
Map of the East Coast of Brazil from 1647
This beautiful map of the Brazilian coast is decorated at the top with a huge garland of native fruits and a jaguar, tapir and capybara. With north to the right, the map covers the coastal region from São Francisco south to the mouth of the Vaza-Barris River.
The map follows the rivers inland, with place names and topographical details along their banks.
There is a naval skirmish, three Dutch ships and a canoe on the Atlantic coast.
Based on real surveys by Georg Marcgraf, Elias Herckmanns and others, it was one of the first maps of Brazil based on non-Portuguese data.
Blaeu first published this and its supplementary maps in 1647 for Gaspar Barleus’ Rerum per octennium in Brasília.
They were also compiled into a large wall map, Brasília qua parte paret Belgis.
The maps then appeared in the Atlas Maior of 1662. “Praefectura de Ciriii, vel Seregirppe Delrey cum Itapuama”, Blaeu, Johannes
Map of the East Coast of Brazil from 1647 – Historical Maps of Brazil