Map of the mouth of the Demerara river

Title Leupe: _Kaart van het Inkoomen en het opzeilen van het beneedenste gedeelte der Rivier Demerary, zig strekkende van den mond derzelver tot aan het rif van het Eerste Eyland, met de aanteekening der aan de Oost

en Westwall geleegene Plantagien, met alle deszelfs gronden, banken en dieptens enz._

This map of the Demerara estuary and the plantations along the lower river reaches and surrounding coastal strips gives an idea of the consecutive project plans for these areas during the last quarter of the eighteenth century. It was probably made during or shortly after Van Heneman’s posting to Demerara and Essequibo of 1774-1775, as part of his commission by the Gentlemen Ten which to draw up project plans for better defence and infrastructure works in those colonies. The ‘New City’, the ‘Fort’ and the two batteries are mere designs, of which later, during the 1782-1784 period of French interim rule, only the fort and the first stages in the construction of the town were implemented. The projected connecting canals leading in a westerly direction are the same plans as those shown on Heneman’s project map for Essequibo (VEL1529); their construction began in 1775, but neither canal was excavated further than a couple of kilometres inland from the Demerara.

North is right.

Scale-bars of one German Mile of 15 to a degree / One Sea Mile of 20 to a degree = [approximately 1 : 42,800].