"Jaffenapatam", Valentyn, Francois

A lovely bird's-eye plan of the fort and town of Jaffna with great detail even of the individual fields and gardens. Embellished with a simple compass rose and numerous sailing ships. Valentyn was a prominent historian of the Dutch East India Company who is best known for Oud en Nieuw Oost Indien, his vast illustrated account of the Dutch trading empire in Asia. He twice traveled to the East Indies and served as Calvinist minister to Ambon between 1686 and 1694. In preparing this monumental work, he was given privileged access to the previously secret archives of the VOC, containing transcripts and copies of important earlier Dutch voyages.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) G.VALN-1a #51.

Condition: A

A nice example, issued folding on a watermarked sheet with faint offsetting and light toning along the edges of the sheet.