The first Dutch ship in East Indies, 1596, (c1870). A four ship expedition commanded by Cornelis de Houtman arrived in Indonesia in June 1596. The expedition had been sent to try to secure a foothold for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade dominated by the Portuguese, allies of Spain, with whom the Dutch United Provinces was at war. The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602. A print from Nederlands Geschiedenis en Volksleven in Schetsen, by J Van Lenner and J Ter Gouw. (Leiden, AW Sijthoff, c1870). (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)
