Insularum Hispaniolae et Cubae Cum Insulis circum jacentibus accurata delineatio

A striking map of the Caribbean from the early 18th century.

This attractive maritime chart of the Caribbean focuses on the waters between the southern tip of Florida and the island of Hispaniola, including Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Rhumb lines create an intersecting web across the page, providing easy directional references for sailors. A handful of depth soundings are noted, and numerous coastal hazards are illustrated, including submerged rocks, shoals, etc. Some terrestrial details are also provided, including a stylized pictorial representation of the landscape, though toponyms are mostly confined to the coast. Two decorative cartouches reflect the maritime commerce that propelled European colonial interests (most prominently, sugar) and the African slavery upon which its profitability was predicated.

The chart was originally published in 1650 by Johannes Janssonius as part of the monumental work, the Atlas Novus. This sheet was newly prepared for that work to reflect the contemporary importance of the Bahama Strait, as it was the primary waterway through which the Spanish treasure fleet passed annually. This is a copy of the 2nd state, re-issued by Peter Schenk and Gerard Valk around 1710. While the image remains the same, with the exception of an added imprint (lower right), the region underwent significant turbulence in the intervening six decades. An earthquake in 1692 utterly devastated the buccaneer haven of Port Royal on Jamaica; the island of Hispaniola had been formally split between the French and Spanish in 1697, and the ongoing War of the Spanish Succession propelled Nassau and the Bahamas into a pirate’s paradise.

Source: Burden 291 State 2,