Isola Gorea O Gorée….
7 ½ x 10 ¼ inches, 15 X 10 ¾ inches inclusive of text. Fine condition with a strong impression. A dramatic, superbly engraved view of Gorea, a small (3000 by 1150 feet) Senegalese island now part of the city of Dakar. Prior to the waves of European colonization, the island was uninhabited, being devoid of fresh water. The Portuguese established a cemetery and chapel on the island in 1444; possession was contested successfully by the Dutch in the 16th century before passing to the English in 1664 and the French in 1677. During this colonial period and well into the 18th century, the island’s primary role was as a slave trading post. It is currently the home of the Maison des Esclaves, a museum and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade. The view shows the rocky, barren island with several fortifications and several buildings within a stockade; several ships ride at anchor while two ships under sail fire salutes as they approach.
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