Map of the cross-channel from the Para Creek to the Suriname River

Title Leupe: Caart van de doorsnyding van Para Creeq tot de rivier Suriname, tusschen de gronden hierby geëxpliceert.

Shortly before 1740, serious plans were made by the Surinam government to construct a canal to link the the Surinam River and the Para Creek, which a few years later was indeed completed. The primary purpose of this cut was to improve the drainage from Para Creek, where the plantations were often affected by floods. Furthermore, the planters farther up the creek would be able to transport their produce to Paramaribo with less effort. This project map below shows the planned route of the cut, with the relative differences in height given in feet and inches. It was drawn by Chief Engineer Pierre-Dominique Desmarestz (also: Desmaretz, Desmaretsz), who was in charge of the construction of Fort Nieuw Amsterdam during 1734-1743 and in that period also occasionally supplied maps and designs for other works.

North is left.

Scale-bar of 60 Rhineland chains of 66 feet = [approximately 1 : 8,300].