SECOND DUTCH VOYAGE TO THE INDIES 1598

[aukepalmhof]

Mauritius issued in 1998 four stamps and a mint sheet for the 400th anniversary of the Dutch landings on the island. The MS depict the Dutch fleet of five vessels when she sighted the island. Most probably the largest vessel in the foreground is the AMSTERDAM with on board Wybrand van Waerwijck, while the vessel sailing ahead is the yacht FRIESLAND.

When the first Dutch trade expedition to the East Indies returned in the Zeven Provincies (at that time so named, now Netherlands) in 1597, many shipowners, (two in Rotterdam and two in the province Zeeland) fitted out ships for a new voyage to the Indies.
The Oude Oost-Indische Compagnie (Old East India Company) formed in Amsterdam, after the return of the first expedition fitted out also 8 ships under which three vessels of the former Compagnie van Verre (Company of Faraway).
At that time the VOC was not yet formed.

The Oude Compagnie from Amsterdam fitted out the MAURITIUS, 460 tons burthen, HOLLANDIA, 460 tons burthen (she is on a stamp of the Malagasy Republic 1992 800f sg 905), OVERIJSSEL, 50 ton burthen, UTRECHT, 240 ton burthen, FRIESLAND, 180 ton burthen, AMSTERDAM, 500 ton burthen, GELDERLAND, 360 ton burthen, ZEELANDIA, 360 ton burthen.

Overall command was by Jacob van Neck on board the MAURITIUS, Vice Admiral was Wybrand van Waerwijck, sometimes spelled Warwijck, on board the AMSTERDAM.
To fit out the fleet 7½ ton gold was spend, and the fleet got a total crew of 560 men.

The first of May 1598 the fleet sailed out from Texel, and after three weeks the fleet arrived in the Cape Verde. Then a course was set to the Brazilian coast, 09 July the Equator was passed, and on the 25th June the fearful Abrolhos Islands were passed and a southerly course was set, after passing Tristan da Cunha the course was set off Cape of Good Hope. After passing the Cape of Good Hope, the fleet was hit by a storm and 5 vessels lost the contact with the MAURITIUS and were not seen again till after arrival at Bantam.

The five vessels, which lost contact, were the AMSTERDAM, FRIESLAND, UTRECHT, GELDERLAND and ZEELANDIA, the ZEELANDIA lost in the storm her foremast with sails and spars, but she got contact again with the other four vessels. Course was set for Madagascar but by trying to land on Madagascar to look for fresh water a boot capsized and was lost, and the five vessels sailed away in an easterly direction. After a few weeks land was sighted on 17 September 1598 and a decision was made to land and to look for fresh food and water.
They were not sure which island they had reached, they thought that they had reached Ilha Do Cerne what was named by the Portuguese Domingos Fernandez, but it is believed the Arabs discovered the island already in the 10th century and named it Dinarobin.
18 September some boats were sent to the beach, and they came back with good news, there was abundant of fresh fruit, fish and water, and all kind of animals and birds for hunting.
At that time the island was uninhabited.
The next day the total crew of the five vessels was going ashore in two parties, thanking God for there save arrival on an island with so much fresh food.
Till 23 October 1598 the Dutch stayed on the island what was named by van Waerwijck in old Dutch, Maurito de Naçau, After Prince Mauritz van Nassau, Stadtholder of Amsterdam. Nowadays it is know as Mauritius.

After a save crossing of the Indian Ocean the five vessels arrived off Bantam, Indonesia one the last days of the year, four weeks after the first three ships arrived under command of van Neck.

12 January 1599 four ships after loading sailed back to the Zeven Provincien, under command of van Neck with a full cargo of pepper and cloves. They were the three ships which first arrived and the FRIESLAND.
06 April 1600 Cape de Good Hope was passed and 19th July the four ships arrived off Texel.

09 January 1599, four ships under van Waerwijck sailed to the Moluccas to look and to load there. In the Moluccas the trade was good and the four ship after loaded full of pepper and cloves set sail.
In the meantime the contacts with the natives were so good that they got permission to build trading stations, where some Dutch men were left behind.
19 August 1599 two vessels the GELDERLAND and ZEELANDIA set sail from Bantam and via St Helena, were she stayed from 08 December till 01 Jan. 1600, she arrived at Texel on 19 May 1600.
The last two vessels AMSTERDAM and UTRECHT sailed 21 Jan. 1600 from Bantam and via St Helena were she stayed from 17 May till 21 May, they could not reprovision because of the Portuguese been there, and Ascension from 30 May till 31 May, she arrived at Texel in September 1600.
Not one of the vessels was lost, and the cargo was sold very well, after deduction of all the cost, the shareholders got a dividend of 100 percent.

AMSTERDAM built in 1598 most probably on a yard in Amsterdam, burthen 500 ton.
She made the voyage under command of Kornelis Jansz Fortuin. Crew 106.
After her return in the Zeven Provincies she made an other voyage to the Indies. Sailed 23 April 1601 from Texel and arrived 22 Feb. 1602 at Bantam, sailed Bantam 11 May 1602 and arrived Texel April 1603.

ZEELANDIA built ? sailed under command of Klaas Jansz Melknap, crew 83. After this voyage she made an other voyage, sailed 23 April 1601 from Texel, arrived Bantam 26 December 1601.
Sailed Bantam 25 August 1602 and returned April 1603 in the Zeven Provincies.

FRIESLAND: built ?, yacht under command of Jan Kornelisz May crew 42?.
She made after arrival in the Netherlands an other voyage, sailed 21 December 1599 from Texel and arrived 01 October 1600 at Bantam. Sailed from Bantam 14 Jan. 1601 and arrived in the Zeven Provincies, October 1601.

UTRECHT; built? Sailed under command of Jan Martensz, crew 50, after her return she made an other voyage, sailed 23 April 1601 from Texel and arrived 26 December 1601 in Bantam. Most probably she stayed in the Indies, can not find a return voyage.

GELDERLAND; built?, sailed under command of Jan Bruin, crew 79, after her return she made a other voyage, sailed 23 April 1601 from Texel and arrived 26 December 1601 at Bantam, returned 25 August 1602 from Bantam and arrived April 1603 in the Zeven Provincies.

Noting more is given in the database on this five vessels, maybe scrapped or sold and used for other trades.

Mauritius 1998 50c/8r sg 983/86, scott?. 25r sgMS987, scott?.

Source: http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/DAS Van Oude Voyagien by Dr. M.G. de Boer.

Auke Palmhof