§2. The VOYAGES if look 1. 
out Squadrons for thefe diftant and hazardous Voyages : A 
Policy, which, however it might fpring from Neceffity, 
they conduced with fuch Wifdom and Addrefs, that the 
King of Spain foon found himfelf more diftreffed by the 
Armaments of the Dutch Merchants, than by all the Forces 
employed by the States of Holland . A plain Proof, that 
the fhorteft Way to render any Government powerful, is 
to intereft the People in general in its Support; for this 
raifes by degrees fuch a Spirit, and that Spirit produces 
luch unthought-of Gohiequences, as no Art or Force are 
able to oppofe. After this Introduction, we come naturally 
to fpeak of that Company of Merchants, at whofe Expence 
the Expedition was undertaken,; which is to be theSubjeft 
of our prefent Difcourfe. 
2. About the Beginning of the Year 1598. fome very 
eminent Merchants of the Low Countries among whom 
the principal were Peter van Beveren , Hugo Gergitz , and 
John Bennick , formed a Defign of fending fome ftout Ships 
tnrough the Streights of Magellan to cruife in the South 
Seas upon the Spaniards , to which they were chiefly in- 
ftigated by the Reports of many Englijh Seamen, who had 
ferved under Drake , Candijh , Hawkins , and other enter- 
prising Officers, in thofe Parts. The End of this Expe- 
dition was the common one of cruifing on the Spanijh 
Coafts, and obliging the Enemy of Peace to bear the Ex- 
pence of thofe Wars in which he obliged other People to 
engage againft their Wills ; as alfo to gain Experience ; 
and, if it fhould be found practicable, to continue their 
Voyage to the Philippines , and fo by the Cape of Good 
Hope , round the World. As the Succefs of this important 
ProjeCt depended, in a great meafure, on the Capacity of the 
General, for fo in thofe Days the Dutch , and indeed moft 
other Nations, called the Commander in chief, either by 
Land or Sea, they took care to provide themfelves with a 
Perfon of eftabliflied Character, as well in point of Con- 
duct as Courage, whofe Name was Oliver van Noort , a 
Native of Utrecht , in the Flower of his Age, and who had 
a ftrong Pafllon for Glory; To this Man they commu- 
nicated their Scheme, which he readily embraced ; and 
their Terms being fpeedily fettled, they proceeded to 
equip Two ftout Veffeis, the one called th t Maurice, the 
other the Henry Frederic , and Two Yachts, called the 
Concord , and the Hope , manned by 248 Perfons of all 
Ranks. Of this little Fleet Oliver van Noort , in the 
Maurice , was Admiral ; James Claafz , of Ulpenda , 
was Captain of the Henry Frederic , and had the Title of 
Vice-admiral ; Captain Peter van Lint had the Command 
of the Concord ; and John Huidecoope , of the Hope. Thefe 
were all Men of Experience, capable of maintaining their 
Authority upon all Occaflons, and who were themfelves 
interefted in the Succefs of the Voyage ; a Precaution then, 
and ever fince, taken by the Dutch in fuch Cafes, to prevent 
their Expeditions fuffering from the private Views, or want 
of Fleartinefs, in their Officers ; which is often the Cafe 
among other Nations, and for which this Method of theirs 
perhaps is the only Cure. 
3. When ail Things were in Readinefs, and the Crews 
of their refpedlive Veffeis abfolutely complete, the Pro- 
prietors prefented a Petition to the Board of Admiralty at 
Rotterdam ; upon which, all Parties concerned were fum- 
moned thither -, and, on the 28th of June 1598. the Rules 
and Regulations for their Government in this Expedition, 
which had been drawn up forthem by the Company, and then 
revifed and approved by the Stadtholder Prince Maurice , 
, and the Board, were publicly read to them, and every 
Man fworn to their Obfervance. Thefe kind of failing 
Orders the Dutch call Artykelbriefs , and never fuffer them 
to take place till they have received this kind of Sanction 
from the State ; and then they become the Laws of the 
Voyage, which whoever breaks, muff fuffer the Penalties 
mentioned in them. This is another Circum fiance worthy 
of Remark, and a very great Proof of the Attention paid 
by that Republic to the Commerce of their Subje&s, as 
well as a Check upon others, who might attempt to abufe 
their Authority. On the 13 th of September 1598. the 
Maurice and the Concord failed out of the Port of Goeree ; 
and the Henry Frederic , and the Hope , having joined them 
from Amfterdam^ they continued their Voyage together for 
Plymouth , where their Englijh Pilot Mr. Mellijh % who had 
4 
been the Companion of Sir Thomas Candijh 9 s Fortunes, was 
to take in his Apparel,, and other Neceffariesj On the 
2 1 ft, they failed from Plymouth, the Wind blowing a frelk 
Gale at North-eaft. The next Morning, when they were 
out of the Chanel, they perceived that the Vice-admiral’s 
Shallop was miffing with Six Men, which gave them a 
good deal of Concern, infomuch that they had fome 
Thoughts of returning to Plymouth ; but an Englijh Pri- 
vateer, coming up with them, foon cured them of their 
Pain, by affuring them, that thefe Six Men were lewd, 
good-for-nothing Fellows, who embarked for the Sake of 
what they could get, and had taken this Opportunity to 
run away with the Boat : Upon which it was refolved, not 
to trouble themfelves any further about them. Some 
Jealoufies, however, at that Time, fprung up, as to the 
Capacity and Condud of their Vice-admiral, which were 
quickly increafed by his lofing his other Shallop, which 
he had in Tow with a Man in her, and which, notwith- 
ftanding all the Care that they could take, was adually loft ; 
which Piece of Careleffnefs occafloned much Murmuring 
and Difcontent amongft the Seamen, which the Vice- 
admiral daily increafed by his haughty Behaviour, and by 
his Contempt for Advice, which, however, no Man wanted 
more than he. 
4. On the 4th of ODober they met a fmall Fleet of 
Dutch , Englijh , and French , which were coming from 
Barbary , and gave them an Account of the horrible Pefti- 
lence raging there, which had fwept away 250,000 Per- 
fons in a very fhort Space. On the 6th, they came be- 
tween T eneriff and the great Canary. November 3. they 
had Sight of the Coafts of Guiney. December 4. they 
came off Cape Palma , which lies in 3 0 30' North Latitude. 
The 10th, they had Sight of Princes Eland, which lies 
1 0 of North Latitude. They fent their Boats before to 
make fome Difcovery of the Ifle, where, having entered 
with a Flag of Truce, they were met by a Negro, bearing, 
the like Sign of Peace. They demanded only a Supply of 
Provifions, which was granted in very fair and friendly 
Terms ; but, while they were fettling this Point, a Party 
that lay in Ambufcade furprifed them in a Moment, and 
cut off feveral of them, amongft which was the brave 
Englijh Pilot Captain Mellijh. The Portuguefe purfued them 
to their Boats, which they very briskly attacked, killing 
the Admiral’s Brother, and were very near taking all the 
reft Prifoners. In Revenge of this Outrage, it was con- 
cluded in a Council of War, to attack the Caftle ; which 
Experiment being tried, and found too hazardous, they 
took their Revenge in burning all their Sugar-houfes. And 
fo, having provided themfelves with frefh Water, they fet 
Sail on the 17th. The 25th they reached Cape Gonfalvo i 
where the Wind generally blows from the Land at Night, 
and from the Sea in the Day. Flere they found Two 
Dutch Ships, which informed them of the Misfortune of 
Captain Sleerhagen , who was loft, with moft Part of his 
Company, upon Prince' s Eland, as they had like to have 
been ; as alfo of the Voyage of Peter Verhagen , who had 
entered the River of Congo , and, putting in at this Place, 
had here buried Thirty-eight of his Company, and was 
gone fome time before for Annobon. January 1. 1589. 
they paffed the Eland Annobon , which they found in 2° 
South Latitude; and the 28th of the fame Month they 
had the Sun in their Zenith. The 5th they reached Cape 
St. Thomas , (upon the Coaft of Brafil) which lies 22 0 
South Latitude. The 6th, they paffed the Fair Cape, and 
in the Evening Cape Frio. On the 9th, they came to 
Rio Janeiro. After fome Lofs of Time, and Company 
too, by the Treacheries of their grand Enemy the Por- 
tuguefe , they went to St. Sebajiian , where the Comforts of 
a good Harbour, frefti Water, and plenty of Wood, at- 
tended them ; but no Fruits were to be had at that Seafon. 
5. March 14. a dreadful Storm furprifed them, the 
Fury of which parted the Vice-admiral, and the Hope, from 
the reft of the Fleet ; but they had the good Luck to meet 
them again on the 17th. And now the Scurvy increafed 
amongft them, which, together with the Approach of 
Winter, made them refolve to put in at St. Helena ; but, 
miffing that, they concluded upon the Afcenfion , or fome 
other Eland, that was capable of giving them a tolerable 
Entertainment. But hard Fortune brought them to a very 
barren 
