“Africae Pars Meridionalis cum Promontorio Bonae Spei“ [Southern part of Africa with the Cape of Good Hope.] copper engraving published around 1730 by Tobias Lotter. With original hand colouring. Size: approx. 50 x 58 cm.
This fine map of Southern Africa is all about the Dutch presence at the time and details Castle of Good Hope, Saldanha Bay and the surroundings of Cape of Good Hope.
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) decided to establish a permanent settlement at the Cape in 1652. The VOC, one of the major European trading houses sailing the spice route to the East, had no intention of colonizing the area, instead wanting only to establish a secure base camp where passing ships could be serviced and restock on supplies.
The VOC had settled at the Cape in order to supply their trading ships. The Cape and the VOC had to import Dutch farmers to establish farms to supply the passing ships as well as to supply the growing VOC settlement. The small initial group of free burghers, as these farmers were known, steadily increased in number and began to expand their farms further north and east into the territory of the Khoikhoi. The free burghers were ex-VOC soldiers and gardeners, who were unable to return to Holland when their contracts were completed with the VOC. he VOC also brought some 71,000 slaves to Cape Town from India, Indonesia, East Africa, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
Price: Euro 525,-
