Thus was this
circumnavigation of the globe completed in two years and eighteen days;
which, considering the difficulties of the course, and other
circumstances of the voyage, was a wonderfully short period.[131]
[Footnote 131: In the Collection of Harris this voyage is succeeded by a
dissertation on the high probability of a southern continent existing,
and that this supposed continent must be another Indies. Both of these
fancies being now sufficiently overthrown by the investigations of our
immortal Cook, and other modern navigators, it were useless to encumber
our pages with such irrelevant reveries. - E.]
CHAPTER VII.
VOYAGE OF THE NASSAU FLEET ROUND THE WORLD, IN 1623-1626, UNDER THE
COMMAND OF JAQUES LE HERMITE.[132]
[Footnote 132: Harris I. 66. Callend. II. 286.]
INTRODUCTION.
The government of the United Netherlands, considering it proper to
distress their arch enemy the king of Spain by every means in their
power, determined upon sending a powerful squadron into the South Sea,
to capture the ships of his subjects, to plunder the coasts of his
dominions, and to demolish his fortifications. Accordingly, in autumn
1622, a final resolution for this purpose was entered into by the States
General, with the concurrence of their stadtholder, Prince Maurice of
Orange, who even advanced a considerable sum of money towards it from
his own funds; and a fleet of no less than eleven ships of war, besides
smaller vessels, were ordered to be fitted out for the expedition, by
the several admiralties of the Union and the East India Company. This
fleet was in condition for putting to sea in spring 1623, when the
command was intrusted to Jaques Le Hermite, an able and accomplished
seaman of great experience, who had been long in the service of the East
India Company, and was now appointed admiral of the fleet; Hugo
Schapenham being vice-admiral. The ships fitted out on this occasion by
the admiralty of Amsterdam were, -
1. The Amsterdam of 800 tons, admiral, carrying twenty brass cannon and
twenty-two iron, with 237 men, commanded by Leenders Jacobson Stolk, as
captain, Peter Wely being supercargo, Engelbert Schutte commander of the
soldiers on board, Frederick van Reneygom fiscal or judge-advocate, John
van Walbeck, engineer, and Justin van Vogelair engineer extraordinary.
2. The Delft of 800 tons, vice-admiral, having twenty brass and twenty
iron cannon, with 242 men, commanded by captain Cornelius de Witte.
3. The Eagle of 400 tons, captain Meydert Egbertson, of twelve brass and
sixteen iron cannon, with 144 men.
4. A yacht called the Greyhound, of sixty tons, captain Solomon
Willelmson, carrying four brass cannons and twenty men.
The admiralty of Zealand fitted out only one ship for this expedition.
