sents New Amsterdam from the East River, showing the characteristic Dutch houses facing the river on Pearl Street. It is not unlikely, too, that Herrman may have rendered some aid to Visscher in preparing the map itself, the full title being, “Novi Belgii Novaque Angliae necnon partis Virginiae. Tabula multis in locis emendata a Nicolo Joannis Visschero”.
As early as October 1659 Herrman had seen the necessity of having an adequate map of Maryland. In a letter for that date he wrote to Peter Stuyvesant:
“But first of all, the South River (Delaware) and the Virginias, with the lands and hills between both, ought to be laid down on an exact scale as to longitude and latitude, in a perfect map, that the extent of country on both sides may be correctly seen, and the work afterwards proceeded with, for some maps which the English have here are utterely an imperfect and prejudicial to us. The sooner this is done the better, before Baltimoor whispers in the ears of the States of England, and thus make the matter much more difficult.”[1]
This letter is of the utmost importance in a discussion as to why Herrman made his decision to become a British subject. The letter was apparently written some few days after the conference with Governor Fendall; and certainly expresses the greatest loyalty to the Dutch point of view. There is no reason to believe, however, that Stuyvesant was impressed with Herrman’s suggestion; nor can one easily understand how Stuyvesant could be of much aid in having a map of Maryland drawn other than proposing to Governor Fendall that such a map be made by a joint commission of the two provinces.
- ↑ Maryland Archives, Vol. III (Proc. of Council), p. 398. See also, P. Lee Phillips, The Rare Map of Virginia and Maryland, 1911, p. 5. At this point, too, it is essential that we recall that in the Remonstrance it was stated that the boundaries of New Netherland be determined.
