on the eastbank of it. Along this line, descriptions of the river bottom are given. Among other things, the soundings were important for defence. The series of drafts on ‘plans of obstruction’ made after 1780 (see VEL2020-2027), for instance, show designs for cannonboats or 'canoniere' which moved by sails or oars to hinder hostile vessels. The shallow deck of the boats were an advantage over most other ships when tide was low. In addition, plans were made for obstructions using floating trunks equipped with spikes which would be placed in the river using ankers. This plan equally required soundings.

North is lower left.