Map of Porto Marie

Title Leupe: Kaart van Porte Marie en Valentyns bay, en tusschenliggende Kust.

The original version of this plan by or after the engineers Godfried Carel Esdré and Carel Gustaaf Schrijver was part of a series of reports send to the States-General in 1742 to show the weaknesses of the fortifications on Curaçao. In response, the latter drew a resolution on 9 October 1743 in which it was decided to dispatch the engineer Jacob Ribbius to Curaçao to oversee improvements to the fortifications in the outer bays. This new design included a small square tower fort, surrounded by low batteries on a star-shaped platform, which the States-General apparently also deemed suitable for the proposed stronghold at Sint Kruis Bay, Bullen Bay, Sint Michiel Bay and Piscadera Bay. Compared with Captain Schrijver’s original proposal (VEL222A-C), Esdré and Carel Schrijver’s as well as Ribbius’projected defences were sited on the opposite side of the bay, where later the battery Porto Marie was constructed. This map, which was attached to the resolution of 1743, shows the designs of Ribbius as well as Esdré and Carel Schrijver next to each other. Soundings and relief are indicated.

North is upper left.

Scale-bar of 80 Rhineland rods = [approximately 1 : 1,860].