Map of the defences along the eastern side of Curaçao

Title Leupe: Plan der Zuydzyde der strekking van het Eyland Curaçao, van den berg van Altena tot het Oostpunt inclusive, met alle desselvs baayen en batteryen.

Part of a series (VEL594.1 tm VEL594.8) which together form a large map of the coastal defenses at the eastern half of Curaçao. Al of these are along the southwest coast. This map shows the area just east of Willemstad. We also see part of the very sketchily drawn northeast coast, which has no resemblance at all to the real coastline.

At the outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, the fortifications were still, or yet again, not up to the required standard. This despite the (modest) extensions and improvements to forts and batteries carried out in various phases since c. 1740. The WIC hence appointed an officer in the Engineering Corps, Captain Daniël Creefts, to the newly created post of First Inspector of Buildings and Fortifications in Curaçao in 1782, with orders to compile a report on the state of the defence of the island and make recommendations for short-term improvements. In the scope of his commission, Creefts drew various maps and project plans during the next two years, including this enormous 1785 outline map of the north and east coasts of Curaçao. Besides this, in 1787, as inspector, he was also indirectly involved in a compilation of the defence plan for the Netherlands Antilles by the military engineer Hottinger and the naval lieutenant Kikkert. This large map of Curaçao was intended to supplement Creefts’ first report to the directors, which was completed in August 1783. Because of the war with Britain at that time, it could only be presented to the States-General, which dismissed it as completely inadequate, in September 1784.

Also see VEL593, a similar series which shows the coastal defenses of the western half of the island.

North is left.

Scale-bar of 20 Rhineland rods = 22 ‘strepen’.