Het schip Hollandia  kwam uit Nederland op 14 december 1626 in Batavia aan (Dagr. Bat. bl. 299). In de Generale Missieven van 9 november 1627 wordt dit schip "Groot Hollandia." genoemd om het te onderscheiden van het vlaggeschip Hollandia. (Res. 15 september 1627) Het vertrok op 12 november 1627 weer van daar naar Nederland (Gen, Miss. 6 januari 1628). Op 3 mei 1626 was het jacht de Ouwerkerck ook uitgezeild, dat op 18 april 1627 in Batavia aankwam (Dagr. Bat.). De Ouwerkerck was 50 lasten groot en de schipper was Jouke Piers. Zowel de Hollandia als de Ouwerkerck stonden onder commando van Wijbrant Schram van Enkhuizen die op 2 januari 1627 te Batavia overleed als Raad Ordinaris (Dagr. Bat.). Volgens "Begin ende Voortgangh" (II, 1646, 20e stuk, bl. 18) , kwam de Ouwerkerck echter op 14 april 1627 aan.

Op 12 mei 1627 vertrokken van Batavia naar Taijouan, het schip de Heusden en de jachten Sloten, Ouwerkerck, Queda en Cleen Heusden. (Dagr. Bat. bl. 316). De commandant van de vloot was Pieter Nuijts, die bij Res. 30 april 1627 benoemd tot Gouverneur van Taiwan. De Ouwerkerck kwam op 23 juni 1627 in Taijouan aan en had op 16 Julie "een joncque ontrent 200 lasten groot, comende van Sangora [Havenplaats op de N.O. kust van Maleisie; Het kantoor van de VOC aldaar werd in 1623 opgeheven, (Gen. Miss. 1 februari 1623)] naer Cochin-China, soo de Chinesen seijden, ende in de riviere Chincheo [Amoij] thuis hoorende, met stijff 150 lasten peper ende partije nagelen geladen, aengehaelt, ontrent 70 Chinesen daer uijt gelicht ende 16 van sijn volck [onder wie de stuurman en zijn broeder] met noch 80 Chinesen daer in latende, met intentie om ons alles hier [Taijoan] ter handt te stellen; gemelte joncque is door storm van haer geraeckt ende tot op dato niet geparesseert, beduchtende verongeluckt is". (Miss. Gouv^r aan Gouv^r Generaal dd. 22 juli 1627; zie ook Miss.w^d Gouv^r Johannes van der Hagen dd. 29 oktober 1627). De jachten Slooten, Ouwerkerck, Cleijn Heusden en Queda werden op 28 juli 1627 van Taijoan uitgezonden om te kruisen op de Portugese navetten, welke van plan waren van Macao naar Japan te zeilen. Bij Res. Taijoan dd. 12 oktober 1627 werd besloten "de twee cruijssende jachten Ouwerkerck ende Cleen Heusden na de rivier van Chincheo [Amoij] te ontbieden" terwijl bij Res. Taijoan dd. 25 oktober 1627 o.a. wordt gezegd: "Alhier geen behoorlijke macht (door het verdrijven van de jachten Ouwerkerck en Cleen Heusden) en zijn hebbende" Op 29 oktober 1627 berichtte de w^d Gouv^r van Taijoan naar Batavia dat "Ouwerkerck ende Cleen Heusden noch niet en sijn weder gekeert dat ons geen goet bedencken en geeft". Volgens Res. Taijouan 6 november 1627 was het jacht Cleen Heusden toen al in Taijouan terug; de Ouwerkerck is echter nooit weer terecht gekomen: "Van Teijouhan sijn uijt cruijssen gesonden, omtrent Lamo ende Pedra Branca, de jachten Ouwerkerck, Slooten, Cleen Heusden ende Queda; maer hebben gants niet verricht. 't Jacht Ouwerkerck is niet weeder gekeert; van de chineesche roovers hebben verstaen dat Ouwerkerck omtrent Maccauw des nachts door eenige Portugeesche fusten overrompelt ende verbrant is; achttien coppen souden daervan gevangen, gelijck mede 't geschut becomen hebben, sijnde 't resterende volck alt'samen verongeluckt." (Gen. Miss. 6 januari 1628).

"Het jacht Ouwerkerck is ontrent Maccau van 5 galliotten, daerop toegemaeckt, besprongen; het hadde boven los cruijt gestroeijt dat als sij geentert wierden in den brant verden gesteecken, daerdoor de galliotten met verlies van veel volck mosten afleggen doch den brant gedaen zijnde ende haer zelven wat gerepareert hebbende, sijn alle gelijck hem aen boort gecomen ende soo veel volcx overgesmeeten dat sij 't selve verovert souden hebben ende alsoo S^r Ketting met haer van 't quartier sprack dat alreede gegeven was, is van een Portugees doorsteecken; het ander volck dit siende, sij weder om laege gesprongen en hebben het cruijt in brant gesteecken soo datter seer veel Portugijsen sijn gebleven ende evenwel noch tusschen 20 30 duijtschen in Maccau gevangen gebracht. Dus vertellen; de Poortugijsen; naer ick kan bemercken is 't Jacht tegens eenich riff comen vast te sitten; sij hebben naer 't jacht verbrandt was noch eenige stucken geschuts met duijckers daerwt becoomen soo dat Jan gadt niet weijnigh roncqueert" (Miss. Opperhoofd Hirado dd. 12 augustus 1628; Vgl. ook Dagr. Bat. 1628, bl. 389). Gouv^r Pieter Nuijts was 14 juli 1627 van Taijoan naar Japan vertrokken en op 3 december 1627 weer naar Taijoan teruggekeerd. Hij schreef op 16 juni 1628 van de Stad Zeelandia aan S^r Nijenrode, die toen opperhoofd op Hirado was: " 't Jacht Ouwerkerck met Sr Nicolaas Ketting is in een rivier verbrant en 't volck in Macao gevangen, zulks dat als wij met Woerden op den 20^en dag na het vertrek van costi hier quamen te arriveeren, een zeer desolaten stand en plaetze zonder eenige navale macht vonden" (Valentijn IV, 2e stuk, 4e boek, 4e hoofdst., bl. 52 Vgl. ook in Dagr. Bat. 1 juni 1628, bl. 334 en 389).

".... weshalven de schepen die van Taijouan nae Macao ordonneert, wel op hoede dienen te wezen, opdat geen affront incurreren off door branders g'abordeert worden, gelijck Ouwerkerck a^o 1627 overvallen ende vernielt wierde" (Miss. regering Batavia naar Taijoan dd. 2 augustus, 1641) Vergelijk ook. Danvers,(Portuguese in Asia, II, 1834, bl, 227). "On the 10^th June, 1627, four Dutch ships appeared before that port with the view of attacking a Fleet which had been prepared there for a journey to Japan.... The Dutch admiral's ship was boarded and burnt, thirty-seven of the crew being killed and fifty taken prisoners. The guns, ammunition, treasury, and provisions were also secured. After the loss of this ship the other three vessels retired."Zie ook nog C. A. Montalto de Jesus, (Historic Macao, 1900, bl. 77)

"Sr Melchior van Santvoort [een vrij handelaar te Nagasaki] heeft desen nevensgaende brieff aen mij gesonden; is hem secretelijck behandicht door een Portugees van Maccou; daer wert seer ernstelijek antwoort van Sr van Santvoort geeijst; 't is [n.l, de schrijver van de brief] een man van 't jacht Ouwerkerck, soo d'<> Portugees weet te seggen." (Miss. Hirado dd. 16 november 1631 aan d'E Willem Jansen. Nat. Arch. no. 11722). In de Gen. Miss. van 9 november 1627 lezen we ook: "Tegenwoordich weeten niet datter eenige Nederlanders bij den vijant in gants India van Mosambique aff tot in Manilha toe, Godt loff, gevangen sitten"

Onder de 47 Hollanders die werden uitgewisseld tegen Portugese gevangenen en op 21 mei 1632 met het schip Buren van Makasar naar Batavia werden gebracht (Gen. Miss, 1 december 1632 en Miss. aan de kamer van Hoorn van dezelfde datum, Nat. Arch. No. 759) zullen ook opvarenden van de Ouwerkerck zijn geweest. (Vgl.: Dagr. Bat. 1631, bl. 13 en "'t Is seecker, naer dat wij uijt d'onse verstaen die in Maccao hebben gevangen geseten" (Instructie voor Gouverneur Hans Putmans dd. Batavia ult^o mei 1633. Nat. Arch. VV, I).  

The Jacht OUWERKERCK

The ship Hollandia  came from Holland and arrived on December 14, 1626 in Batavia (Daily Register Batavia pp. 299). In the General Missives of November 9, 1627 this ship is called the "Groot Hollandia." to distinguish it from the flagship Hollandia. (Resolution September 15, 1627) It left on November 12, 1627 back to Holland (General Missives January 6, 1628). On May 3, 1626 the jacht de Ouwerkerck had also sailed out, and it arrived on April 18, 1627 in Batavia (Daily Register Batavia). The Ouwerkerck was 50 lasts big and its skipper was Jouke Piers. Both the Hollandia as the Ouwerkerck were under the command of Wijbrant Schram from Enkhuizen, who died on January 2, 1627 in Batavia as Ordinary Counsel (Daily Register Batavia). According to "Begin ende Voortgangh" [Beginning and Progress (II, 1646, 20th piece, pp. 18) however, the Ouwerkerck arrived on April 14, 1627.

On May 12, 1627 left from Batavia to Taijouan, the ships the Heusden and the jachts Sloten, Ouwerkerck, Queda and Cleen Heusden. (Daily Register Batavia pp. 316). The commander of this fleet was Pieter Nuijts, who was appointed as Governor of Taiwan by Resolution of April 30, 1627. The Ouwerkerck arrived on June 23, 1627 in Taijouan and had on July 16, "hauled in a junk around 200 lasts big, coming from Sangora [Harbor on the North East coast of Malaysia, the office was removed in 1626, (General Missives February 1, 1623)] to Cochin-China, as the Chinese said, and belonging in the river Chincheo [Amoy], loaded with almost 150 lasts pepper and a shipment of cloves, taken out around 70 Chinese and leaving 16 of it's people [amongst other the helmsman and his brother] with another 80 Chinese in it, with the intention to hand us everything here [Taijoan]; mentioned junk is drifted off from them by a storm and didn't arrive until this date, fearing it perished." (Missive Governor to General Governor dated July 22, 1627; see also Missive temporary Governor Johannes van der Hagen dated October 29, 1627). The jachts Slooten, Ouwerkerck, Cleijn Heusden and Queda were sent on July 28, 1627 from Taijoan to tack for the Portuguese naivetes, which were planning to sail from Macao to Japan. By Resolution Taijoan dated October 12, 1627 was decided "to summon the two tacking jachts Ouwerkerck and Cleen Heusden to the river of Chincheo [Amoy]" while by Resolution Taijoan dated October 25, 1627 amongst other is said: "Here not and having an adequate power (because of the drifting off of the jachts Ouwerkerck and Cleen Heusden)" On October 29, 1627 reported the temporary Governor of Taijoan to Batavia that "Ouwerkerck and Cleen Heusden not yet having returned and nothing good is thought of it". According to Resolution Taijouan of November 6, 1627 was the jacht Cleen Heusden already back in Taijouan; the Ouwerkerck was however never found back: "From Teijouhan were sent out tacking around Lamo and Pedra Branca, the jachts Ouwerkerck, Slooten, Cleen Heusden and Queda; but have altogether not performed. The Jacht Ouwerkerck has not returned; understood from the chinese robbers, that Ouwerkerck around Maccauw was taken by surprise and burned at night by some Portuguese Fusts [a ship type I don't know how to translate]; of which eighteen heads were captured, like also having taken the artillery, the remaining people all together having perished." (General Missives January 6, 1628).

"The jacht Ouwerkerck is, around Maccau, raided by 5 galliots, especially equipped for that; it had, upstairs, sprinkled loose powder that, if they were grappled, would be set on fire, therefor the galliots had to lay off, with a lot of loss of people, however after having set the fire and having repaired themselves [meant is the ship] somewhat, are all at the same time climbed aboard and having thrown off that many people that they would have conquered the same and, like Sir Ketting spoke of it from the quarters, has been stabbed by a Portuguese, the other people, seeing this, jumped again downstairs and have put the powder on fire, so that many Portuguese have died and however between the 20 to 30 duijtschen [=Dutchmen] were brought imprisoned in Maccau. Thus tell; the Poortugijsen [=Portuguese]; as I can notice the Jacht got stuck against a reef; they have burnt the jacht and have retrieved some pieces of artillery with divers so that Jan hole not little snores [could mean anything, since it's an expression I could not find back, with hole: ass could also be meant, therefor farting]" (Missive Chief Hirado dated August 12, 1628; Compare also Daily Register Batavia 1628, pp. 389). Governor Pieter Nuijts had left from Taijoan to Japan on July 14, 1627 and returned on December 3 1627 back to Taijoan. He wrote on June 16, 1628 from the city of    Zeelandia to Sir  Nijenrode, who was the chief in those days on Hirado: " The Jacht Ouwerkerck with Sir Nicolaas Ketting has been burnt in a river and the crew caught in Macao such that as we came to arrive here with Woerden on the 20th day after the departure from the coast, found a very desolate stand and place without any naval power" (Valentijn IV, 2nd piece, 4th book, 4th chapter, pp. 52 Compare also in Daily Register Batavia June 1, 1628, pp. 334 and 389).

".... wherefore the ships who are ordered from Taijouan to Macao, should be on alert, so that no insult will be suffered or by burners overtaken, like the Ouwerkerck a^o 1627 was raided and destroyed (Missive Government Batavia to Taijoan dated August 2,1641) Compare also Danvers (Portuguese in Asia, II, 1834, pp, 227). "On the 10^th June, 1627, four Dutch ships appeared before that port with the view of attacking a Fleet which had been prepared there for a journey to Japan.... The Dutch admiral's ship was boarded and burnt, thirty-seven of the crew being killed and fifty taken prisoners. The guns, ammunition, treasury, and provisions were also secured. After the loss of this ship the other three vessels retired." See further C. A. Montalto de Jesus, (Historic Macao, 1900, pp. 77)

"Sir Melchior van Santvoort [a free trader at Nagasaki] has sent me this enclosed letter; has been handed to him secretly by a Portugees from Maccou; therein was a very serious answer from Sir van Santvoort; it is [the writer of the letter] a man from the jacht Ouwerkerck, as the Portugees knew to say." (Missive from Hirado dated November 16, 1631 to the Noble Willem Jansen. Colonial Archives no. 11722). In the General Missives of November 9, 1627 we can also read: "Nowadays know not of any Netherlanders who, are with the enemy in entire India, from Mosambique off as far as Manilha, Godt praise, are imprisoned"

Amongst the 47 Dutchmen who were exchanged against Portuguese prisoners and were brought from Makasar to Batavia with the ship Buren on May 21, 1632 (General Missives December 1, 1632 and Missive to the Chamber of Hoorn of the same date, Colonial Archives No. 759) will have been the the persons on board of the Ouwerkerck. (Compare: Daily Register Batavia 1631, pp. 13 and "'It's certain, as we understood from our people, those who were imprisoned in Maccao" (Instruction for Governor Hans Putmans dated Batavia the end of May 1633. Colonial Archives VV, I).