Chap. II. Efiabii foment of the Dutch Eaft-Indk Company. gif 
no way diminifhed their Wealth, they greatly raifed their 
Reputation, and wiped off that- Imputation of Piracy, 
which, to render them odious,' the 'Spa nip Government 
had thrown upon them. 
This Capture was of prodigious Confequence, becaufe 
it gave them a compleat View of the Riches and Commo- 
dities of the Indies ; fo that themfelves and their Country- 
men now knew exactly what they were feeking, and could 
form a juft Notion of the Value of that Prize, for which 
they drew their Swords. This heightened that Spirit 
which was already fufficiently raifed of joining in Adven- 
tures to India ; and as good or ill Fortune feldom comes 
alone, fo, in this Cafe another Circumftance happened, 
which gave ftill greater Credit to, and excited warmer 
Hopes from fuch Undertakings. 
At the fame time Oliver Van Noorb returned to Holland , 
after a three Years Voyage: He had been fitted out by 
Peter Van Beveren , Hugh Bufe , and John Hoekbaker , and 
fet fail from Goeree September 1598. He made but very 
inconliderable Returns for the Merchants, but he acquired 
a great deal of Glory, a Share of which redounded to 
his Country ; for, at that time, the United Provinces 
fhared this common Glory with the Portugueze and En- 
glijh , That one of their Natives had failed round the 
World, by the Straits of Magellan. We have given a 
large Account of this Voyage in the firft Chapter of this 
Work, and therefore need not infill: upon it here. It was, 
to be fure, a glorious Undertaking, and the Fame that 
attended it had fuch an Effedt on the enterprifing Spirits 
of thofe Times, that it induced many rich Merchants to go 
and fettle at Amfterdam , and drew thither the moft experi- 
enced Seamen and Commanders from all Parts of Europe. 
This is what the Dutch Writers tell us •, and, indeed, 
we follow them entirely in this Account of their Com- 
pany, as being the beft inftrudted, and the moft intelli- 
gent Guides. It is, indeed, very poffible, and probable, 
that they have reprefented thefe Things to their own Ad- 
vantage, for which the judicious Reader will make a proper 
Allowance. But, upon the whole, I believe it would have 
been difficult to have found anywhere better Materials, 
fmce,to do themjuftice, they have been more careful to pre- 
ferve and record the Rife and Progrefs of this Commerce, 
from the Time it fell into their Hands, than anv other 
Nation that was ever concerned therein ; and the Pains 
they have taken to infert the principal Succefles of ''their 
Eajl-India Company in their general Hiftories, is what 
can never be too much commended. 
6. While their Navigation continued tobethusfuccefsful, 
and the Trade of the Indies flourifhed more and more, there 
happened an Accident that difcontinued their former good 
Fortune, and threatened Ruin to the whole; I mean the Plu- 
rality of Companies that were then formed, and the forry 
Underftanding that was between them. Oftentimes 
many of them fitted out Ships for the fame Port, which 
lowered the Price of their Goods, and difcouraged the 
Sailors. The States -General being acquainted with thefe 
Inconveniencies, called a Meeting at the Hague of the Di- 
redlors of the Companies, both of Holland and Zealand , 
and obliged them to unite in one Body for the future, to 
which their High Mightineffes joined their Confent and 
Authority. The Treaty that was then agreed upon was 
confirmed by a Patent from the Sovereign Power, for 
twenty-one Years, commencing from the Date, viz. 
March 20, 1602. 
The Patent being given out, the Company became a 
very confiderable Body, and made a joint Stock of 
6,600,000 Livres. Upon this Bottom they promifed 
themfelves great Things, and fitted out a Fleet of four- 
teen great Ships, which put to Sea in June 1602, under 
the Command of Wybrant Van Warwyk. The next Year, 
in the Month of February , the Yacht called Wachter , re- 
turned, and gave Advice that five of the other Ships 
would be at home very fpeediiy. By this Yacht an Ac- 
count was brought of what pafied before Bantam between 
Wolphart Ilarmanz and his Vice-Admiral, Hans Bouwer , 
on one Side, and Don Andreas Fertado de Mendoza , who 
had formed a Defign to drive the Dutch out of the Indies. 
In Effect Don Andreas was beat, and the Dutch Admirals 
purfuing their Courfe to t\\c Moluccas % arrived 'there at fe- 
veral Times one alter the Other. 
The fame Yatch brought the News of an Engagement 
at the Moluccas between James Van Nik, Admiral, and 
three Portugueze Ships, which did not turn to his Ad- 
vantage ; for that, after the Lofs of eight or nine Men, 
and fome of the Fingers of his own Right-hand, he was 
obliged to ffieer off. It was this Veffel like wile that 
brought the firft Intelligence of the taking of a For (up 
gueze Carrack by James HetmJVirk. Upon the Arrival of 
this News, another Fleet of thirteen Ships was fitted out, 
and failed December the 18th, under the Command of Ste- 
phen Vander Hagen. 
In the Year 1605, the King of Spain iffiieql forth a 
fevere Declaration, in which he prohibited the Inhabitants 
of the United-Provinces to trade to the Dominions of the 
King of Spain , or to the Fo.fi and IVefi-Indies , under the 
Pain of corporal Punifhment. But the Company was fo 
far from being over-awed by this Edict, that it rather in- 
fpired them with frefh Courage, and animated them to 
purfue their Defign with more Vigour and Diligence. In 
a Word, they prdently fitted out a Fleet of eleven Veffels, 
which were fit not only for Traffick, but for warlike Ex- 
ploits, and gave the Command of them to Cornelius 
Matelief. This Fleet had fcarce put to Sea, when the Di- 
rectors gave Orders for preparing another of eight Ships, 
which were manned not only with a full Complement of 
Seamen, but with Soldiers, that were engaged to flay and 
keep Garrifon in the Indies , if Occafion required. This 
third Squadron was commanded by Paul VanCaerdan. 
Soon after two Ships of the firft of thele two Squadrons 
came home with a richCargoe of Cloves and other Spices: 
They brought Advice that Admiral Vander Hagen would 
follow them very quickly ; and accordingly he arriv- 
ed the next July , after taking feveral Spanijh and Por- 
tugueze Veffels, and poffeffing himfelf of the Fort of Am- 
boy na, the demolifhing that of Tidore , and entirely difiodg- 
ing thofe two Nations out of the Molucca Hands. 
This Expedition gave Rife to a mighty Difpute between 
th e Dutch and the Englijh , upon the Account that the latter 
favoured the Spaniards , and by fupplying them with Pow- 
der, enabled them to hold out longer. The next October 
three other Veffels arrived in Holland , and gave Intelli- 
gence that Wybrcmdt Van JVaerwyk was upon his Way 
home, but was obliged to put in at the Hand of Maurice, 
becaufe his Ship was leeky, and that he had taken a Car- 
rack at Pat ana. This Admiral arrived in the Spring 
1607, but in the preceding Winter the Company had fent 
two Ships more to the Indies , under the Command of 
John-Janfz Moldie , to whom they owed the taking of 
the Fort of Fidore. 
7. A Negotiation being then fet on Foot for a Peace in 
the Netherlands , the Company fitted out a frefh Squadron 
of thirteen Ships, under the Command of P eter-V/illam- 
fen Verb oven, who had given a fignal Proof of his Cou- 
rage and Condudt in the Engagement at Gibraltar , where 
he was Vice-Admiral under the iiluftrious James Heemifo 
kirk. This great Fleet was fitted out with a Defign to give 
the World to underftand, that no Treaty of Peace fhouM 
tempt the United Provinces to drop their Trade to the In- 
dies. Immediately the Spaniards flatted a warm Difpute. 
in Reference to this Article, which proved the Subject of 
their principal Conferences ; upon that the Company gave 
in frequent Remonftrances both to the States-Gencral, and 
to the Mediators, and prefented to them written Memori- 
als, in order to make them fenfible that there was a 
Neceffity of being refolute upon that Head. 
In fine, this Point being looked upon as a principal Ar- 
ticle by both Parties, fo that it could not be adjufted, the 
States, upon a final Refolution, made this Propofal, that 
either the Spaniards fhould confent to their Indian Trade 
in the Treaty of Peace, or allow it them by a Truce, for 
fome Years, or elfe, that Things fhould continue beyond 
the Tropick of Cancer upon the fame Bottom that they 
then flood on, and that either Party finouid make War 
there, and do what they could for their own Advantage. 
This done, the Truce of twelve Years was accepted and 
concluded, and upon certain Conditions S twas agreed, that 
