Chap. I. Commodore Roggewein. 2n 
the Rejidences of Cheribon, Siam, and Moca.. 37. The State of the .Company's. Commerce in the IJiand of 
Borneo, and in the Empire'- of China. 38. The Author s Arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, with' a 
- Defcription of the Country belonging to the Dutch Eaft India Company. t 3 9. Departure from the Cape of 
Good Hope, and Occurrences in the Voyage. 40. Defcription op the If and op St.. Helena, and the Af- 
cenfio'n. 41. The Authors fafe Arrival in the Texel, July 11. 1733. 42. An Account of a Suit com- 
menced between the Eaft and Weft India Companies , on account of this Voyage , and the Ifue of it „ 
43 . Remarks on this Expedition. 
I„ rTTl HERE is, perhaps, no Country in the 
1 World, where Commerce is either more ho- 
nourable, or more profitable, than in Holland, 
or where, at the fame time, there is a greater Refpeft 
fhewn to it by the Government ; for, as the Republic chiefly 
fubfifts by Trade, every thing that relates to it, is confidered 
as ah Affair of a public Nature, which defer ves the quickeft 
and ftrifteft Attention. The great Companies in Holland , 
are, as in other Parts of Europe , deftruftive to Trade, 
confidered in fome Lights ; but very neceffary to it, when 
confidered in others. T he Weft India Company was ori- 
ginally erefted in the Year 1621. and held, by an exclufive 
Charter, the Commerce on the Coaft of Africa , from the 
Tropic of Cancer , to the Cape of Good Hope ; and, in 
America , from, the South Point of the Newfoundland, 
by the Streights of Magellan, or of le Maire , to the fup- 
pofed Streight of Anian, including both the North and 
South Seas. The Directors were divided into five Cham- 
bers, and confifted, in the Whole, of Seventy-two Perfons, 
out of whom eighteen were again chofen for the Admi- 
niftration of the Company’s Affairs, to whom a nineteenth 
was added by the States General, The Affairs of this 
Company were once in fo fiourifhing a Condition, that they 
were not only on a Level, but, in fome meafure, fuperior 
to the Eaft India Company, which was owing to the happy 
Succefs of their Affairs at Sea; for, in the Year 1629. 
their Admiral, Peter Haines, took the Spanifh Plate Fleet, 
which was immenfely rich, and brought it into Holland. 
They made themfelves Mailers of the greateft Part of 
Brafil, and were fo confiderable, that the great Cbuht 
Maurice of Najfau did not think it beneath him to accept 
of a Commiffion from this Company, to be Governor Ge- 
neral of Brafil ; which, however, after it had coil them 
immenfe Sums to defend, they at lair loft. 
The Term of their Charter was limited to twenty-four 
Years, which, in 1647. being expired, was renewed for 
twenty-five more •, during which time, their Affairs grew 
very perplexed, fo that towards the Clofe of that Term, 
they were content, that it flhould be diffolved ; and, in the 
Year 1674. a new Company was erefted, with pretty near 
the fame Powers, by Letters Patent from the States Ge- 
neral ; which Company has fubfifted ever fince with great 
Reputation. The Capital of this new Company confifts 
of fix Millions of Florins, which make about fix hundred 
thoufand Pounds of our Money ; and the Limits of their 
Authority are, the Coafts of Africa and America ; that is 
to fay, all the Eftablifhments of the Batch, in thofe Coun- 
tries, are under their Direction ; fo that whoever propofes , 
any new Scheme, for the Improvement of Commerce in 
thofe Parts, muft neceffarily apply himfelf to that Com- 
pany. 
It was this that induced Mr. Roggewein, a Gentleman 
of great Parts and Penetration, to frame a Pro] eft for 
the Difcovery of that vaft Continent, and the many Hands 
which are fuppofed to lie in the Southern Part of the Globe, 
and of which the World has hitherto had but very imper- 
fect Notices from others ; which Projeft, together with 
the Reafons in Support of it, and a Plan for carrying his 
defigned Difcovery into Execution, he prefented to the 
Eaft India Company in 1696. by whom it was very well 
received, and he was affured of having all the Affiftance 
he could defire or expeft, as foon as the Affairs of the 
Company would permit : But the Difturbances that foon 
after followed, put a Stop to the Company’s good In- 
tentions ; and, before any thing could be done, Mr. Rog- 
gewein breathed his laft. He was a Gentleman of the Pro- 
vince of Zealand, who, from his Youth, had addifted 
himfelf to mathematical Studies, and had a true Zeal for 
the Service of his Country 5 of which he gave many Proofs, 
apd perhaps none, that, in his own Judgment, was fo 
Numb. XVIII. 
great as the Framing this Scheme ; at lead, we have Rea- 
fon fo to believe, fince, upon his Death-bed,, he recom- 
mended it to his Son, and exafted from him a Promile, 
that, at a Time convenient, he would endeavour in Perfon 
to execute what himfelf had propofed. The young Gen- 
tleman, after his Father’s Deceafe, applied himfelf to his 
Studies with the utmoft Vigour, and" made fo happy a 
Proficiency in them, as to qualify himfelf for the Poll of 
Counfellor in the Court of Juftice at Batavia, whither he 
went, and refided there many Years. 
2. After his Return from the Eaft Indies , in which he 
had acquired an handfome Fortune, he bethought himfelf of 
performing the Promife he made his Father on his Death- 
bed ; and, in the Year 1721. prefented a Memorial to 
the Weft India Company, fetting forth, that, at fuch a 
T ime, his Father had propofed difcovering the Southern 
Continent and Hand; which Propofal they had been pieafed 
to accept, and he was now ready to perform. The Com- 
pany received this Memorial with the fame Readinefs they 
did his Father’s ; and, as their Affairs were now in better 
Order, they acquainted Mr. Roggewein, that they would 
immediately give Direftions for equipping fuch a Squadron 
as might be neceffary for executing his Defign. It con- 
fifted of three Ships ; viz. The Eagle , of 3 6 Pieces of 
Cannon, and 1 1 i Men, commanded by Captain Job Cofter , 
on board of which embarked the Commodore : The 
Eienhoven, of 28 Pieces of Cannon, and 100 Men, com- 
manded by Captain James Bowman : The African Galley, 
of 14 Pieces of Cannon, and 60 Men, commanded by 
Captain Henry Rofenthall. This fmall Squadron failed 
from the Port of Ampler dam the 16th of July , in the fame 
Year-, and arrived happily;, in the Space of 36 Hours, in 
the Per el. Before we proceed farther, it is requifite, that 
I Ihould acquaint the Reader, that we Hand indebted for 
the Journal of this Voyage to the Gentleman who com- 
manded. the Land Forces that were on board the Commo- 
dore, whofe Name I am not at Liberty to mention, or that 
of another Perfon, who made the Voyage, and from 
whom I have received confiderable Affiftance. The Na- 
ture of the Expedition is fufficient to recommend it to the 
Perufal of the Curious ; and the many remarkable Par- 
ticulars it contains, with regard to the State of the Butch 
Company’s Affairs in the Indies , will, I dare fay, juftify 
what I think myfelf obliged to fay of it ; that it is a£ 
once as inftruftive and as entertaining a Piece in its kind, 
as I ever pern fed. 
3. As foon as the Ships could be provided with every 
thing neceffary for fo long a Voyage, they failed, which 
was on the 21ft of Auguft 1721. with a fair Wind; which, 
however, changed the next Day, and obliged them to 
Ipend three Days beating through the Chanel. They con- 
tinued their Courfe to the South-weft, in order to gain the 
Coaft of Barbary ; but were prevented by a great Storm, 
which did them much Damage. To this fucceeded a ftark 
Calm ; during which, the Waves ran Mountain-high, as 
having not yet loft that Agitation into which they had been 
put by the late high Wind. This brought upon them 
new.Mifchiefs ; one of their Veffels loft its Main-top and 
Mizen-maft, and, in the Commodore, the Main-fail Yard 
came down, with fuch Force, as wounded feveral People 
upon Deck, and all this from the Rolling of the Ship ; fo 
that our Author concludes, that, in the Spanifh Seas, there is 
infinitely more Danger from the Hidden Calm, which 
ufually follows a Storm, than from the wildeft Tempeft 5 
infomuch that he pofitively declares, that, in the Baltic , 
and other Northern Seas, in which he had often failed, he 
never met with any Tempeft comparable to this ; which he 
attributes to the Deepnefs of the Sea, fuppofing, that the 
greater the Mafs of Water, the longer, when once put in 
Motion, that Motion lafts. But, as this is a Conjecture 
3 U only, 
