New Editions of Old Dutch Travel Accounts

Publishing House: Terra Incognita

From a group of students in Dutch Language and Literature, taking a course
on Dutch historical travel accounts, to a small but successful publishing
foundation - that is, in a nutshell, the history of Terra Incognita.
Since its foundation in 1991, Terra Incognita has published three new
editions of old travel accounts from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
The fourth will be on sale in November 1994, and 1995 will see the
publication of another three titles. All texts will be printed in full, in
the original old Dutch. Provided with the requisite explanations,
illustrations, and additional information, the stories are readily
understandable even to the wider general public. The texts are not always
selected for their historical importance, but for their conciseness and
stylistic qualities.

By Vibeke Roeper

The aim of Terra Incognita, to provide comprehensible books which are not
without scientific quality, has been well received by the national press.
And because of the, relatively, low prices, anyone can afford to buy them.

DISASTROUS VOYAGES
The first two books, published in 1991 and 1992, are narratives of two
disastrous voyages undertaken by the Dutch East India Company. 
Andries Stokram, an ordinary sailor, survived the shipwreck of the ship
'Aernhem' and managed to reach Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where he was
marooned for several months before he was 'rescued' by a pirate ship. When
he finally returned to Holland in 1663, he wrote a lively account of his
adventurous voyage and called it 'Korte beschryvinge van de ongeluckige
weer-om-reys van het schip Aernhem' (Short description of the unfortunate
return voyage of the ship Aernhem).
The Eastindiaman 'Nijenburg' was the scene of a bloody mutiny in 1763 when
the crew were no longer able to bear the cruel treatment meted out to them
by the ship's officers. The mutineers sailed for Brazil, where they were
captured. Back in Holland, they were hanged near the roadstead of Texel, as
a warning to other sailors on passing vessels. 'Echt relaas van de muiterij
op het Oostindisch Compagnieschip Nijenburg' (True account of the mutiny on
the VOC ship Nijenburg) is an eye-witness account of the mutiny, published
in 1764.

ANNA ABRAHAMSZ
In the summer of 1847, the merchant ship the 'Urania' set out for its
destination Batavia. Captain Cornelis Abrahamsz had been granted special
permission to take his family - his wife and three daughters - with him.
The second daughter Anna, only ten years old at the time, gave her own
account of this journey. She wrote about the life and her own activities
aboard the 'Urania', the people she met in Java, and the many sightseeing
trips her family made while her father waited for his return cargo. She
called it her 'Journaal eener Oostindiesche reis' (Journal of an East
Indian voyage).
Because the text is so well written, so coherent and easy to follow, it is
impossible not to but wonder if this really was the work of a ten-year-old.
But when Anna writes about her French lessons, the strange foods she is
served, or the most miraculous event of the entire journey: the birth of a
baby brother somewhere on the Indian Ocean, her story has an undeniably
childlike perspective.
Anna's manuscript has never been published before. Marc A. van Alphen has
written an introduction and conclusion to Anna's story, in which he
describes Anna's later life and her relationship with her famous uncle
Eduard Douwes Dekker - the well known author Multatuli.

RIJKLOF VAN GOENS
Rijklof van Goens was one of those men who made a most enviable career in
the service of the Dutch East India Company. He started at the age of nine
as 'boy' and finally became Governor-General of the East Indies. Between
1648 and 1654 he was in charge of five embassies to Susuhunan Amangkurat 1,
king of Mataram in Java. During a brief sojourn in Holland, he composed an
account of these five visits and it was this account that was later
published anonymously under the title 'Javaense Reyse' (Javanese Journey),
dedicated to the directors of the East India Company.
Van Goens' story is special for a number of reasons. It was the first
extensive description in Dutch of the culture and government of the Mataram
empire. Van Goens was also the first European to express his feelings for
the nature of Java and its beautiful countryside at any length..
Darja de Wever has written the introduction to 'Javaense Reyse' and added
four chapters with additional information about Van Goens' life and career,
four important themes in Van Goens' text, and the (political) reasons why
Van Goens wrote 'Javaense Reyse'.
'Javaense Reyse' will be on sale from November 1994.

1995
350 years after its first publication, the best-selling 'Journael' of
Skipper Bontekoe will again be available in a new edition. Bontekoe lost
his ship when the powder magazine exploded in the Indian Ocean, escaped
from some violent Sumatrans, and went on to fight the Chinese off Macao
before he returned home.
Less well known, but equally exciting is the 'Ongeluckig of droevig verhaal
van't schip de Gouden Buys' (The unfortunate or sad story of the ship the
Gouden Buys). The 'Gouden Buys' never reached its destination, Batavia.
Most of its crew died between Holland and Africa. Only two young men
survived. They were picked up by the Khoi-Khoi of southern Africa. Much to
their relief, the men were not eaten alive, as they had half-expected, but
were given a warm reception instead and as much food as they could eat
before they were brought to the nearest Dutch settlement. Their narrative,
first published in 1695, will be on sale from March 1995.
After so many oriental voyages, Terra Incognita would like to explore some
other parts of the globe. Voyages to the West Indies and New Netherland,
and one or two circumnavigations are on the list of desiderata. Terra
Incognita welcomes new authors and manuscripts.

'Korte beschryvinge van de ongeluckige weer-om-reys van het schip Aernhem',
72 p.; Dfl. 18,50.
'Muiterij op het Oostindisch Compagnieschip Nijenburg', 98 p.; Dfl. 18,50.
'Journaal eener Oostindiesche reis by Anna Abrahamsz', 72 p.; Dfl 18,50.

They can be ordered directly at the address below.
Our new catalogue will be sent on request. Books may also be ordered
through your bookseller.

TERRA INCOGNITA
P.O. Box 3258
1001 AB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-23-275286 or +31-20-6715715