Only eighty-seven of Cornelis de Houtman’s two…

Only eighty-seven of Cornelis de Houtman’s two hundred and forty-nine man crew return on August 14, 1597, too weak to moor their ships themselves.

The survivors include Frederick de Houtman, who probably delivers Keyser's observations to Plancius.

The voyage has not been not a success commercially, but it has proved that not only the Portuguese have the potential to trade in pepper.

Though the trip had been a humanitarian disaster and financially probably just broke even, it is a symbolic victory.

It may be regarded as the start of the Dutch colonization of Indonesia.

Sixty-five more Dutch ships will go East to trade within five years.

The Dutch will soon fully take over the spice trade in and around the Indian Ocean.