April 2005
At the beginning of the XVIIth century, the Dutchman Isaac Lemaire founded the Australian Company or South Company (Australische of Zuid Compagnie), to compete with its rival (the Dutch East Indies Company) and reap profits from the wealth of this new continent.May 1615: Commissioned by the Australian Company to discover an alternate route (other than the one through the VOC controlled Straits of Magellan) to the lucrative spice territories, 2 ships the "Eendracht" and the "Hoorn" went sailing from England to South America. But while docked a fire started on de Hoorn, which had to be abandonned. The expedition was pursued on "De Eendracht" and a new sailing route to the Pacific under Cape Hoorn (which they named in honour of their home-base 'Hoorn', small Dutch city) was found.
Illustrations references: both illustrations on the left (www.zoektochtnaardehoorn.nl), both illustrations on the right: www.bataviaphotos.com/cape_horn/book.htm.
October 1616: When "the Eendracht" finally arrived in Batavia, the "Dutch East Indies Company"'s authorities refused to believe Jacob Le Maire and William Schouten. Their ship was taken and they were imprisoned while charged of violating the monopoly of the Company and sent back to Holland. The 31-year-old Le Maire died during this trip, before ever having known that his name was to remain famous (Straight of Le Maire).
1618: Finally the new path was recognized and the East India Company was ordered to return vessel and cargo to the Australian Company.
2004: New discoveries were made in Patagonie, leading towards the Hoorn. The wreckage of the ship was found lying on the bottom of a river in a very wild part of Patagonie (Argentine). Due to local whether circumstances and rough environment, researches can only be realised during the summer months (October to April) on the pre-supposed location of the ship and still involves a lot of risks for those exploraters.
Illustations reference: www.zoektochtnaardehoorn.nl
April 2005: the expedition's team "Find the Hoorn" (Zoektocht naar de Hoorn*) leaves for Argentine.Many institutions and companies are sponsoring this expedition, among which the Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch department of civil engineering), the Ministery of Foreign Affairs, The Dutch Ambassy in Buenos Aires and OmniSTAR BV. OmniSTAR BV supports the expedition with positioning equipment for the duration of the expedition. For details email: info@omnistar.nl* The Foundation "Zoektocht naar de Hoorn" does not have a lucrative goal and is financied by gifts and subventions from companies, authorities and private citizens.
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