Suriname, battle Dutch – Maroons, Stedman, 1798, Plan du Champ de Bataille, Principal, entre les Rivières de Cottica et de Maroni….

The engraving depicts the battles against the Maroons in the area between the Cottica and Maroni rivers. It is a tactical map showing the trenches and combat zones in the forest. It is an illustration of the wars waged by Dutch colonial troops against the Maroon resistance fighters (the Boni/Aluku) in the swampy forests of Suriname.

The map was created by Tardieu and published in 1798 in a French edition of J.G. Stedman's famous book about Suriname.

John Gabriel Stedman (Dendermonde, 1744 – Devonshire, March 5, 1797) was a Scottish-Dutch officer in the Scottish Brigade of the Dutch army. He helped suppress a slave revolt in Suriname. He fell in love with a female slave and attempted to buy her freedom. He wrote the influential book *Reize naar Surinamen en door de binnenste deelen van Guiana* about his experiences. In this, he openly expressed concern for the rights of the slaves, particularly regarding the question of whether they should be treated as human beings. His description of a story about the murder of a mulatto girl evolved over the course of history into a legend about the slave Alida.

Good to very good condition. Some light stains and age-related browning in the margins and some repairs to the folds. Otherwise excellent. Wide margins.

Image 18.5x43cm, sheet 29x51cm