Schouten, W.C.

Amsterdam, L. Vlasbloem. 1662

(Sabin 77961; Tiele memoires Schouten z, pp 52)

In small quarto, modern quarter morocco binding.

4 nn leaves

6 folding maps & plates

1 folding map added in manuscript on old paper

72 pages, last page blank

Complete according to index (tabellae)

This is the third reprint by Dirk Vlasbloem of Schoutens journal in Latin (first & second, both 1648). All of these Vlasbloem editions are extremely rare. Tiele and the index of this book give 6 plates for this Vlasbloem edition which would thus be complete. In our copy an extra map of the South Sea is added in manuscript. Sabin states that "The map of the South Sea is evidently not included in the plate numbers on page 71 and is probably lacking in some copies. There is no doubt however of its belonging to the book".

Schouten and le Maire were sent out by le Maires father, Isaac le Maire, to find the gold rich Southern Continent that Quiros had searched for in vain. Schouten was the experienced sailor, le Maire the young trades man. As they were not members of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) they were not allowed to sail through Magellans Straits. Magellan had already suggested there was a way into the Pacific south of Tierra del Fuego, Drake had confirmed this and it was now proposed to find this way, follow Quiros track and complete the discovery of the great Southern Continent. They created the Australian Company and obtained permission from Prince Maurits to go and trade with the Kingdoms of Tartaria, China, Japan, India and Terra Australis. When Schouten and le Maire sailed along the eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego they called the land the saw East Statenland. They believed it was part of Terra Australis. The voyage was memorable because of the discovery of Cape Horn and the mapping of the North coast of New Guinee. (after Wood, 1922).

Both le Maire and Schouten, who split up during the voyage, claimed the discovery. Both wrote their own journal. Schouten was the first to publish his version of the circumnavigation (in 1618: this text) while le Maire, who died on the way back home after having been imprisoned in Batavia for breaching the VOC monopoly on sailing through the Magellans Straits had his version of the voyage first published in 1622 (see our copy of the Herrera, 1622). Sabin who has an extensive and excellent discussion of the more than 40 versions of the book, states that Schoutens journal was quite certainly not written by Schouten but composed by Blaeu from different log books of the journal especially the one of the commissary Arie Claeszoon. Shirley suspects the maps were "commissioned by Blaeu"