Joris van Spilbergen was a Dutch naval officer

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Uncoloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: No

Dealers ID No.: 19285

Description: Joris van Spilbergen was a Dutch naval officer renowned for his service to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and exploratory voyages, most notably his circumnavigation of the globe from 1614 to 1617. Leading an expedition of five ships, he navigated the Strait of Magellan and carried out raids on Spanish settlements along the coasts of Mexico and South America. His campaign included battles at Callao, Acapulco, and Navidad, as well as the capture of the pearl-fishing vessel San Francisco near Zacatula. After crossing the Pacific Ocean, Spilbergen visited the Mariana Islands and the Philippines, eventually reaching Ternate in the Moluccas by March 1616. He completed his global journey in 1617, returning to the Dutch Republic via a westward route.nIn 1619, Spilbergen documented his circumnavigation in Oost ende West-Indische Spiegel der 2 leste navigation (The East and West Indian Mirror), published alongside Jacob Le Maires pioneering exploration. One of the maps in the journal, numbered 23, depicts Le Maire's discovery of an alternative route into the Pacific Ocean. This new path bypassed the Strait of Magellan by circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego and entering the Pacific via what became known as the Strait of Le Maire.nThe map also features two inset charts: one illustrating the rounding of Cape Horn and another showing the north coast of New Guinea and the Spice Islands. These details underscore the navigational importance of Le Maire's voyage.nLe Maire, a Dutch explorer, embarked on his voyage in 1615 under the sponsorship of the Australische Compagnie, a competitor to the VOC. His voyage identified and charted both the Strait of Le Maire and Cape Horn, offering a strategic new maritime route into the Pacific that directly challenged the VOCs monopoly over access via the Strait of Magellan.

First published: Oost ende West-Indische Spiegel der 2 leste navigatien ghedaen inden jaehren 1614. 15. 16. 17. ende 18, daer in vertoont woort in wat gestalt Ioris van Speilbergen door de Magellanes de werelt rontom geseylt heeft … Met de Australische navigatien Leiden: Nicolaes van Geelkercken, 1619

Image Size (cm): 43×15

Mapmaker: Spilbergen, Joris van

Notes: Purchase details

Primary Category: Pacific

Rarity: R2 Very rare – one or two copies appear on the market

References: English translation of Spilbergen's Journal: Joris van Spilbergen (1906), The East and West Indian Mirror: Being an Account of Joris van Speilbergens Voyage Round the World (16141617), and the Australian Navigations of Jacob Le Maire, ed. and trans. J. A. J. de Villiers (London: Hakluyt Society, 1906).

Sheet size (cm): 45.5×17

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: First

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