The Solitary
Giant Seen Looking At The Ships From A Distance, May Have Been Of The
Ordinary Size, Magnified To The Eye In Looking Through A Hazy
Atmosphere.
- E.]
CHAPTER VI.
VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, IN 1615-1617, BY WILLIAM CORNELISON SCHOUTEN AND
JACQUES LE MAIRE, GOING ROUND CAPE HORN.[102]
INTRODUCTION.
The States General of the United Provinces having granted an exclusive
privilege to the Dutch East India Company, prohibiting all their
subjects, except that company, from trading to the eastwards beyond the
Cape of Good Hope, or westwards through the Straits of Magellan, in any
of the countries within these limits, whether known or unknown, and
under very heavy penalties; this prohibition gave great dissatisfaction
to many rich merchants, who were desirous of fitting out ships and
making discoveries at their own cost, and thought it hard that their
government should thus, contrary to the laws of Nature, shut up those
passages which Providence had left free. Among the number of these
discontented merchants was one Isaac Le Maire, a rich merchant of
Amsterdam, then residing at Egmont, who was well acquainted with
business, and had an earnest desire to employ a portion of the wealth he
had acquired in trade in acquiring fame as a discoverer. With this view
he applied to William Cornelison Schouten of Horn, a man in easy
circumstances, deservedly famous for his great skill in maritime
affairs, and his extensive knowledge of trade in the Indies, having been
thrice there in the different characters of supercargo, pilot, and
master.
[Footnote 102: Harris, I.51. Callender, II. 217.
It is proper to remark, that in this and several of the subsequent
circumnavigations, considerable freedom has been taken in abbreviating
numerous trivial circumstances already noticed by former voyagers: But
whereever the navigators treat on new topics of discovery, or other
subjects of any importance, the narratives are given at full length. Had
not this liberty of lopping redundancies been taken, this division of
our collection must have extended to a very inconvenient length, without
any corresponding advantage. - E.]
The main question proposed to him by Le Maire was, Whether he thought it
possible to find a passage into the South Sea, otherwise than by the
Straits of Magellan; and if so, whether it were not likely that the
countries to the south of that passage might afford as rich commodities
as either the East or the West Indies? Schouten was of opinion that such
a passage might be found, and gave several reasons as to the probable
riches of these countries.[103] After many conferences, they came to the
determination of attempting this discovery, under a persuasion that the
States did not intend, by their exclusive charter to the East India
Company, to preclude their subjects from discovering countries in the
south by a new route, different from either of those described in the
charter.
[Footnote 103: The idea of rich countries is here surely wrong stated,
as none such could possibly be conceived to the south of the Straits of
Magellan.
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