Spilbergen, J van

Leyden, Nicolaes van Geelkercken, 1619.

Sabin: 89450; Tiele, Journaux, [65]

In quarto, oblong, modern brown Morocco over boards

Comparted spine with printed title and date in gilt

Free end leaves, the first with manuscript translation of title page text in English

Signatures: A-Z plus Aa in 4; the four preliminary leaves including the engraved title page without page numbers

192 pp : 1-144: Spilbergen; 145-192: Schouten (and le Maire)

Numbered plates (25) inserted without signature or page number.

Text in Gothic letter, text to the plates in Roman letters

Condition: Modern brown Morocco to style. Strong clean paper and clear printing. First 4 leaves, inserted on a stub, bound in wrong order: A1; A4; A2 and A3.

First edition of Spilbergens circumnavigation with changed text on the title page. This is the fifth circumnavigation ever after Magellan; Drake; Cavendish and van Noord, the second by the Dutch. The voyage took place between 1614 and 1618.

Spilbergen was an accomplished admiral who had sailed for the VOC to the Indies before. He was sent again to discover new territories, chart the Magellans Straits and challenge the Spanish dominion in South America and the Philippines where possible. He landed in Brazil, mapped Magellans Strait, fought and burned Spanish settlements in Chile, Peru and Mexico and sailed to the Philippines. Once in Batavia he picked up le Maire and the rest of his crew who had been arrested in Batavia for breaching VOC laws by sailing West to the Indies without VOC consent. Le Maire denied this as he did not sail through Magellans Straits (as specified in the VOC laws) but around Cape Horn!!

The book includes the voyage of Schouten and le Maire, Navigationes Australes, who discovered le Maires Street and Cape Horn. That was in 1616. Both le Maire and Schouten, who split up during the voyage, claimed the discovery and both wrote their own journal. Schoutens journal was published first in 1618 by Blaeu in Amsterdam. Le Maires journal- who died during the voyage back home- was published for the first time in 1622. The Australische navigatieen in our book is Schoutens abbreviated journal. In the maps however, le Maire is given credit for the discoveries.

The book includes a world map with an inset showing the islands North of New Guinee, a general map of the Indonesian archipelago and detailed maps of Magellans Straits and the Manilla channel. There are further views of Manilla; Sao Vicente; Mocha, Callao, Acapulco, and others.

In the bibliographical literature there has been discussion about the differences between the various versions and translations of Spilbergens journal. With Villiers in his review of both different editions and languages, we agree that the original text and description of the 25 prints is the Dutch version published in 1619 in Leiden by Geelkercken.