JACOB VAN NECK’S FLEET ON THE CHINA COAST, 1601Jacob van Neck 船隊在中國海岸
This article presents a primary historical account of the 1601 voyage of Dutch Admiral Jacob van Neck to the China coast, as recorded by eyewitness Roelof Roeloffsz. Commissioned by the Old Amsterdam Company (*Oude Compagnie*), Van Neck’s fleet was driven toward Macao by a sudden storm following a f...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
October 2004
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40012/3818 |
| Summary: | This article presents a primary historical account of the 1601 voyage of Dutch Admiral Jacob van Neck to the China coast, as recorded by eyewitness Roelof Roeloffsz. Commissioned by the Old Amsterdam Company (*Oude Compagnie*), Van Neck’s fleet was driven toward Macao by a sudden storm following a failed military engagement against the Portuguese fortress at Tidore in the Moluccas. The narrative details the Dutch fleet's arrival at the Chinese coast in September 1601, their initial interactions with local Chinese fishermen, and their surprise upon discovering the Spanish-style architecture of Macao. The text chronicles the subsequent hostile reception by Portuguese forces under the command of Dom Paulo de Portugal, which resulted in unsuccessful landing attempts and the eventual execution of seventeen Dutch prisoners in Macao. Originally published in 1606 and later compiled in major collections such as Isaac Commelin’s *Begin ende Voortgang*, this account serves as a critical primary source for understanding early Dutch-Portuguese maritime conflict and the geopolitical tensions characterizing the South China Sea at the turn of the 17th century. It offers significant insights into the logistical challenges of early Dutch exploration and the volatile nature of European colonial encounters in the Far East. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |