Pascaerte van Brazil en Nieu Nederlandt van Cuorvo en Flores tot de Barbados nu eerst uytgegeven

This striking 17th-century Dutch sea chart of the Atlantic basin focuses on the vital maritime trade routes connecting Dutch colonial interests in the Americas. Issued by Amsterdam chartmaker Hendrick Doncker, the map highlights the Atlantic trade nexus linking the northeastern coast of South America, the West Indies, and the eastern seaboard of North America – from the coast of Brazil and Guiana up through New France, New England (importantly, not labeled), and the mouth of the Hudson River. Of particular interest is the depiction of Nieuw Nederlandt (New Netherland), which stretches along the Atlantic coast from the Chesapeake region northward into British-held territory.

Designed as a functional navigational aid for Dutch merchants and mariners navigating the West India Company’s sphere of influence, the chart features a dense network of rhumb lines, multiple compass roses, and distance scales. Coastal profiles are carefully outlined with original hand coloring, emphasizing safe harbors, prominent headlands, and navigational hazards. The lower right corner features an ornate decorative cartouche supported by cherubs, framing the title and imprint of Doncker’s shop at the sign of the White Mariners’ Quadrant (‘t Stuurmans Gereetschap) in Amsterdam.

The map was first published in 1658 as part of Hendrick Doncker’s Zee-Atlas, of which no surviving example is known. This is a later example (c. 1678) of the third state, which includes an updated title cartouche and distance scale in the lower center.

Sources: Map Forum; Royal Museums Greenwich