Navires de Naturels (Ile Amboine)

Superb and very detailed c.19th hand coloured lithograph of Ambonese ships at anchor or careened by Louis Breton artist on Dumont D’Urville’s voyage of exploration on the Astrolabe and Zelle.

In 1603, the Dutch East India Company admiral, Steven van der Hagen launched his second voyage to the Indies, van der Hagen’s fleet consisting of 12 fleets left Holland in December 1603, visited several ports of the Malabar coast and Ceylon, stopped at Aceh and Bantam before arriving in Amboina in 1605. In February 1605, van der Hagen allied with the raja of Hitu improvised an attack and capture of Amboina, when 14 Dutch sail appeared before Amboina on 22 February 1605, the last Portuguese commander of Amboina, Gaspar de Mello quickly surrendered the castle of Nossa Senhora de Anunciada with everything they had there under a treaty, leaving Amboina under Dutch control, and after capturing the Portuguese fort in Amboina. The Dutch established Fort Victoria as their administrative and military headquarters in the southern Moluccas, making Ambon a strategic base for controlling regional clove production

Embossed blind stamp Gide Editeur Paris, denoting that is from the original edition of Voyage au Pole Sud.

From D’Urville, D. Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l’Océanie sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zélée, exécute par ordre du roi pendant les années 1837-1838-1839-1840...Paris

References:
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 : 3184.
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 : 508.
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967 : 21256.
Phillips, P. A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress. Washington 1973 : 3244.

Collections:
Bibliotheque Nationale de France: ark:/12148/bpt6k976783
National Library Australia: Bib ID 1616679
Te Papa Museum of New Zealand: RB001474
State Library New South Wales: MMS ID 991011821529702626
State Library Victoria: RARELT ; 508.3 D89
State Library South Australia: 508.3 d++
Yale University Library & Art Gallery: Call Number 1998 Folio 16