EABLT EXPEDITIONS TO THK SPICE ISLAJTDS. 



U1 



infonnation from the Javanese and Arabs, who, as 

 early at leavst as 1322, visited these islands to pur- 

 chase spices.* The Dutch first came to the East in the 

 employment of the Portuguese, and in this manner 

 became acquainted with its geography and its wealth* 

 Their earliest expedition sailed from Holland in 1594, 

 under Houtman. His fleet first visited Bantam and 

 the island of Madura, At the latter place the na- 

 tiTes seized some of his crew, and obliged him to pay 

 two thousand nx dollai's to ransom them. On tlie 

 3d of Marchj 1599, he arrived here off Hltudama. A 

 serious and continnal warfare then began between 

 the Spanish, the Portuguese, and the Dutch, for the 

 possession of the Moluccas, which lasted until 1610, 

 when the Dutch became masters of these seas, and 

 monopoliised the lucrative trade of the nutmeg and 

 the clove. The English also tried to secure this valu- 

 able pme, but the Dutch finally compelled them to 



* Francis Valentjn, the author of tbo tiiost comprehensive and aecu- 

 rate history and descriptioii of the Dutch possessions in all the East^ was 

 a Lutheran olergyman. He wm bom at Dordrecht, about the year 1660. 

 In 1686 he arrived at Batavia as a minister, and having resided some time 

 at Japara, near Sainarang, he was transferred to Amboina, the future 

 field of Ms ministry and literary labors. After a residence of twelve 

 years in the Spice Islands, he was obliged to return home on aecount of 

 ill-health. Having reniained in Holland for eleven yeara, he sailed a 

 second time for India in 1705, Arriving at Java, he remained on that 

 island for two years, and then proceeded to the Spice Island;?, where he 

 resided for seven yeara, and in ltl4 he retumct] again to Holland. Im- 

 mediately after bia arrival be devoted himself to arranging his copious 

 notes for publication. lib first volame was published in 172^; this was 

 followed by seven others, all fully illustrated, the last appearing in 1726. 

 They embrace a complete description and history of all the Dutch pos- 

 sessions from the Cape of Good Hope to Japan, The date of the death 

 of tliis emlueut man is not knowDj but he must have been in his sixty- 

 gjxth year when he fimshed his great, work. 



