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Explorers of the Pacific: European and American Discoveries in Polynesia

The Nassau Fleet

The Nassau Fleet

1623 to 1624

In 1621, when the Dutch truce with Spain ended, the Dutch decided to follow up Admiral Spilbergen's success with another attack against the Spanish possessions in South America. A fleet of eleven ships under Admiral Jacob l'Heremite sailed from Goree on April 29, 1623. The fleet decided against entering any port on the eastern coast of South America and arrived off the entrance of the Strait of Le Maire after a nine-months' voyage. It sailed through the strait and attacked various parts of the coast of Peru. The admiral in command died of a serious malady, and the command passed to Vice-admiral Schapenham, who proved to be a poor organizer of punitive attempts against the Spanish towns.

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The fleet sailed from the coast of New Spain for Guam on November 29, 1624. As they kept on or near the latitude of Guam, they crossed the Pacific south of the Hawaiian Islands, arriving at Guam on January 26, 1625. They ended the voyage at Ternate in the Moluccas on March 4 without having made any discovery beyond exploring a bay on the south coast of Tierra del Fuego which they named Nassau Bay.