Chart of a Skirmish between the Dutch and the Portuguese in the Johor River

16 JUN 2021

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Senior librarian Makeswary Periasamy introduces “Contrafactur des Scharmutz els der Hollender wider die Portigesen in dem Flus Balusabar”, also known as Chart of a Skirmish between the Dutch and the Portuguese in the Johor River. It is a 1606 schematic sketch that vividly depicts the battle between the Portuguese and the Dutch from 6 to 11 Oct 1603, fought off the southeastern coast of Singapore at the Johor River.

Published by the De Bry Family, a well-known family of cartographers, engravers and publishers, it affirms the strategic importance of the Singapore Strait in providing access to the lucrative east-west maritime trade routes. From the Stacks is a collection of exclusive videos highlighting rare materials of historical significance in the National Library’s collection.

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