Map of the Essequibo River

Title Leupe: Kaart van de Rivier d'Essekebe.

This map provides the oldest existing survey of the Essequibo and the Dutch river settlement at the time of the New WIC which, in 1706, was sent back to the Zeeland Chamber by Governor Samuel Beekman (1690-1707).

This is also the year adhered to in the dating but the map’s creator, the surveyor and map-maker Abraham Maas (1641-1729), first arrived in the colony in 1701, which means that it could be even older.

There is a contemporary copy in the Netherlands National Archives; see VEL575. The indication there, however, is that it is copied from a 1708 Abraham Maas original.

In addition to living and working in Essequibo, Maas later worked in Suriname where he remained active until 1719.

Maas emphasizes the plantations along the river.

Scale-bar of 1000 ‘Bloyse’ Rods = 90 ‘strepen’ [approximately 1 : 40.500].