West-Indianischer Hostorien Ander Theil 508

Title

West-Indianischer Hostorien Ander Theil 508

Decorative view depicts the fleet of H. Wilhelm Schouten on the island of Samoa. From the Historiqual description../ Der wunderbarlichen Reyse / welche von einem Holländer /Willhelm Schouten genandt / neulicher Zeit ist verrichtet worden: Darinnen angezeigt wird/ Durch was Mittel und Weise / er gegen Mittag / der Magellanischen Strassen / einen newen und bißhero unbekandten Weg in die Sud-See eröffnet habe.

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

The Independent State of Samoa, known as Western Samoa, is a Unitary Parliamentary Republic with eleven administrative divisions. The two main islands are Savai'i and Upolu with four smaller islands surrounding the landmasses. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a unique language and cultural identity.