They Observed That The Straits Of Booton Was Full Of
Shoals, Without Which The Water Was Deep.
On the east there is good
fresh water, and two leagues to the west lies a very rocky shoal.
On the
8th of April, Cornelius de Vicaneze went for Banda, where the soldiers
were landed, after being long on board ship.
Being detained in the Moluccas and at Bantam in the service of the Dutch
East India Company till the 14th December, 1616, admiral Spilbergen then
sailed from Bantam for Holland, in the Amsterdam of 1400 tons, having
also under his command the Zealand of 1200 tons, leaving the ships with
which he had hitherto sailed in India. On the 1st January, 1617, the
Zealand parted company, and on the 24th of that month the Amsterdam
anchored at the island of Mauritius. They doubled the Cape of Good Hope
on the 6th March, and arrived at St Helena on 30th of that month, where
they found the Zealand. Leaving that island on the 6th April, they
passed the line on the 24th of that month, and arrived safe in Holland
on the 1st July, 1617, having been absent two years, ten months, and
twenty-four days; nearly nine months of which time were spent in India,
without prosecuting the direct purpose of their circumnavigation.
The directors of the Dutch East India company bestowed the highest
commendations on Spilbergen for his prudence and good conduct in this
voyage, which contributed both to the advantage of the company, his own
reputation, and the glory of his country. The Dutch company may be said
to have dated their grandeur from the day of his return, both in respect
to reputation, power, and riches; the former resulting from his
successful circumnavigation of the globe, and the others from their
conquests in the Moluccas, in which he not only assisted, but likewise
brought home the first intelligence. On his return to Holland,
Spilbergen confirmed the report of Magellan respecting a gigantic people
inhabiting the straits, named Patagons. He said that he had gone
several times on shore, and had examined several graves of the natives,
and saw several savages at different times in their canoes, all of whom
were of the ordinary size; or rather under. But one day he observed a
man on shore, who first climbed one hill and then another, to look at
the ships, and at last came to the sea-side for that purpose, and this
man was allowed by all who saw him to be even taller than those spoken
of by Magellan. This is likewise confirmed by the accounts given to Van
Noort and De Weert, by a boy they took from the savages; who said there
were only two tribes of these giants, all the other savages being of the
ordinary size.[101]
[Footnote 101: Without pretending to give any opinion on this subject,
it may be remarked, that the account from the savage boy is worthy of
little credit, as a kind of nursery tale, and given by one who certainly
could hardly have sufficient language to express himself.
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