Insularum Moluccarum nova descriptio

In 1629 on the death of Jodocus Jr. the Hondius family sold approximately forty copper plates to Blaeu, a transaction that they were soon to regret. Blaeu changed the plates attribution from Hondius&#8217 to his own and published many of the maps, including the one of the Moluccas, in his Atlantis Appendix of 1630. To remain competitive the Hondius-Jansson family commissioned two engravers to prepare thirty six plates one of these being, their new map of the Moluccas issued in the French edition of their Atlantis Maioris Appendix. Superbly decorated with a title supported by a pair of fish, in the seas are galleons, sea monster, compass roses and in the lower right native figures. Much of the impetus for the wave of maps pertaining to the East Indies and the secrecy that the VOC tried to maintain over their mapping activities, was for the protection of their lucrative monopoly of the spice trade which was centred on the islands collectively known as the Moluccas. They are now known as the Maluku Islands, the principal islands were Ternate, Tidore, Motir, Makian, Bakian and Banda. The area named Gilolo Insula, is the largest island of the group and now named Halmahera. These islands were the only known source of cloves, nutmeg and mace and consequently crucial to the interests of the VOC. References: CLA MOA 2.3 ill pg 33 NLA OMD Bid Id 587943 PAR CEII pg 107 Fig 4.19 SUA EMSA pg 201 Fig 114