Diarium nauticum

An anonymous account of the expedition led by Cornelis de Houtman, published in the same year as the Dutch edition (Journael vande Reyse der Hollandtsche Schepen ghedaen in Oost Indien...), the title-page having the same plate. This is the first Latin edition, the Arnhem issue. Two other Latin issues are known, published in Paris and Middleburg, the latter of which is most often seen.

Houtman's voyage, although disastrous in terms of the lives lost, and barely profitable commercially, demonstrated to the Dutch that they could circumvent the Portuguese monopoly on trade with the East Indies. In the year following Houtman's return, twenty-five ships set out from Holland and Zeeland for the spice islands, and thus began the history of the VOC (the Dutch East Indies Company), which was founded in 1602.

First Latin edition. Small oblong folio, [30]; [10] ff., engraved plate to title-page, 10 further plates & 5 maps, with initial letter and colophon; engraved plate to title-page, map of Bali, 24 coastal profiles and a woodcut showing a pair of emu-like birds, with initial letter. Contemporary vellum, slightly cockled, with some light soiling, some early underlining in the text, and neat ownership signature to title-page dated 1600.