Person
Cornelis de Houtman
Dutch explorer
Cornelis de Houtman (2 April 1565 – August 1599), brother of Frederick de Houtman, is a Dutch explorer who discovers a new sea route from Europe to Indonesia and manages to begin the Dutch spice trade.
At this time, the Portuguese Empire holds a monopoly on the spice trade, and the voyage is a symbolic victory for the Dutch, even though the voyage itself is a disaster.