The Person
Chosen On This Occasion Was Oliver Van Noort, A Native Of Utrecht, In
The Flower Of His Age, And Who Had A Strong Passion To Acquire Glory.
To
him they communicated their scheme, which he readily embraced; and their
terms being speedily adjusted, they proceeded to
Fit out two stout
vessels one named the Maurice, and the other the Henry Frederick,
together with two yachts, railed the Concord and the Hope, the whole
being manned by 248 persons of all ranks and conditions.
Of this small fleet, Oliver van Noort was appointed admiral, and sailed
in the Maurice; James Claas van Ulpenda was captain of the Henry
Frederick, with the title of vice-admiral, Captain Peter van Lint
commanded the Concord, and John Huidecoope was captain of the Hope.
These were all men of experience in sea affairs, and capable of
maintaining their authority on all occasions, and were all interested in
the success of the voyage, by means of shares in the outfit; a proper
precaution then, and ever since usual among the Dutch in all such cases,
to prevent their expeditions from suffering by private views, or want of
hearty concurrence in their officers: which, among other nations, is
often the cause of failure, and for which this method is, perhaps, the
only cure.
All things being in readiness, and crews provided for all the vessels,
the proprietors presented a petition to the Board of Admiralty of
Rotterdam, upon which all who were concerned were summoned to compeer:
and, on the 28th June, 1598, the rules and regulations for the
government of all concerned in this expedition, having been previously
drawn up by the company of adventurers, revised by the admiralty and
approved of by the Stadtholder, Prince Maurice, were publicly read over
to them, and every man sworn to obey them.
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