This rare chart focuses on the coastline between Portobelo and the Gulf of San Blas. This area was extremely important to the Spanish treasure fleets during the 16th century. The port cities of Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, established in 1510 and 1597 respectively, are shown. Two forts are situated at the entrance to the Bay of Portobelo. The chart gives detail of anchorages, soundings, rocks and shoals. Two fine compass roses orient the chart with north on the bottom and a strapwork cartouche completes the adornment.

Arent Roggeveen, a land surveyor and mathematician, taught navigation for the Dutch East and West India Companies. He also helped maintain their collection of hydrographic manuscripts and charts. In the mid 1660s, Roggeveen compiled a series of large-scale sea charts of North America and the West Indies, which was published by Pieter Goos in Het Brandende Veen or The Burning Fen. This landmark atlas was the first Dutch pilot to focus on the Americas, with a number of regions mapped in larger scale than in any previously printed work. After Goos died in 1679, his widow sold the plates to Jacob Robijn, who reissued the maps with his name added to the title, as seen here. Both editions are extremely rare.

References: Kapp (MCC-73) #16; Shirley (BL Atlases) #M.ROG-1b.

Condition: A

Watermarked paper with a narrow top margin, as issued.