Sailing for the East

Summary: Part 10 of the Utrecht Studies of the History of Cartography (EXPLOKART). The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company) was for a period of 200 years responsible for the navigation material for the journey between the Netherlands and the Far East and the inter-Asian trade. In this book with the help of recovered archive materials a never published before overview is given of chart material that was used on a VOC-ship. All navigation charts of the VOC in the 17th and 18th century, drawn on vellum (of which many were traced in foreign collections), are described and analysed in an illustrated cartobibliography. In a supplement extracts of the |groot-journalen| of the |Kamer Amsterdam| are published. These give an unique view of the total expenses of the VOC on navigation. The extensive introduction gives more information on the history of the VOC, the chart makers, the routes, the navigation and the instruments.