Published book 'Right In The Middle'

The book 'Right in the Middle' is published (september 2018).

The main goal is to unlock this unique and beautiful 17th century Dutch treasure. To remove the veil from the Cape Verde Islands. In a time that information and products floated over the seas with the speed of a sailing ship. 

Hessel Gerritsz was the most influential and innovating mapmaker of 17th century and the best informed person, without doubt, in geographical and hydrographical matters in Amsterdam and not only in The Netherlands. In 1627-1628 he compiled a rutter for the Dutch West India Company (WIC). The 1625 loss of Dutch Brazil made clear that the next attempt of the WIC had to be more tenacious and that its commanders needed better information about the areas that had to be seized and could be useful for trade in the West (read: Atlantic). In this book the part of Hessel Gerritsz’ handwritten rutter about the Cape Verde Islands (Soute Eylanden) is translated into Dutch, English and Portuguese.

You can find a preview and order it: here

 

A more comprehensive preview (35 pages): here.

Hessel Gerritsz on Cabo Verde Islands. Translation scheduled

In 1629 Hessel Gerritsz (ca 1582-1632) made a routebook ('roteiro') for the Dutch West India Company (WIC). Strategic information for securing Brazil. The Dutch were eagerly after the yields of sugar cane from the Portuguese. 

Right in the middle of Europe and Brazil are the Cabo Verde Islands located. For the Dutch, both for the VOC and WIC, the place for (re)grouping ships and stocking fresh supplies.

A part of this routebook, around 80 pages, is about the Cabo Verde Islands. All the islands are described in detail: defence systems, population and slaves, where to dock, fruit etcetera. Including maps of the islands.

The manuscript is never published or translated. I want to unlock this document - this treasure house - for humanity. In one book: copy of manuscript, typoscript in old Dutch, translation in modern Dutch, translation in Portuguese and translation in English. Nice and important puzzle to solve :)

Ben Teensma already made the typoscript in old Dutch and translation in Portuguese. I have to add the translation in modern Dutch and English. And get it published! In an e-book?

Os Holandeses (part 1)

Three "encounters" of Dutch (in Portuguese 'Holandeses') with Others living on the Cabo Verde Islands. (i) In 1598 five Dutch ships of Balthazar de Moucheron plunder Ribeira Grande on island Santiago. (ii) In 1627 Dutch crewman were driven from island Maio.

 Source: Arnold van Wickeren 'Geschiedenis van Portugal en de Portugezen overzee', 

deel 13 (2008). Translation from Dutch into English (c) J.D.

(iii) In 1628 admiral Adriaen Jansz Pater, on his way to Brazil for the 'Dutch West India Company' (in Dutch 'WIC' or 'West-Indische Companie'), attacked island Santiago without success. 

Source: A. Teixeira da Mota 'Cinco Séculos de Cartografia das Ilhas de Cabo Verde' (1961). Translation from Portuguese into English (c) J.D.

One more track to follow: the two manuscripts of Hessel Gerritsz with 52 sketches :)

Pretty Reliable

Between 1468 and 1480 Benincasa made 9 atlases with maps in it with the Cabo Verde Islands on them. A few weeks ago I learned that one of them is in color. This week I learned that two more are in color too. Now I want to have a copy of all nine maps. I guess they are all in color. I want to compare them and find out how accurate they are.

According to Roel Nicolai (more) portolan charts are based on a mathematical model which closely resembles the Mercator projection and not on the input of observations of seaman coming back from their travels. The maps were first. Out of the blue as far as we can tell now.

Today I puzzled at the G. Benincasa 1473 'Egerton 2855' map.

(C) The British Library Board, G. Benincasa 1473, Egerton MS 2855 ff.6v-7

Conclusion. The distances on this 541 year old map are pretty reliable: average 119% with a standard deviation of 35. 

What's next? I want to find out if the maps improve in time. Are the maps of 1480 more reliable than of 1468? In other words, projection first - out of the blue - and then the maps get better every year because the input of the seaman, returning from the sea, was digest by the mapmaker G. Benincasa?

Benincasa 1468 and 1469. Four Most Important Maps

According to Cortesão in his 'History of Portuguese Cartography', Volume II (1971) the four maps from G. Benincasa made in 1468 and 1469 are the "most important".  Because on them "for the first time" the Cape Verde Islands are "represented" and the African coast reaches a little beyond Cape Mesurado.

Cortesão's subscription on map 1 (fig. 83) and 4 (fig 84):

Details of the four maps.

1. Benincasa 1468. British Library (London) Add MS 6390

Cortesão:

Full map. Source: Garcia de Orta, 'Cinco seculos de cartografia das ilhas de Cabo Verde', A. Teixeira da Mota (1961) and Cortesão, 'History of Portuguese Cartography', Volume II (1971)

 

Detail with Cabo Verde Islands:

2. Benincasa 1468. Principe di Trabia e Butera

Owners: (1) unknown (2) Principe di Trabia e Butera (3) Otto Schäfer (4) H.P. Kraus (5) British Rail Pension Fund (6) unknown (7) unknown. More on this map in my blog 'Islands in Blue, Red, Gold Leaf and Green'.

Cortesão:

Full map. Source: Garcia de Orta, 'Cinco seculos de cartografia das ilhas de Cabo Verde', A. Teixeira da Mota (1961)

Detail with Cabo Verde Islands:

3. Benincasa 1469. British Library (London) ADD MS 31315

Cortesão:

Full map:

Not found yet

Detail with Cabo Verde Islands:

Not found yet

4. Benincasa 1469. Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Milano) SP2, 35

Cortesão:

Full map. Source: Garcia de Orta, 'Cinco seculos de cartografia das ilhas de Cabo Verde', A. Teixeira da Mota (1961) and Cortesão, 'History of Portuguese Cartography', Volume II (1971)

Detail with Cabo Verde Islands:

Benincasa 1468 Princes of Trabia. Islands in Blue, Red, Gold Leaf and Green

According to Armando Cortesão and Tony Campbell there are two remaining Benincasa atlases with the Cape Verde islands on them from year 1468. It's unclear which one of the two is older. 

1. Benincasa, G. 1468. Owner British Library. Number 'Add. MS 6390'

2. Benincasa, G. 1468. According to Cortesão the owner is 'Principe di Trabia e Butera'. Accordering to Campbell '(H.P. Kraus)'. Information Cortesão in his 'History of Portuguese Cartography', Volume II (1971):

Atlas 2 is for sale at Christie's for an estimated price of USD 2,397,000 - 3,995,000.

Signature Benincasa and date 1468

Side view

Upper cover

Upper cover. Detail

Back cover

Chart with Cape Verde coast and Cape Verde islands

Cape Verde islands detail

Cape Verde coast

Christie's 'Overview' of this map

Mark in the 'Provenance' that the Princes of Trabia ('Principe di Trabia') was the second owner and Kraus the fourth. The sixth owner is selling this Benincasa 1468 atlas.

Apple Orchard. In Dutch Appel Boomgaert

In March of this year I bought this map. Anonymous 1640-1660 

With a reading glass I tried to read or decipher what is written on the map. Most of the text on this map is in Dutch ('Belgis'). Pretty though to read anything substantial.

Couple of weeks later I looked at the details of this map. Blaeu J 1662

My conclusion: the texts on the two maps are identical. In every detail!

Titles compared:

'Appel Boomgaert' (English 'Apple Orchard') and 'Conde de St. Crux' compared on São Antonio: 

'Klip Water Pl' and 'Zand Strant' and 'Groote Inwyck' compared on São Vincente:

'S. Domingo' and 'Porto de Rey Beraon' and ' Hoeck van Fortalesa' compared on Santiago:

Detail of Porto de Rey Beraon: "BERAON". I have no idea who King ('Rey' in 'Hispanis') Beraon is.

Two maps are identical. Only difference colour and placement of title.