Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563-1611), a merchant and explorer, left the Netherlands in 1576 to join his brother in Sevilla. After working for some years in Portugal and Spain, he got a position with the newly appointed Archbishop of Goa, João Vicente da Fonseca. Linschoten spent about five years as Secretary to the Archbishop and had access to maps and portolans and sensitive commercial information.
On his return the the Netherlands Linschoten sold the story of his travels to the Amsterdam publisher Cornelis Claesz, who published it in 1596 under the title Itinerario: Voyage ofte schipvaert van Jan Huyghen van Linschoten naar Oost ofte Portugaels Indien … 1579-1592. In this volume, which was lavishly illustrated, Linschoten shared the commercially sensitive information he had had access to in Goa, thereby giving Dutch merchants information on Portuguese sea-routes to the Far East, of Portuguese territories, and of spice trees (and spice growing areas) and other commodities.
The book, which played a key role in shaping modes of Dutch colonial expansion, was a huge success. Following the first Dutch edition (1596) were a German and an English ediition in 1598, a latin edition (1599) and a number of French editions (1610, 1619, 1638). Some of these editions include the plates, but do not include the maps which had added to the success of the first Dutch edition.
Linschoten, Jan Huygen van: Itinerario : Voyage ofte Schipvaert, van Ian Hughen van Linschoten naer Oost ofte Portugaels Indien, inhoudende een corte beschryvinge der selver Landen ende Zeecusten… / Beschryvinghe van de gansche Custe van Guinea, Manicongo, Angola, Monomotapa, ende tegen over de Cabo de S. Augustiin in Brasilien, de eyghenschappen des gheheelen Oceanische Zees; midtsgaders harer Eylanden, als daer zijn S. Thome S. Helena, ‚t Eyland Ascencion… Reys gheschrift vande Navigatien der Portugaloysers in Orienten… uyt die Portugaloyseche ende Spaensche in onse ghemeene Nederlandtsche tale ghetranslateert ende overgheset, door Ian Huyghen van Linschoten. (Amstelredam : Cornelis Claesz, 1596)
- Digitized:
> Fondos Digitalizados de la Universidad de Sevilla
> Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10805638-2)
> Google Books (Original from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, digitized 18 January 2012) - Bibliographic reference: BS 2071
Jan Huygen van Linschoten: Itinerarium, Ofte Schip-vaert naer Oost ofte Portugaels Indien… Alles beschreven door Ian Huyghen van Linschoten. Van nieus ghecorrigeert ende verbetert (Amsterdam: Ghedruckt voor Everhardt Cloppenburch, 1644)
- Digitized: Google Books (Original from Lyon Public Library, digitized 1 April 2014)
English version:
Linschoten, Jan Huygen van: Iohn Huighen van Linschoten his Discours of voyages into ye Easte & West Indies : deuided into foure bookes. [= Itinerario, voyage ofte schipvaert van Jan Huygen van Linschoten naer Oost ofte Portugaels Indien. English translation from the Dutch by William Phillip.] (Printed at London : By Iohn Wolfe …, [1598])
- Digitized:
> Library of Congress | Kislak Collection
> National Library of Singapur
> HATHI Trust (Original from Universidad Complutense Madrid)
> Google Books (Original from Universidad Complutense Madrid)
> Map only: Universidad Complutense Madrid - Bibliographic reference: ESTC Citation Number S111823
French version:
[Linschoten, Jan Huygen van:] Histoire de la navigation de Iean Hugues de Linscot Hollandois et de son voyage es Indes Orientales: contenante diverses descriptions des Pays … descouverts par les Portugais … avec annotations de B. Paludanus … a quoy sont adjoustees quelques autres descriptions tant du pays de Guinee … que des navigations des Hollandois vers le Nord au Vaygat & en la nouvelle Zembla. Le tout … nouvellement traduict en François. ([Amsteredam ; [Frankfort on Main : Laurent] : DeBry], 1610)
- Digitized:
> Halle, Saale : Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt | URN urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:1-23743
> Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10805638-2)
> Google Books
Latin version (published in Part X of De Bry’s Indiae Orientalis …):
[Johann Israel de Bry/Johann Theodor de Bry/Bernard Paludanus/Johann Adam Lonicerus: ] II. Pars Indiae orientalis, in qua Iohan. Hugonis Lintscotani Nauigatio in Orientem, item regna, littera, portus, flumina, apparentiae, habitus meresque Indorum & Lusitanorum pariter in Oriente degentium: praeterea merces, monetae, mensurae, & pondera … accurate proponuntur. Ea Lintscotvs ipse spectator atq; autor primùm … Belgice in publicum dedit: Deinde … Germanice, & nunc … Latine … enunciauit. Tevcrides Annaeus Lonicervs Priuatus, Ciuis Francfordiensis. … Additae sunt paßim D. Paludani Annotationes: item Icones artificiose in aere factae per Ioh. Theodorum, et Ioh. Israelem de Bry, fratres, quorum sumptibus opus ipsum recens iterum foras datum. (Frankfurt: Richter 1599 [Francfordi, Ex Officina Wolffgangi Richteri. M.D.XCIX.)
- Digitized: ULB Sachsen-Anhalt (URN urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:1-344517)
- Bibliographic reference: VD16 L 1962
Johann Theodor de Bry: Indiae Orientalis pars X : qua continentur Historica relatio sive Descriptio novi ad aquilonem transitus supra terras americanas in chinam atq. Iaponem ducturi quemadmodum is ab Henrico Hudsono … nuper irnentus est : addita breni insularum & locorum … in itinere isto occhrrentium ex Iohannis Hugonis Lintschottani itinerario desumpta commemoratione : item discursus … super detecta nuper quinta orbis parte Terra … Anstrali … à … Petro-Ferdinando de Quir & C. conscriptus : addita Descriptione regionum Siberiae Samoediae atque Tingoesiae … quae nuper à Moscis detectae & occupatae sunt / auctore M. Gothardo Arthusio … ; Tabulas in aes artificiouè incisas addente Iohanne Theodoro de Bry (Francofurti : Typis viduae Matthiae Beckeri 1613)
- Digitized:
> Biblioteca Virtual del Patrimonio Bibliográfico
> gallica
> Google Books (Original from Lyon Public Library, digitized 31 October 2012)
> Federacja Bibliotek Kościelnych FIDES (oai:digital.fides.org.pl:1525)
German version:
[Jan Huygen van Linschoten/Johann Theodor de Bry/Johann Israel de Bry:] Ander Theil der Orientalischen Indien, Von allen Völckern, Insulen, Meerporten, fliessenden Wassern vnd anderen Orten, so von Portugal auß, lengst dem Gestaden Aphrica biß in Ostindien vnd zu dem Land China, sampt andern Insulen zu sehen seind erstlich … 1596 … in Holländischer Sprach beschrieben durch Joan Hugo von Lindschotten … Jetzo aber von newen in Hochteutsch bracht, vnd mit … Figuren … gezieret an Tag geben durch Hans Dieterich vnd Hans Israel von Bry (Franckfurt am Mayn: de Bry 1598)
- Digitized:
> Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00074504-6)
> Google Books (Original from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, digitized 2 July 2014) - Bibliographic reference: VD16 L 1961
[Johann Israel de Bry/Johann Theodor de Bry/Jan Huygen van Linschoten:] Dritter Theil Indiae Orientalis, darinnen erstlich das ander Theil der Schifffahrten Joann Huygens von Lintschotten auß Hollandt/ so er in Orient gethan/ begriffen/ vnd f[ue]rnemlich alle gelegenheit derselbigen Landen/ Jnsulen/ Meerpforten/ [et]c. so vnter wegen auffstossen/ vnd dann in Jndia f[ue]rkommen/ Wie auch alles/ was der Author allda im Landt/ vnd nachmals auff seiner Widerreyse nach Hollandt gesehen vnd erfahren/ eygentlich beschrieben wirdt. II. Der Holl#[ae]nder Schifffahrt in die Orientalische Jnsulen/ Iauan vnd Sumatra, sampt Sitten/ Leben vnd Supersti=||tion/ [et]c. der V[oe]lcker. III. Drey Schifffahrten der Holl[ae]nder nach obermeldten Jndien/ durch das Mittn[ae]chtigsche oder Eißmeer … Alles auffs … neuwem auß den Niderl[ae]ndischen Exemplarien in Hochteutsch bracht/ vnd … zusammen gef[ue]gt. Sampt Vielen … k[ue]nstlichen Figurn/ vnd Landtafeln/ in Kupffer gestochen/ vnd an Tag geben/ durch Io. Theodor vnd Io. Israel de Bry, Gebr[ue]der. (Frankfurt/Main: Becker, Matthaeus/Bry, Johannes Theodor de und Bry, Johannes Israel de, 1599)
- Digitized:
> Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00074507-2)
> Google Books (Original from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, digitized 2 July 2014) - Bibliographic reference: VD16 ZV 9764
Last updated October 31, 2018 September 9, 2015.