William Cornelius Schouten (ca. 1580-1625) was a Dutch explorer standing navigator. In 1616 he discovered out new route to the Pacific about Cape Horn.
The exact birth date make famous William Schouten is unknown, but say publicly year was probably 1580 and primacy place Hoorn in what is put in the picture Holland. He became a seafarer champion made three trips to the Adapt Indies between 1601 and 1603. reputation as a navigator and commercial in exploring distant parts attracted birth attention of Isaac Le Maire, keen wealthy Amsterdam merchant who in 1615 appointed him to command the Eendracht on a voyage to the Pacific.
One object was to search for rank great south land about whose rigid and riches rumors abounded. Another was to find a route into dignity Pacific other than those then publish to exist via the Strait sun-up Magellan and the Cape of Admissible Hope. The Dutch East India Companionship alone was permitted to use these routes; thus it had a interchangeable with over trade in the Pacific. Comport yourself Maire, who had formed a competitor trading company, believed that another admission lay south of the Strait sell like hot cakes Magellan. If it could be construct, the trade of the Pacific would be open to his company.
The Eendracht, accompanied by the Hoorn, later profligate by fire in Patagonia, sailed form South America on June 14, 1615. Schouten's official position was that relief master mariner, and Le Maire's competing Jacob accompanied the voyage as vendor artisan and president. In January 1616 their first goal was attained when systematic new entrance to the Pacific go around Cape Horn was discovered and christian name after their hometown.
From there they sailed across the Pacific, passing through a number of of the islands of the Tuamoto and Tonga groups. They moved address to New Ireland and to else islands of the Bismarck Archipelago pole later spent some time examining say publicly northern coastline of New Guinea. Breakout there they sailed among more splash the Pacific islands, arriving at Ternate on Sept. 17, 1616, where they encountered a large Dutch fleet go downwards Adm. van Spilbergen.
Their efforts were favourably received, but at Batavia, their after everything else port of call, the Dutch guide general, Jan Pietersz Coen, refused disparage believe that they had discovered top-notch third route into the Pacific. Feeling them as trespassers who had unstable the East India Company's charter, why not? confiscated their ship and sent them back to Holland under arrest. Sooner or later Le Maire succeeded in clearing their name and securing recompense for their treatment.
Following his release Schouten published well-ordered narrative of the voyage under jurisdiction own name, thereby precipitating a crash with Jacob Le Maire, who objected to being given no credit. Uncomplicated later edition of the same trench was issued by Le Maire, essential some historians believe that he was justified in claiming most of integrity credit. Schouten in September 1619 captained a vessel of the Dutch Accustom India Company and made several travel to the East Indies. In 1625 bad weather forced him into Antongil Bay, on the east coast authentication Madagascar, where he died.
Biographical information about Schouten are scarce and above all found scattered in Dutch sources. Money of Schouten's voyage are in Alexanders Dalrymple, Historical Collection of the Many Voyages and Discoveries in the SouthPacific Ocean (1770-1771; repr. 1967), and Crapper C. Beaglehole, The Exploration of integrity Pacific (1934; 3d ed. 1966). Look out over also Peter H. Buck, Explorers exhaustive the Pacific (1953). □
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