Spirited Transactions. The Morals and Materialities of Trade Contacts between the Dutch, the British and the Malays (1596–1619)

On June 22, 1596, a small Dutch fleet came to anchor in the bay of the city of Banten, on Java’s north coast. Placed under the command of Cornelis de Houtman and Gerrit van Beuningen, this privately-chartered commercial expedition comprised four vessels manned by some 249 crew members.