Plan for closing off the estuary of the Suriname river in times of war

Title Leupe: Plan van defensie der rivier Suriname en mond der Commewyne. Project van Verstopping (der rivier).

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 set-up which was first improvised in 1781-1782.

This anonymous plan probably dates from the latter year and shows both the projected ideal blockade line between the redoubts Purmerend and Leiden and the actual position of the ships stationed there in 1781 when the state of war had become known.

Several of them are named in the very extensive elucidation; the meaning of the letters in abbreviated form is: A.B.C.D., the four largest, best armed ships in the Suriname River near the fort; E.F.G.H.I., five other large ships in the middle of the Suriname; K., a flat-bottomed ‘cannoniere’ (gunboat) in the shallows near the west bank to prevent small enemy craft slipping through there to the larger ships; L.M.N.O., four other gunboats to close off the largely shallow Commewijne.

Scale-bar of 300 Reinlandse Rods = [approximately 1 : 9,700].