Antique Print of the the catching of Horses on Jafnapatnam by Baldaeus (1744)

Description: Antique print, titled: 'The catching of horses in Jafnapatnam.' - This plate shows the catching of horses on Jafnapatnam. The province of Jaffna , and specially the fort at Jaffnapatnam were the last Portuguese holdings in Ceylon / Sri Lanka before they were driven out by the Dutch in 1658.

From: Churchill's 'A Collection of Voyages and Travels, some now first printed from original manuscripts others now first printed in English', printed in 1744 for Henry Lintot and John Osborn.

Artists and Engravers: Made by 'Philip Baldaeus' after an anonymous artist. Author: Philip Baldaeus (1632-1672). Father Philippus Baldaeus, Baelde or Philip Balde (October 1632, Delft - 1672, Geervliet) was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna, Ceylon with an invading Dutch force during 17th Century. As the first European he documented the life, language and culture of Tamil people, living in the north of the island. It is a great historical record, similar to Mahawamsa, and it was immediately published in Dutch and German (with many beautiful plates).