Von Erfindung derselben durch underschiedliche Schiffart 493 / Porto Desire.

Title

Von Erfindung derselben durch underschiedliche Schiffart 493 / Porto Desire.

Map shows Porto Desire in Patagoniea. Theodor De Bry’s Grand Voyages, an illustrated collection of accounts of the Americas, defined the early European picture of the New World.

ca. 1629

Artist

Bry, de - Merian (1528-1598)

In 1631, Matthäus Merian and Johann Ludwig Gottfried published Historia Antipodum, a heavily abridged, single-volume version of Theodor De Bry’s 14-part America series. After De Bry’s death, his sons continued the project. Merian, a skilled engraver, later married De Bry’s daughter and collaborated with Gottfried. The Historia Antipodum reorganized numerous travel accounts into three chapters covering nature, exploration, and recent colonial developments. Merian and Gottfried significantly reworked the content, merging reports and integrating illustrations into the text. Their depiction of the natural world and Indigenous cultures—drawing in part on José de Acosta’s writings—was particularly influential. The book stands as one of the most ambitious works of early modern travel literature.

Historical Description

Puerto Deseado (founded as Port Desire) is the capital of the Departamento Deseado in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz in Patagonia. It is located at the mouth of the Río Deseado into the Atlantic Ocean and has a fishing port. The city was founded by Thomas Cavendish in 1586 and named after his ship Port Desire. Later, the Spanish translation spread and eventually became the official name. Puerto Deseado has a disused railroad station, a library (Biblioteca Pública y Municipal "Florentino Ameghino") and two museums. The almost 32 km long port was used by Ferdinand Magellan and other early navigators. Magellan named the place "Bahía de los trabajos" in 1520, and the pirate Francis Drake anchored there on May 17, 1578 and christened the place "Bahía de las Focas". On December 17, 1586, Thomas Cavendish reached the mouth of the Río Deseado with his flagship Desiré, accompanied by the ships Hugh Gallant and Content. He named the port "Port Desire", and the headland at the entrance to the port is still called "Punta Cavendish".