Map of Virginia

Title Leupe: Caerte van Virginia. Discovered and Discribed by Captayn John Smith. Graven by William Hole.

A map of the newly established colony Virginia. Jamestown had just been established in 1606 by a fleet with captain John Smith on board. He also brought the surveyor Nathaniel Powell along and part of the map might have been drawn by his companion even though only Smith’s name is mentioned on it. In the subsequent four years he explored the nearby main rivers west into the Chesapeake Bay and noted the indigenous villages he encountered. The range of his travels is marked by crosses. Smith based himself on indigenous accounts to draw the territories beyond these crosses. To the top left, one can find a drawing of Powhatan’s Council, with the caption mentioning Smith's time as a prisoner in their midst. To the right a Sasquesahanough is drawn. Both these illustrations come from original drawings of John White. On his return to England in 1609, Smith cooperated with William Hole to print the map for a small pamphlet in 1612. It took him twelve more years to include the print in his own work called The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles. This version became the prototype map of the region up untill Hermann's new survey in 1673.

Taken from: Staten-Generaal: Loketkast nr. 23 Kaarten

Scale-bar 15 miles = 66 ‘strepen’.