Map of French Guyana

Title Leupe: Plan de la Côte de la Guiane Francoise, depuis Caienne jusqu'a l'emboushure de la riviere Maroni, et du cours de cette riviere depuis son embouchure, jusqu'au premier saut etc.

In the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780-1784), France was an ally of the Republic, and, as a far stronger naval and colonial power in this period, helped prevent the loss of Dutch colonies worldwide. From Surinam, the military engineer Johann Friedrich Ferdinand Wollant was sent to the neighbouring French colony of Cayenne to confer with the authorities there about reciprocal military aid (or rather, French assistance to the Dutch colonies) and the supply of French weapons, ammunition and food. During this mission, which lasted until the end of January 1782, as well as his other commissions, Wollant collected data for many of his maps and designs.

Most likely, this French map is one of the maps he took home. This French survey ranges from the Marowijne River to Cayenne and depicts all major rivers reaching the ocean. The Arimina and Sibarigné Creeks of the Marowijne are also drawn out because they were hotbeds of the Marron communities. This last aspect was undoubtedly interesting for Wollant; he had been tasked to design the Cordon of Defence in east Suriname earlier and the Marron migration into French Guyana remained a weakness of this cordon.

Scale-bar of 13 Miles = 180 ‘strepen’.