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?