利用者:Kovayashi/サンドボックス

コルネリス・デ・ハウトマン（Cornelis de Houtman、1565年4月2日-1599年9月1日）は、ヨーロッパからインドネシアへの新たな海路を開拓し、オランダが香辛料貿易を始めるに至らしめた、オランダの探検家である。当時、香辛料貿易はポルトガル海上帝国が独占しており、彼の航海自体は災難に見舞われたものの、オランダにとっては象徴的な勝利となった。いわゆるバイエル星座の設定者として知られるフレデリック・デ・ハウトマンは実の兄である。

航海

1592年、コルネリス・デ・ハウトマンはアムステルダムの商人たちによって、モルッカ諸島に関する情報をできる限り収集するためにリスボンへ派遣された。彼がアムステルダムに戻るのと同じ頃に、インドからヤン・ホイヘンス・ファン・リンスホーテンが帰還した。リンスホーテンは、バンテンにこそ香辛料を購入する最適な機会があると判断した。1594年にデ・ハウトマンとリンスホーテンは compagnie van Verre （「長距離会社」の意）という企業を設立し、1595年4月2日に「アムステルダム」「ホランディア」「マウリティウス」「デュイフケン」という4隻の船でアムステルダムを発った。

Monument for Cornelis and Frederick de Houtman in Gouda, Netherlands

航海は最初から災難に悩まされた。食糧不足により壊血病がわずか数週間で蔓延した。一時停泊先として計画されていたマダガスカルで70名が葬られた。彼らが停泊したマダガスカルの湾は Dutch Cemetery の名で知られている。船長の一人が死んだ後、船長と商人との間で争いが起き、一人が船室に収監された。1596年6月27日、船団はついにジャワ島北西部の港バンテンに到着した。リンスホーテンは、ポルトガル支配下にあるマラッカ海峡ではなく、スンダ海峡を通るようにと一行に話した。

De Houtman was introduced to the Sultan of Banten, who promptly entered into an optimistic treaty with the Dutch, writing "We are well content to have a permanent league of alliance and friendship with His Highness the Prince Maurice of Nassau, of the Netherlands and with you, gentlemen." The local Portuguese traders became very conspicuous when De Houtman did not buy any black pepper, and wanted to wait on the next harvest. Unfortunately, De Houtman was undiplomatic and insulting to the sultan, and was turned away for "rude behaviour", without being able to buy spices at all.

The ships then sailed east to Madura, but were attacked by pirates on the way. In Madura, they were received peacefully, but De Houtman ordered his men to brutally attack and rape the civilian population in revenge for the unrelated earlier piracy.

The ships then sailed for Bali, and met with the island's king. They managed to obtain a few pots of peppercorns on February 26, 1597. Two of the crewmembers stayed on the island. At Bawean one of the ships, the Amsterdam was purposely set on fire, and the crew divided over the other three ships. When the sailors had enough of the exhausting voyage, it was decided not to go to the Moluccas and return to Holland. That evening another one of the skippers died. De Houtman was accused of poisoning him.

Portuguese ships prevented them from taking on water and supplies at St. Helena. Out of the 249 man crew, only 87 returned, too weak to moor their ships themselves.

Repercussions

Though the trip was a humanitarian disaster and financially probably just broke even, it was a symbolic victory. It may be regarded as the start of the Dutch colonisation of Indonesia. Within five years, sixty-five more Dutch ships had sailed east to trade. Soon, the Dutch would fully take over the spice trade in and around the Indian Ocean.

On his second trip to the East, for a different company, Cornelis de Houtman and his troops got into a confrontation in Aceh, because of his rude temperament, and soon there were fierce battles with the Acehnese Navy, led by Aceh's female admiral, Keumalahayati (Malahayati) and successfully killed Cornelis de Houtman. Because of that incident, Queen Elizabeth I of England decided to sent an emissary to the Sultan of Aceh, asking permission to enter Malacca Strait.

Gallery

• 
  Arrival of the De Houtman on the beach of Banten]]
• 
  Attack on the city of Banten

See also

• Dutch East India Company
• History of Indonesia

Notes

[[Category:1565年生まれ]] [[Category:1599 deaths]] [[Category:Dutch explorers]] [[Category:16th-century explorers]] [[Category:People from Gouda]] [[Category:People associated with the Dutch East India Company]] [[Category:Explorers of Asia]]