Orlers' version of four views of the second Dutch fleet to the East Indies, and the first to reach the Spice Islands.

The four prints here on one sheet are copied from van Neck's journal of the second expedition, as follows:

Mauritius

Van Neck's fleet left its anchorage at Texel on 1 May 1598. On 17 September, Admiral Warwijck's squadron, which had become separated in a heavy storm, sighted Ilha do Cerne, one of the Mascarene islands. They named the island Mauritius de Nassau, in honour of Prince Maurits, stadholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. On the south side of that island, they found an excellent protected harbour, to which they gave the name Warwijck-haven, while the island lying at the entrance to the harbour was named Heemskerck-eiland. The men stayed on this deserted island for two weeks to allow those crewmembers suffering from scurvy to recuperate. On 2 October, they again set sail on a course toward Bantam, where they arrived on 31 December 1598.

The image is a mirror copy of the same view in van Neck's Journal of the second fleet, and is famous for being the first depiction of the soon extinct Dodo bird.

Banda

In Bantam, Van Neck had already purchased a large amount of spices, enough to fill four ships. With these four (Mauritius, Hollandia, Vriesland, and Overijssel), Van Neck embarked on the homeward journey on 11 January 1599, while Warwijck was sent to the Moluccas with the other ships. Van Neck's voyage home went well; they only stopped at S. Helena to replenish the stocks and rest the men for a few days. On 19 July, the ships dropped anchor at Texel, and just over a week later Van Neck received a festive welcome in Amsterdam, where people were happy with the safe return of the ships and the rich cargo of pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon that they had brought with them. The whole journey had lasted not even 15 months. It had been so quick that the Portuguese living in Amsterdam did not believe that Van Neck had really been in the East Indies at all; they 'said that the goods had been stolen half way'.

What had happened to the other ships in the meantime? In Bantam, on 4 January 1599, the General Council had decided that Warwijck, commanding four ships (Amsterdam, Zeeland, Gelderland, and Utrecht), would sail to the Moluccan Islands. He was to bear the title of admiral, while Jacob van Heemskerck was appointed vice-admiral. On 9 January, the squadron left the anchorage at Bantam. They sailed via Jakarta, Tuban, and Grissee on the coast of Java to Arosbaja on Madura. On 14 February, they continued their voyage, and on 3 March they dropped anchor at Hitoe on Ambon. There, the supply of spices proved to be insufficient. Thus, Warwijck, in turn, sent Van Heemskerck with the Zeeland and the Gelderland on to Banda to obtain a cargo. There, the trading negotiations went so smoothly that Van Heemskerck could already start the voyage home at the beginning of July, carrying a rich cargo of nutmeg. He established the first lodge of the Dutch in the Moluccas, leaving 20 men behind with commercial appointments and money so they could already buy nutmeg and mace for subsequent Dutch ships. Five months after leaving Banda, Van Heemskerck's ships lay at anchor at S. Helena to take on supplies. On 1 January 1600, they continued their voyage, and at the end of April the ships arrived safely at Texel.

Gammalamme

On Ambon, Admiral Warwijck could only obtain a small cargo. Therefore, on 8 May, after a stay of two months, he decided to sail on to Ternate, which he reached on the 23rd. There, they loaded as much cloves as they could purchase and started the homeward journey on 19 August. Six men were left behind for the sake of future commercial relations. On the return trip, they stopped again at Bantam on 17 November to supplement the cargo. On 21 January 1600, they resumed their voyage. The presence of Portuguese ships at S. Helena prevented them from landing there, and later, on Ascension Island, they were only able to obtain a small amount of fresh food. Thus, scurvy cropped up on the ships. Finally, Warwijck reached the anchorage at Texel at the beginning of September 1600.

All eight ships of the Second Voyage had returned safely and brought the shipowners great profits. An important result was that the Hollanders had found and explored the route to the Moluccas themselves, and consequently they no longer had do deal through Portuguese intermediaries.

The King of Tuban

On their way to the Spice Islands, one of the cities on Java where Warwijck and Van Heemskerck ported for victuals was Tuban. The king of Tuban received the Dutch with honours and came out to the beach on his elephant and accompanied by his nobles, servants and slaves. As a sign of gratitude and to please him, the Dutch trumpeters came out with a serenade.

Condition

Very wide margins. No restorations or imperfections. Pristine co0llector's condition.

Jan Janszoon Orlers was a prominent Dutch author, historian, and civic official during the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Leiden in 1570, Orlers lived through a transformative period in Dutch history, marked by the Dutch Republic’s fight for independence from Spanish rule and its rise as a global cultural and economic power. He is best remembered for his historical and biographical writings, which provide valuable insights into the society and key figures of his time.

Orlers was deeply involved in the civic life of Leiden, serving as burgomaster (mayor) and holding various other municipal positions throughout his career. He was also an active participant in the city’s cultural and intellectual activities, which flourished during the era. His role as a civic leader intertwined with his work as a writer, as he sought to document and celebrate the achievements of the Dutch Republic and its citizens.

Among Orlers’ notable works was Wilhelm en Maurits van Nassau, Princen van Orangien, Haer Leven en Bedrijf (Lives and Deeds of William and Maurice of Nassau, Princes of Orange), a biographical account of the leadership of William the Silent and his son Maurice during the Eighty Years’ War. Published in 1610, the work highlighted the contributions of the House of Orange-Nassau in the Dutch struggle for independence. It combined historical narrative with a patriotic celebration of their military and political successes, reinforcing their status as key figures in the Dutch Golden Age.

Orlers also wrote Beschrijvingen der Stad Leyden (Descriptions of the City of Leiden), published in 1614, which chronicled the history, architecture, and notable citizens of Leiden. His 1641 edition of Beschrijvinge der Stadt Leyden included biographical sketches of significant figures, such as Rembrandt van Rijn, providing some of the earliest records of the renowned artist’s life. These works not only reflected Orlers’ civic pride but also served as valuable historical sources.

Jan Janszoon Orlers passed away in 1646, leaving behind a legacy as a chronicler of Dutch Renaissance life. His works, blending civic pride and historical narrative, remain important records of the Dutch Republic’s cultural and political achievements during one of its most dynamic eras.

Jacob Corneliszoon van Neck (often anglicized to Jacob Cornelius van Neck) (1564 – March 8, 1638) was a Dutch naval officer and explorer who led the second Dutch expedition to Indonesia from 1598 to 1599.

Van Neck was from an Amsterdam family in good standing, and received a thorough education. Since he came from a commercial background and was not experienced in sailing, he took extra classes in navigation.

Following the success of the first Dutch expedition to Indonesia in 1597, Van Neck was chosen to lead a second expedition in 1598, with the purpose of bringing back various spices. In May 1598, he left the port of Texel with eight vessels under his command.

He was accompanied by Vice-Admiral Wybrand van Warwyck and noted polar explorer Jacob van Heemskerk.

Following sailing directions written by Petrus Plancius, they made excellent progress, reaching the Cape of Good Hope in only three months.

Soon after this, heavy storms separated Van Neck, with three ships, from the rest of the fleet under Warwyck. Neck landed on the east coast of Madagascar and replenished his supplies, then continued on towards the Indonesian city of Bantam. He reached it on November 25, 1598, after less than seven months of sailing. Within one month, all three of his ships had been filled with spice, and on December 31 the other half of the fleet sailed into port at Bantam, prompting a huge New Year's celebration. Van Neck filled one more ship full of spices, making four ready to be sailed back to Amsterdam, then sent Warwyck and Heemskerck with the other four ships to the east in order to procure more spices. Van Neck then took the four ships that had been loaded with spices back to Amsterdam, where he arrived July, 1599.

He brought back with him nearly one million pounds in weight of pepper and cloves, in addition to half a ship full of nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon. The explorers were greeted by an ecstatic Amsterdam and paraded through the city behind a band of trumpeters, with every church bell tolling. The merchants who had backed the voyage rewarded Van Neck with a gold beaker (it later turned out to be only gold-plated) and the crew were given as much wine as they could drink.

The voyage was a tremendous success, earning the backers a 400 percent return on their investment.

Van Neck made one more expedition to the Indies after his voyage of 1598, losing three fingers while doing battle with a Spanish-Portuguese fleet near Ternate. He retired from exploring after that, and later became a mayor of Amsterdam, and alderman, and a member of two admiralty colleges. He died on March 8, 1638.

(Wikipedia)

Old books, maps and prints by Jan Janszoon Orlers
Old books, maps and prints by Jacob van Neck