Exploration of Surinam, copied after the so-called Labadist Map

Title Leupe: _"Kaart van de Suriname-, Commewijne

en Cottica-rivieren met aanliggende plantages."_

Ths map was copied after what is known as the Labadist Map of 1686, which was in the collection of the Koloniale Bibliotheek (Colonial Library) in Paramaribo until around 1920. Since then the original map has been lost, so the copy version reproduced here is the only extant record of this early exploration of the eastern part of Surinam. In 1684, a group of Labadists, followers of the former Jesuit Jean de Labadie, came to Surinam from their commune in Wiewerd in Friesland. They set up their own settlement, La Providence, on the eastern bank of the Surinam River, roughly 100 kilometres upstream from Paramaribo. However, the soil there was not really suited to agriculture and therefore, in 1686, a number of members set off on a journey of exploration to find a better location elsewhere. The results were recorded on the mentioned map, part of which was probably also based on that of Willem Mogge (Maritiem Museum Rotterdam, K119). The Labadist Map contains the earliest mention of the new forts, Para and Commewijne (later Sommelsdijck), but remarkably La Providence itself is not shown. The settlement with its surrounding plantation was sold in 1719, after the Labadist community had disbanded.

North is below.

Scale-bars of 4 geometric miles / 5 Holland Miles of an hour walking = [approximately 1 : 345,000].