Nassau made the narratives and drawings produced during the Dutch period available to Barlaeus, leading to the hypothesis that the author relied on these sources to write his book.

The Portuguese translation became a significant document regarding the customs and undertakings of the Dutch period in Brazil, serving as a foundation for gaining insight into the era under study.

This study is based on the activities carried out during the eight years Barlaeus spent in Brazil; specifically, it examines his account of the research conducted by the naturalists accompanying Maurice of Nassau during the period commonly known as Dutch Brazil (1637–1644). More specifically, I will focus on the studies of Georg Marcgrave and Willem Piso, who currently serve as key references regarding the flora and fauna of the Dutch-occupied territory of colonial Brazil.

According to the Guide to Information on Dutch Brazil, this work by Barlaeus is considered one of the most aesthetically refined and well-produced books on colonial Brazil; it contains a large number of maps and illustrations of the region, depicting activities carried out in Brazil as well as in other locations, such as Chile and Africa.

The Guide to Information on the History of Dutch Brazil reveals that one of the copies was presented to King John IV by the Portuguese ambassador to the Netherlands, Francisco de Souza Coutinho, at the time of the book's release in 1647. The copy belonging to the Royal Library was brought to Brazil in 1808.

Barlaeus’s work contains idealized portrayals of Nassau’s administration—as was to be expected, given that the book was written to extol him—such as in the following instance: “The Count undoubtedly set a remarkable and rare example of justice and equity toward the barbarians, showering them with all manner of benefits and decreeing worthy payment for their labor and services.”

Gaspar Barlaeus’s work describes the historical context that led to the formation of the Netherlands and their role in the sugar trade, as well as their relations with Spain and the latter’s policies of commercial retaliation against the Dutch during the 16th century—policies that ultimately drove the decision to occupy Bahia and Pernambuco in the 17th century.

Barlaeus also describes religious matters regarding the coexistence of Protestant Dutch, Catholic Brazilians, and Jews, noting a certain degree of freedom Nassau adopted during his administration—such as allowing Jews to be excused from guard duty on Saturdays and permitting Catholics to practice their religion. However, as observed in 20th-century studies, this freedom was not always truly enjoyed. The following example illustrates Dutch attitudes toward Catholics and Jews regarding Catholic processions: [...] “In some places where Brazilians felt they were in the majority, they continued to carry their religious images into the streets. On several occasions, these processions ended with many people beaten and some deaths” [...].

Gaspar Barlaeus’s book contains references to Nassau’s achievements, mentioning the
Friburgo Palace and the natural riches found within its grounds:

“In addition to the palaces, a garden was also created at the Virijburg Palace, where 252 orange trees were planted, alongside another 600 that served as a hedge; there were 80 sweet lime trees, 80 pomegranate trees, 66 fig trees, and native trees—papaya, jenipapo, mangaba, cashew, ubaia, palm, pitanga, and banana trees—as well as a zoobotanical garden featuring a vast number of animals and birds brought from nearly all parts of Brazil and Africa.”

There are moments in Gaspar Barlaeus’s book that highly praise the achievements of Maurice of Nassau—such as the transplanting of coconut trees, ordered by the Count, in the section describing the garden’s construction: “The most significant moment in the garden’s creation was arguably the transplanting of fully grown coconut trees; they were carefully uprooted three or four miles away and transported to the island of Antonio Vaz. Contemporaries noted the success of this experiment, which, according to Barlaeus, helped to refute the old proverb: ‘Old trees should not be moved.’”

Source(s):

.- Barlaeus, C. (1647). Rerum per octennium in Brasilia et alibi gestarum, sub præfectura illustrissimi comitis I. Mauritii, Nassoviæ, &c. comitis... historia. Ioannis Blaeu.

.- Barlaeus, C. (1940). História dos feitos recentemente praticados durante oito anos no Brasil (C. Brandão, Trans.). Ministério da Educação Nacional.

Ludolf Backhuysen, Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast, 1667, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund.

There’s something strangely fascinating about old paintings of ships caught in storms. Once the ocean turned against you, there wasn’t much you could do except hope the ship held together. Paintings like this make me wonder what it actually felt like to be on one of those ships, watching the storm close in while the ocean threw you around.

It’s one of the reasons I love the Age of Exploration, when every voyage meant facing the ocean without knowing what waited for you beyond the horizon.

Among the many wonders encountered by European explorers was the Blue-and-yellow Macaw (*Ara ararauna*), one of South America's most beautiful birds. In these 17th-century descriptions, we can see the impressions and observations recorded by European colonists regarding this species of macaw.

“The ravens of the East or West Indies are larger than the ravens found here. They possess a strong, curved beak and short legs with sharp claws. Their tails measure more than a cubit in length. Beneath their eyes, they have an area of ​​bare white skin, marked by a few wrinkles. There are two varieties: some—indeed, the most common type—are a beautiful red on their backs and wings, with yellow bellies. Others, however—especially those brought by the Tapuia people—are a lovely sky-blue on their backs and wings, with yellow bellies.
They learn to articulate certain words, much like parrots—particularly those containing many 'a' sounds, such as 'Irarara' (their own name), 'bom dia, cunhado' [good morning, brother-in-law], and others. N.B. The raven sketched here is much larger than the other bird depicted; in the accounts, it could perhaps be rendered slightly smaller [in size].”

- Caspar Schmalkalden’s voyage from Amsterdam to Pernambuco, Brazil.

“A raven from the [West] Indies, larger than an ordinary raven.”

- Maurice of Nassau in Libri Principis.

“These blue-and-yellow ravens are somewhat smaller [than the previous one] and also utter loud cries; otherwise, they do not differ greatly from the red [ravens] and are found in Brazil.”

- Zacharias Wagener, Thierbuch (Book of Animals).

Jean e Pierre Schaepcoman scrivono ad Aronio per una cambiale da 2000 fiorini e una fornitura di calze. Nuovo documento della Serie Aronio, trascrizione (con le parti incerte segnalate)

Primo documento di una nuova "Serie Aronio" che traccia la rete di un mercante italiano a Lille annessa alla Francia (1667+). Jacques Colombier negozia prezzi di £65/£83/£88 per merci non nominate provenienti da un luogo ancora non identificato. Trascrizione completa e commento: [gabrieleguglielmi.org](http://gabrieleguglielmi.org)

Published in 1820, this map accompanied Essai sur la géographie de l'île Timor ("Essay on the Geography of the Island of Timor"), prepared by the French navigator and cartographer Louis de Freycinet.

The map illustrates the island of Timor, then divided between Portuguese and Dutch territories

It was based in part on the work of British explorer George Vancouver.

Location: Timor
Date: 1820

Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département Cartes et plans.

We’re looking for 20 background extras (18–26 years old) to join the final house party scene of an independent student film.

📅 Date: Tomorrow (30 July)
🕥 Time: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Amsterdam Noord

No acting experience is needed, just come as yourself!

👕 Dress code: Casual party/student outfit (jeans, T-shirt, shirt, sneakers, etc.).

🍕 Food and drinks will be provided throughout the day.

This is an unpaid opportunity, but you’ll:

Be part of a fun film set.
Gain on-set experience.
Receive footage for your portfolio where possible.
Take part in a film that will be submitted to multiple film festivals.

If you’re interested, send me a private message as soon as possible with:

Your name
Age
A recent photo

Feel free to bring a friend, the more people, the better the party scene! 🎉

This plan represents the city of Luanda (São Paulo de Luanda), Angola, around 1641, during the period of European colonial expansion in the Atlantic world. The image shows the urban organisation of the city in the 17th century, including its territorial layout and defensive structures.

Luanda was conquered by a Dutch fleet of the Dutch West India Company (WIC – West-Indische Compagnie), commanded by Cornelis Cornelisz Jol, also known as Houtebeen, on 24 August 1641. The Dutch occupation took place within the context of the conflict between the Netherlands and Portugal, following the period of the Iberian Union (1580–1640) and the wider struggles for control of Atlantic trade routes, including the transatlantic slave trade.

The plan is engraving no. 48 in a series of 55 illustrations dedicated to the journey and stay in Brazil of Count Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen (John Maurice of Nassau)

I recently was in Montreal. I attended a well done presentation of Montreal and Quebec history at the archeological museum there. Considering the small population of Canada, around 60,000 at the time of the British Conquest in the mid-18th century, it is interesting how they were able to keep their ways in terms of culture, religion, laws and language.

It got me to thinking of a parallel event, a century earlier, and 300 miles south, when the British took New Netherlands. Was there any concerted effort by the Dutch to carry on similarly? To get special rights enshrined in the law, for instance. If so, what caused that to fizzle out over time?

Hi everyone,

I am currently researching about Dutch Colonization in present day Indonesia (specific in Banda Islands) for writing a news article in my local language. I am particularly trying to focus and communicate on how spices like Nutmeg and Mace were brought to other parts of the world (particularly South Asia) with its background on slavery and colonization. So far, I have read few research papers and other resources in the Internet about how Dutch colonizers invaded the islands, killed the people and implemented nutmeg plantation system. I am particularly interested in following points for now.

1.    Presence of Europeans in the Banda Islands (or in Indonesia) before the arrival of Dutch in 17^th century.

2.    Arrival of these spices in South Asia.

3.    Dutch English war or wars with any other fellow colonizers like Portuguese to control the monopoly of the spice supply.

If anyone knows of any resources regarding this (be it scientific papers, books or anything), I would really be grateful. Thanks for your help in advance!

Mijn naam is Freek de Lange en voor mijn profielwerkstuk heb ik als onderwerp: Hoe bereikt een nieuw kledingmerk zijn doelgroep?

Voor mijn onderzoek heb ik een korte enquête gemaakt. Ik zou het erg waarderen als je deze wil invullen.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/5jrSG9f61v

Alvast bedankt!

Met vriendelijke groet,

The work titled "Epigrammata Americana ad Excellentisimum Illustrisimumque Comitem I. Mauricium, Comitem Nassaviæ, Cattimeliboci, ac Dietiæ, Beilsteinii Dominum, & Brasiliæ Terra Marique Imperatorem," by Jani Bodecheri Banningi, dated 1639, praises the Nassauvian administration in bombastic terms. He graduated in Letters from the University of Leiden at the age of 18, becoming a professor of Ethics five years later. In 1635, Banning was appointed extraordinary professor of Physics and, the following year, joined the examining committee for Philosophy students.

Recognized by intellectuals such as Constantijn Huygens, he was appointed in 1638 to the position of Political Advisor to the West India Company in Brazil. He arrived in Recife on June 13th of that year, tasked with guiding the Aldermen on civil, criminal, and matrimonial matters. Alongside his administrative duties, he maintained his literary output, publishing in 1639, in Leiden, the pamphlet Epigrammata Americana, dedicated to John Maurice of Nassau.

Also in 1639, he worked in the Company's food warehouses in Recife. This new role, however, revealed a profound melancholy and hallucinations. Despite showing some improvement, his colleagues on the Political Council did not tolerate his "impertinence." His main accuser, Balthasar Vande Vooder, wrote to the Directors of the Zeeland Chamber accusing him of drunkenness and fornication. The situation reached such a point that John Maurice himself requested Bodecher's return to the Netherlands from the Company's directors. His dismissal occurred in August 1639.

In 1640, given his lamentable mental state, Bodecher's parents requested financial assistance from the Trustees of Leiden University, obtaining two installments of 400 florins. Two years later, on August 20, 1642, the university granted another 200 florins to the family, intended to settle debts resulting from his death. Throughout his intellectual career, the professor published seven works, among which stands out Epigrammata Americana, written in Recife and published in 1639 by David Lopes de Haro's publishing house. The poems belong to the humanist tradition of the 17th century and follow the classical Greco-Roman model, especially that of authors such as Martial. Although called "epigrams," many function as short panegyric poems, intended to celebrate the virtues, military victories, and government of Nassau in Brazil, comparing him to figures such as Alexander, Caesar, Hercules, and other heroes of the Greco-Roman tradition.

Source(s):

.- MELLO, José Antonio Gonsalves. Fontes para a História do Brasil Holandês. Published in Brazil.

.- MELLO, José Antonio Gonsalves. A Administração da conquista. Recife: MinC-Secretaria da Cultura, Brazil, 1985.

Available at: Banningi, Jani Bodecheri. (1639). Epigrammata Americana. Published by David Lopes de Haro in Leiden, Netherlands.

Credits to: O Brasil Holandês 1624-1654

Documentary directed by Frédéric Wilner

A gang of black men labored as long as daylight allowed, digging a three-foot-deep trench from the East River all the way across Manhattan Island to the Hudson River. The trench followed a rough path that ran along the north edge of the village. It was March 1653, and Governor Stuyvesant had been sent orders to fortify New Amsterdam. English warships were gathering in Boston Harbor, readying to sail south and take the Dutch colony.

The men digging the trench had names such as Paulo d’Angola, Simon Congo, and Anthony Portuguese. As their names showed, many were Africans who had worked aboard Spanish or Portuguese ships before the Dutch seized them. These Africans were owned by the Dutch West India Company, but some had gained a form of half-freedom. They worked for themselves, but owed the company labor whenever needed. Half-free or enslaved, they could own property, testify in court, bear arms in emergencies, attend church, and marry. But their children were not free.

When the Africans finished the trench, they formed a wall by standing big logs into it. Each log was 18 inches around and 12 feet long. Then they pounded dirt and stones back into the trench around the base of each log to make the wall strong. They built blockhouses at the ends of the wall, and gates were added where roads ran through it. But as soon as the wall was finished, it was no longer needed. The Netherlands and England had signed a peace treaty. However, the wall built by the Africans gave the rough path that eventually became a street with a new name: Wall Street.

Image: Manhattan in 1660, when it was part of New Amsterdam. North is to the right. Drawn in 1916 by John Wolcott Adams (1874–1925) and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes (1867–1944). Published before January 1, 1923 in the United States.

From 1641, the Dutch were the only Westerners allowed to trade with Japan.

To impress (or as a gift for the Shogun), the Dutch regularly brought rare animals from the Dutch East Indies, such as this cassowary.

According to a popular 18th-century Japanese folk belief, this animal could eat glowing coals or fire. They were also known as hikuidori (fire-eaters).

I never see individuals like Geert Wilders openly shit on Japanese immigrants, compared to Turkish and Moroccan ones.