History of the United Netherlands, 1598-1599




CHAPTER XXXVI.

Commercial prospects of Holland--Travels of John Huygen van
Linschoten Their effect on the trade and prosperity of the
Netherlands--Progress of nautical and geographical science--Maritime
exploration--Fantastic notions respecting the polar regions--State
of nautical science--First arctic expedition--Success of the
voyagers--Failure of the second expedition--Third attempt to
discover the north-east passage--Discovery of Spitzbergen--
Scientific results of the voyage--Adventures in the frozen regions--
Death of William Barendz--Return of the voyagers to Amsterdam--
Southern expedition against the Spanish power--Disasters attendant
upon it--Extent of Dutch discovery.

During a great portion of Philip's reign the Netherlanders, despite their
rebellion, had been permitted to trade with Spain. A spectacle had thus
been presented of a vigorous traffic between two mighty belligerents, who
derived from their intercourse with each other the means of more
thoroughly carrying on their mutual hostilities. The war fed their
commerce, and commerce fed their war. The great maritime discoveries at
the close of the fifteenth century had enured quite as much to the
benefit of the Flemings and Hollanders as to that of the Spaniards and
Portuguese, to whom they were originally due. Antwerp and subsequently
Amsterdam had thriven on the great revolution of the Indian trade which
Vasco de Gama's voyage around the Cape had effected. The nations of the