The first edition of an extremely rare and important sea chart depicting Puerto Rico, the present-day Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Maarten, and Saint Barthelemy. It is orientated with south at the top. We owe Arent Roggeveen a great debt, without his atlas entitled ‘Het Brandende Veen’, much of the knowledge of the powerful Dutch West India Company would have been lost. The atlas is significant also in being the first maritime atlas devoted to the Americas. Roggeveen was born in Delfshaven, and moved to Middelburg in 1658, an important centre of shipping and commerce. Skilled at mathematics, navigation, and surveying he taught the pilots of both the Dutch West and East India Companies.

“With his connections at the Dutch West India Company, Roggeveen had access to all the manuscript charts at their disposal. It must not be presumed that the company’s charts were all their own. Indeed, many were undoubtedly Spanish in origin. In the book Roggeveen tells us that over twenty years he formed a large collection of manuscript charts. Either way much of the knowledge they contained would not have survived to today without Roggeveen-s ‘Het Brandende Veen’. The word ‘Veen’, as well as being part of the author’s name, means ‘fen’ in English. The English translation, ‘The Burning Fen’, refers to the practice of burning peat along the coastline to act as beacons for passing ships, indeed the title page illustrates one. Roggeveen’s work was the first of two parts intended as the fourth and fifth of Pieter Goos’ ‘Zeespiegel’. A Privilege was granted to Goos on 19 March 1668, at which time they were apparently ready. The reason for the delay in publication is unknown, the first part relating to America did not appear until 1675. Goos died in 1675, and the business passed to his widow who herself died in 1677.” (Burden). Refer Burden (1996) no. 388; Koeman (1967-70) IV Rog 1 no. 20; A. E. Nordenskiöld Collection (1979) no. 247.