Arnold Montanus*; 1625-1683.

Little is known about Montanus, a Jesuit priest and headmaster at the Latin school of Schoonhoven, except for his publication in 1671 in Amsterdam of his own atlas: "De Nieuwe en Onbekende Wereld". This compilation of extremely decorative maps, concentrated on North America, Central America, and the Caribbeans.
Actualy, most of said maps were strongly influenced by the 1630's Blaeu originals.
In turn Montanus was immediately copied by John Ogilby for his own "An Accurate Description and Complete History of America".
Some maps have been re-used by Pieter van der Aa in his "La Gallerie Agréable du Monde" (1729), and even later in the 1760's in the Covens & Mortier's "Nieuwe Atlas".

* seemingly no relation with Petrus Montanus (Pieter van der Berg), text writer for Jodocus Hondius at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Arx Carolina.

This bird's eye view (13 ¾' X 11") was printed for the 1671 "De Neuwe en Onbekende Wereld".
It depicts the town of Fort Caroline (arx being an archaic word for a roman citadel) which was established by French Huguenots in 1564 on the banks of the Saint John's River (close to present days Jacksonville).
In about a year time it had grown to over a thousand inhabitants; soldiers, farmers, craftsmen, …and one artist; Jacques Le Moyne de Morgue who documented flora, fauna, natives, and the every day activities of the colony. On the basis of these sketches, later editors would produce maps and views of the town till the second half of the 18th century.
Notice the numerous buildings, the fortified walls and gun emplacements, the seemingly peaceful interaction with the Timicuan Indians, the grazing cattle, and the warships.
Fort Caroline was taken by the Spaniards in 1565 and retaken by the French in 1568, who razed it then.
No text on verso.