Montanus' work was perhaps the greatest illustrated book on the New World produced in the seventeenth century. It contained over one hundred beautifully engraved plates, views, and maps of North and South America. The plates vividly depict forts, festivals, occupations, Dutch fleets, battles, religious rites, and customs of the native inhabitants. This important work was translated into German by Olivier Dapper, and into English by John Ogilby. Several of the plates were later acquired by Pierre Vander Aa.

Beautifully engraved map based the Hondius/Blaeu map of the region, which was in turn based on the cartography of the important Dutch cartographer, Hessel Gerritsz. The map concentrates the detail along the coastlines with the interior graphically engraved to show mountains, forests and rivers. The superb title cartouche is surrounded by Neptune, explorers and maidens, and the distance scale cartouche is surrounded by natives and animals. The sea is embellished with a compass rose, rhumb lines and ships.

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Condition: B+

Watermarked paper with light soiling and professional repairs to a small hole in border at top left and a centerfold separation confined to bottom blank margin.