HISTORIE, TECHNIEKEN EN MAATSCHAPPELIJKE ...

2. The period of the (Dutch) West-India Company and the Chartered Society
of Suriname.
(The maps for the use of the plantation-economy 1671-1795)
2.1. Land-issue policy
The West-India Company had to establish stable agricultural settlements on
the conquered places, proper management of the colony and ground rules
for the exploitation of the land.
In the beginning colonists were given a free piece of land, with the legal
status of ownership. Warrants were isued to the planters, containing the on-
ly obligation of bringing the land under the plough and to register with the
Secretary.
Many planters misused the freedom and seized disproportionate areas of
the riverbanks and thus brought expansion possibilities into grave danger. In
1685 a maximum area of 1000 acres was put on plantations, as well as a ru-
ling on the breadth of the river-frontage and depth of the parcel. The reci-
pient now had to pay a yearly rent and was required to have his parcel sur-
veyed.
To get an insight into the land-issue, cadastral maps were compiled (F. de
Wit, J. Sas en A. de Lavaux).
As appears from the diverse proclamations and "remindersI1 the require-
ments of surveying and registering the land were not always complied with.
The obligation of surveying was also laid on lots in Paramaribo (year of
foundation 1683) (city plans: De Wit, Ottens and C.Palm).
2.2. Some fundamental maps of the 17th and lsth century
As early as 1667 the surveyor Willem Mogge was sent to Suriname to make
a "pertinent and accurate map of the whole of Suriname".
What was meant as the whole of Suriname is described in the title of the
map. This map appeared in 1671, showing the names of the owners of the
sugarplantations in Roman letters.
Moggels map was followed in 1686 by that of the "Labadisten", from which
one could surmise that the number of plantations has risen to 148 (Mogge
showed 100). Further it shows that the entire Para-river and the left-bank
of the Suriname-river have been abandoned, most probably due to the raids
of Amer-Indians in cooperation with the Maroons. One cannot set a high va-
lue on these maps as surveying documents as contrasted with the cadastral
map of F. de Wit issued in 1688.
2.3. De Lavaux and his work
With his biography Alexander de Lavaux is introduced and his map of 1737
extensively discussed.
Still four editions of this map were issued, the latest around 1770 by P.
Schenk en Zoon, the merits of which are entered into.
2.4. The! work of J.C. Heneman
In the inventory of P.A. Leupe (1867) note is taken of a number (40-odd
manuscripts) of maps of J.C. Heneman.
We dwell for some time on his 1784 map and the manuscripts of his undated
140-iheets map (enlargements).