Niuafo’ou #55 (1985) – 400th Birth Anniversary of Jacob Le Maire

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Niuafo’ou #55 (1985) – 400th Birth Anniversary of Jacob Le Maire

Jacob Le Maire (c. 1585 – December 22, 1616) was a Dutch explorer who, along with Willem Schouten, is known for the first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth’s southern hemisphere. Here are some key points about Jacob Le Maire:

1. Background: Jacob Le Maire was born in Antwerp, which was part of the Spanish Netherlands at the time. His family moved to Amsterdam in the late 16th century to escape religious persecution due to their Protestant beliefs.
2. Voyage with Willem Schouten: In 1615, Le Maire, along with Willem Schouten, set out on an expedition with the goal of finding a new route to the Pacific Ocean. The Dutch East India Company had a monopoly on the existing route via the Strait of Magellan, and Le Maire and Schouten sought an alternative.
3. Discovery of Cape Horn: Le Maire and Schouten’s expedition became the first to navigate the passage now known as Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America, in January 1616. They named it “Kaap Hoorn” after the birthplace of Schouten, the town of Hoorn in the Netherlands.
4. Trade Rivalries: The voyage led to tensions with the Dutch East India Company, as Le Maire and Schouten had effectively bypassed its monopoly on the Strait of Magellan route. Le Maire’s father, Isaac Le Maire, was one of the backers of the expedition and became involved in legal disputes with the Dutch East India Company.
5. Death: Jacob Le Maire did not live to see the resolution of the legal disputes. He died on December 22, 1616, in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia), possibly due to illness or poisoning. His death occurred while the legal conflicts between his father and the Dutch East India Company were ongoing.
6. Legacy: Despite the legal and personal challenges faced by Le Maire and his family, the circumnavigation and the discovery of Cape Horn were significant achievements. The new route provided an alternative for subsequent voyages, and Cape Horn became an important navigational landmark.

The circumnavigation led by Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten is an important chapter in the history of exploration, contributing to our understanding of global geography and trade routes during the Age of Discovery.