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This sea chart depicts Ari Atoll, located on the western side of the Maldives. The map was produced for the Volume VI of Johannes Van Keulen II's Zee-Fakkel, the so-called secret atlas, because it was not available for sale and only given to VOC East Indiamen.
The chart meticulously represents the atoll’s reefs, islands, and dangerous shallows, marking areas of "geen grond" (no ground) where anchoring is impossible. Several islands are identified by name, including Matuaria, Dankau, Weledoe, Groot Folio, and Klein Folio. Notably, the map marks the wreck of the Ravesteyn, a VOC vessel, indicating a hazardous navigation zone. The surrounding waters contain numerous coral heads and submerged rocks, some of which are noted to be only 2 to 2.5 feet below water at high tide, posing significant risks to passing ships.
This chart was part of a confidential series of maps created exclusively for VOC use, often kept secret to protect Dutch commercial and colonial interests. The Van Keulen family, which operated a cartographic publishing house in Amsterdam, was responsible for producing these detailed nautical charts that guided ships along the spice trade routes to the East Indies.
The Wreck of the Ravesteyn
The Ravesteyn, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) vessel, was constructed in 1719 in Middelburg as part of a fleet commissioned by the Heren XVII, the VOC’s governing body. The ship embarked on her maiden voyage to Batavia (present-day Jakarta) in 1721, under the command of Reinier Hijpe, stopping at the Cape of Good Hope before reaching her destination. Over the next few years, Ravesteyn undertook multiple voyages across the Indian Ocean, transporting cash, spices, and goods between Batavia, Tagal, Suratte, Bantam, and Guangzhou.
After returning to the Dutch Republic in 1724, the ship was deployed again in 1725 under Anthonie Klink for a voyage to China. However, on the night of 8–9 May 1726, while navigating through the Ari Atoll in the Maldives, the Ravesteyn strayed off course and was wrecked on the Gangehi Maavaru reef. Despite the perilous location, the VOC managed to recover eight chests of silver (30,000 Dutch payments) and one chest of gold (26,000 gold ducats) from the wreck. The disaster was notable, as the Netherlands had no formal trading interests in the Maldives, making it an unexpected and dangerous route for Dutch ships.
The Van Keulens were a family of chartmakers and publishers. The firm, In de Gekroonde Lootsman (In the Crowned Pilot), was founded in Amsterdam in 1678 by Johannes van Keulen (1654-1715). Van Keulen originally registered his business as a vendor of books and instruments (specifically cross-staffs). In 1680, however, he gained a privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland for the publication of pilot guides and sea atlases.
In that year, van Keulen released his Zee-Atlas (Sea Atlas), which secured him a name in the competitive maritime publishing market. In 1681, he published the first volume of Nieuwe Lichtende Zee-Fakkel (New Shining Sea Torch). This would be the first of an eventual five volumes originally published between 1680 and 1684. A sixth volume was added in 1753. The Zee-Fakel won van Keulen lasting fame. The atlas had charts compiled by Claes Jansz Vooght and artwork from Jan Luyken. It proved immensely popular and was reprinted until 1783. There were translations in French, English, Spanish, and Italian.
The late-seventeenth century was an auspicious time to enter the maritime chart business. Previous industry leaders had either closed shop, died, or retired, leaving space for a new competitor. Van Keulen proceeded to buy up the stock and privileges of several maritime publishing firms; the most notable was the stock of Hendrik Doncker, acquired in 1693.
Johannes’ son, Gerard (1678-1726) took over the business upon his father’s death. Gerard was a skilled engraver and mathematician. His talents were noticed, as in 1706 he was named as Hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
In turn, Gerard’s son Johannes II (1704-1770) came to run the shop. He was also tied to the VOC, and his role as their chartmaker allowed his charts to be considered as quasi-official government documents. It is with access to formerly clandestine VOC geographic knowledge that Johannes the Younger was able to add a sixth volume to the Zee-Fakkel, which covered the East Indies. Johannes also continued to sell instruments, including the recently-invented Hadley’s Quadrant from 1744.
When Johannes II died in 1770, his widow ran the business in his stead, aided by her two sons, Cornelis Buys (1736-1778) and Gerard Hulst (1733-1801). Now a century old, the family business had extended to include an anchor factory. After Cornelis died in 1778, Gerard took on the management of the firm alone. He oversaw the introduction of sextants to their inventory and published the Dutch Nautical Almanac beginning in 1788. Annual editions appeared until 1885. Gerard also served as an original member of the Dutch Commission for Longitude at Sea from 1787.
Gerard’s widow ran the business for nine years after his death, when their son, Johannes Hulst, started to lead the firm in 1810. After his death in 1844, the firm passed out of family hands and into the control of Jacob Swert, a skilled cartographer who had worked for the business for two decades. He passed the work to his son, another Jacob, in 1866. By the mid-nineteenth century, the conversion from sail to steam had diminished the size of the market for charts. Fewer sailors needed fewer maps, charts, and instruments. In 1885, after 207 years in business, In de Gekroonde Lootsman closed its doors and auctioned its stock.
