Map of the Bay of All Saints, 1644

This rare map of Salvador and the Bay of All Saints shows the Dutch attack and capture of the city of Salvador in May 1624.

Salvador, then the capital of Brazil, was a strategic port under Portuguese control. The Dutch, determined to take control of Brazil, formed the West India Company in 1621 and sent a large expedition to Brazil.

On 8 May 1624, the Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Jacob Willekens and Vice-Admiral Pieter Heyn arrived in Salvador and attacked the city.

The Dutch managed to take the city, although the Portuguese regained control less than a year later. This map shows the city of Salvador and its fortifications, with the Dutch ships approaching the city. The rest of the coast is sparsely engraved with a few small towns, churches and settlements.

The map is oriented with north to the left and has a nice strip chart that incorporates the distance scale. Published in De Laet’s account of the history of the Dutch West India Company from its beginnings to 1636. “Baya de Todos os Sanctos”, de Laet, Joannes

Map of the Bay of All Saints from 1644 – Historical Maps of Brazil