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Richard Hakluyt - Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, 10
set down or disciphered by subtill eloquence, but showne and performed by simple plaine men, such as
by copiousnesse of wordes, or subtiltie do not alter or chaunge the matter from the truth thereof, which at
this day is a common and notorious fault in many Historiographers: And thinking with myselfe to whome
I were best to dedicate the same, I found it not fitter for any then for the right worshipfull Gouernours of
this famous Towne of Middelborgh, wherein for the space of 19 yeares I haue peaceably continued,
specially because your worships do not onely deale with great store of shipping, and matter belonging to
nauigation, but are also well pleased to heare, and great furtherers to aduance both shipping and
traffiques, wherein consisteth not onely the welfare of all marchants, inhabitants, and cittizens of this
famous City, but also of all the commonwealth of the vnited Prouinces, hoping your worships wil not
onely accept this my labour, but protect and warrantise the same against all men: Wherewith I beseech
God to blesse you with wisedome, and godly policie, to gouerne the Commonwealth: Middleborgh this
19 of October 1597.
Your worships seruant to command
BERNARDT LANGHENEZ.
A briefe description of a voyage performed by certaine Hollanders, to and from the East Indies, with
their aduentures and successe.
The ancient Historiographers and describers of the world haue much commended, and at large with great
prayse set downe the diuers and seuerall voyages of many noble and valiant Captains (as of Alexander
Magnus, Seleucus, Antiochus, Patrocles, Onesecritus) into the East Indies, which notwithstanding haue
not set downe a great part of those coontries [sic - KTH], as not being as then discouered, whereby it is
thought and iudged by some men, that India is the full third part of all the world, because of the great
Prouinces, mighty citties and famous Islands (full of costly marchandises, and treasures from thence
brought into all partes of the worlde) that are therein: Wherein the auncient writers were very curious,
and yet not so much as men in our age: They had some knowledge thereof, but altogether vncertaine, but
we at this day are fully certified therein, both touching the countreys, townes, streames and hauens, with
the trafiques therein vsed and frequented, whereby all the world, so farre distant and seperated from those
strange nations, are by trade of marchandises vnited therevnto, and therby commonly knowne vnto them:
The Portingalles first began to enterprise the voyage, who by art of nauigation (in our time much more
experienced and greater then in times past, and therefore easilier performed) discouered those wild
Countries of India, therein procuring great honour to their King, making his name famous and bringing a
speciall and great profite of all kindes of spices into their Countrie, which thereby is spread throughout
all the worlde, yet that sufficed not, for that the Englishmen (not inferiour to any nation in the world for
arte of nauigation) haue likewise vndertaken the Indian voyage, and by their said voyages into those
Countries, made the same commonly knowne vnto their Country, wherein Sir Frances Drake, and M.
Candish are chiefly to bee commended, who not onely sayled into the East Indies, but also rounde about
the world, with most prosperous voyages, by which their voyages, ours haue beene furthered and set
forwarde, for that the condition of the Indies is, that the more it is sayled into, the more it is discovered,
by such as sayle the same, so strange a Countrey it is: So that besides the famous voyages of the
Countries aforesaid, in the ende certain people came into Holland (a nation wel known) certifying them,
that they might easily prepare certaine shippes to sayle into the East Indies, there to traffique and buy
spyces etc. By sayling straight from Hollande, and also from other countries bordering about it, with
desire to see strange and rich wares of other Countries, and that should not be brought vnto them by
strangers, but by their owne countrey men, which some men would esteeme to be impossible,
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