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.
5. The Orange of 700 tons, captain Laurence John Quirynen, and carrying
likewise the rear-admiral, John William Verschoor. Her complement of men
was 216.[133]
[Footnote 133: Her number of guns is not mentioned, but she could hardly
have less than thirty-six from her size - E.]
The admiralty of the Maes furnished the following ships:
6. The Holland of 600 tons and 152 men, carrying ten pieces of brass and
twenty of iron ordnance. In this ship was Cornelius Jacobson, who was
counsellor to admiral Le Hermite, but the ship was immediately commanded
by captain Adrian Troll.
7. The Maurice of 360 tons and 169 men, having twelve brass and twenty
iron cannon, commanded by captain James Adrianson.
8. The Hope of 260 tons and eighty men, with fourteen iron cannon,
captain Peter Hermanson Slobbe.
The admiralty of North Holland also provided the following ships:
9. The Concord of 600 tons and 170 men, with eighteen brass and fourteen
iron cannon, captain John Ysbrandtz.
10. The King David of 360 tons and seventy-nine men, with sixteen pieces
of brass cannon, captain John Thomason.
11. The Griffin of 320 tons, and seventy-eight men, with fourteen iron
cannon, captain Peter Cornelison Hurdloop.
The whole of this fleet of eleven sail, carrying 294 pieces of cannon,
had 1637 men, of whom 600 were regular soldiers, divided into five
companies of 120 men in each. The East India Company contributed largely
to the expence, but does not appear to have equipped any ships on this
occasion.
SECTION I.
Incidents of the Voyage from Holland to the South Sea.
This armament, usually called the Nassau fleet, was by far the most
considerable that had hitherto been sent against the Spaniards in the
new world, and none so powerful has since navigated along the western
coast of America in an hostile manner. It sailed on the 29th April,
1622, from Goeree roads, all but the Orange, which joined next day.
On the 7th June, while chasing a Barbary corsair, a Christian slave, who
happened to be at the helm, ran the corsair on board the Dutch
vice-admiral, and immediately he and other slaves took the opportunity
of leaping on board to escape from slavery. The captain of the corsair,
who happened to be a Dutch renegado, followed them, and demanded
restitution of his slaves; but the vice-admiral expostulated so strongly
with him on the folly and infamy of deserting his country and religion,
that he sent for every thing belonging to him out of the corsair, and
agreed to go along with the fleet, to the regret of the Turks, who thus
lost their captain and seventeen good men.
On the 5th July the fleet anchored in the road of St Vincent, which is
extremely safe and commodious, where they procured refreshments of
sea-tortoises, fish, goats, and oranges. The islands of St Vincent and
St Antonio are the most westerly of the Cape Verds, being in from 16 deg.
30' to 18 deg.
