’t Historiael Journael van Joris van Spilbergen naer Oost-Indien (Ceylon)

Key Properties

Edition: Rare first Colijn edition

Language: Dutch

Format: Oblong quarto

Binding: Period style

Collation & Technical Description

Engraved title and multiple engraved plates (lacking the plate of Candy/Kandy).

Condition

Complete except for the engraved plate of Candy (Kandy); otherwise a well-preserved copy with strong impressions of the plates.

References & Bibliography

Linschoten-Vereeniging XXXVIII (1933); cf. Tiele.

Description

The rare first Colijn edition of the journal of Joris van Spilbergen's voyage to Ceylon (1601–1604), one of the earliest Dutch expeditions to the island, before the firm establishment of the VOC. The voyage, financed by Balthasar de Moucheron, was part of the early Dutch effort to challenge Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.

The account is of considerable importance as it documents the first diplomatic and commercial contacts between the Dutch and the Kingdom of Kandy, with detailed descriptions of coastal regions, encounters with local rulers, and navigational routes. Its engravings are stylistically distinct from the later Commelin editions, more direct and less elaborate, suggesting closer adherence to the original voyage drawings.

Historical Significance

A key document of the transitional, pre-VOC phase of Dutch expansion, and of the first Dutch contacts with Ceylon.

Provenance

Available on request.