Plan for preparations for the new town of New Amsterdam at the Canje Creek

Title Leupe: Kaart van een gedeelte van de mond der rivier met de rigting der nieuwe Stad Amsterdam en die der Vrylieden.

During the time of French interim government of 1782-1784, the directors of the Society decided to after all move the main town with the government house to the mouth of the Berbice. In 1785 Herlin was instructed not to continue working on Fort Nassau and the unfinished government buildings in Nieuw-Amsterdam but rather to put in a proposal for the location and layout of the new town, which was also to be named Nieuw-Amsterdam. This general situation plan shows that the second Nieuw-Amsterdam should be situated on the swampy terrain of the eastern bank of the Berbice, slightly upstream of the confluence with the Canje. Prior to construction work this area would need drainage and poldering. After some deliberation his choice of location was approved by the directorate and so in 1787-1788 the first polder work began.

North is upper right.

Scale-bar of 1000 Rhineland rods: = [approximately 1 : 35,700].