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This rare engraved chart, which appeared in Theodorus Santvoort’s Dissertatio Philosophica de Causa Motus (A Philosophical Dissertation on the Cause of Motion), visualizes the general wind systems of the equatorial Atlantic in support of the text’s discussion De Ventis Generalibus (On the General Winds). It offers a schematic, didactic view of the Atlantic Ocean between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, with the Caribbean and northern South America at left and the coast of West Africa at right.
A dense pattern of engraved hatching represents atmospheric and oceanic motion, with major wind directions and currents labeled by capital letters (L, H, K, R, etc.). These are keyed to the explanatory note (Explicatio Tabellæ Adjectæ) printed at the bottom of page 58 (not present here), which describes the seasonal variation of winds such as the Euronotus and Zephyrus around the Gulf of Guinea. Stylized ships, a compass rose, and a decorative sea monster enrich the engraving.
