81
Views
8
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Main articles

Early explorations of the southern celestial sky

Pages 439-470 | Received 28 Aug 1986, Published online: 23 Aug 2006

References

  • Knobel , E.B. 1917 . On Frederick de Houtman's catalogue of the southern stars . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 77 : 421 – 432 . Particulars are also mentioned in Deborah J. Warner, The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 (New York, Amsterdam, 1979), pp. 58, 173, 225.
  • Sources relevant for the backgrounds of this expedition, provided with extensive notes, were published as numbers 7, 25 and 32 in the series Werken uitgegeven door de Linschoten-Vereeniging De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage 1915–1929 3
  • Briels , J.G.C.A. 1978 . De Zuidnederlandse immigratie, 1572–1630 Bussum
  • de Houtman , Cornelis . 1594–1595 . Corte verklaringe per Cornelis de Houtman van de landen genaemt Oost-Indien ofte conquisten van Portugal manuscript in the Rijksmuseum Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, Amsterdam, registered as Cat A IV-2, 243a.
  • A biography of Plancius was published by Keuning J. Petrus Plancius: theoloog en geograaf, 1522–1622 Amsterdam 1946
  • Keuning . 1946 . Petrus Plancius: theoloog en geograaf, 1522–1622 130 – 130 . Amsterdam and Resolutions of the Staten van Holland, inv. nr. 28, p. 347, 354–55, Algemeen Rijksarchief, 3e afdeling, 's-Gravenhage [General State Archives, The Hague]. The patent requested refers to knowledge of the longitude and latitude.
  • Burger , C.P. 1908 . Amsterdamsche rekenmeesters en zeevaartkundigen in de zestiende eeuw 50 – 50 . Amsterdam
  • Rouffaer and IJzerman . 1915–1929 . De eerste schipvaar der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Edited by: Rouffaer , G.P. and IJzerman , J.W. Vol. III , xxi – xxi . 's-Gravenhage 3 vols
  • Rouffaer and IJzerman . 1915–1929 . De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Edited by: Rouffaer , G.P. and IJzerman , J.W. Vol. III , 426 – 426 . 's-Gravenhage 3 vols
  • Rouffaer and IJzerman . 1915–1929 . De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Edited by: Rouffaer , G.P. and IJzerman , J.W. Vol. III , 411 – 411 . 's-Gravenhage 3 vols
  • Stevin Simon De havenvinding The principal works of Simon Stevin Amsterdam1955–1966 III 419 475 6 vols (pp. 430–33)
  • Merula , Paullus . 1605 . Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden]
  • Merula , Paullus . 1605 . Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor 105 – 105 . Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden]
  • A description of a copy of this celestial globe has been given by Hinze, ‘Drei Globen des 16. Jahrhunderts’, in Bericht des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins zu Zerbst, 1927–1932 Zerbst 1933 10 20 Also described by Warner (footnote 1), 203. Note that the first five lines cited by Warner deviate from the description given by Hinze, and refer to the globe of Hondius, published in 1600, also described by Hinze.
  • The Latin text according to Hinze Bericht des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins zu Zerbst, 1927–1932 Zerbst 1933 18 19 reads as follows: ‘Viciniores Polo Antarctico stellas nec Hipparchus, nec Ptolomeus, nec ullus veterum observare potuit; as eas summa ac accuratissima diligentia observarunt, meo rogatu et instinctu, peritissimus nauclerus Petrus Theodori, piae memoriae, et alii Matheseos studiosi: itque in memorabili illa Indica Amsterodamensium navigatione ad quam postridie Calendas Aprilis an. 1595 solverunt et ex qua redierunt 6. Idus Augusti an. 1597. Quae in Eridano primae est magnitudinis vulgo Acarnar vocatur; eam seapius iterata dimensione in 9. gradu et 45. scrup. invenerunt; et eius latitudinem esse 59 graduum et 30 scrupul. Caeteras stellas suis locis reposuimus ad annum 1600. pro sequenti seculo addenda erunt unus gradus et 25 scrupula. Jodocus Hondius caelavit et divulgat.
  • van der Krogt , Peter . 1984 . Old globes in The Netherlands: a catalogue of terrestrial and celestial globes made prior to 1850 and preserved in Dutch collections 148 – 158 . Utrecht Here a complete description is given of the globes published by Hondius in 1600 and 1615. The latter is a new edition of the globe published in 1601, with which it is identical.
  • Rouffaer and IJzerman . 1915–1929 . De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Edited by: Rouffaer , G.P. and IJzerman , J.W. Vol. III , 416 – 416 . 's-Gravenhage 3 vols
  • Merula . 1605 . Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor 103 – 103 . Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden]
  • de Houtman , Frederick . 1603 . Spraeck ende woord-boeck, inde Maleysche ende Madagaskarsche talen … Amsterdam
  • Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage1915–1929 II xxiv xxiv 3 vols xxix and III, lxix.
  • A full account of this quarrel is given in Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage 1915–1929 III 211 284 3 vols
  • Rouffaer and IJzerman . 1915–1929 . De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Edited by: Rouffaer , G.P. and IJzerman , J.W. Vol. III , lxiv – lxiv . 's-Gravenhage 3 vols
  • Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage1915–1929 III 216 216 3 vols 233–6
  • Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage1915–1929 III 230 230 3 vols 237.
  • Merula . 1605 . Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor 102 – 102 . Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden]
  • Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 Rouffaer G.P. IJzerman J.W. 's-Gravenhage1915–1929 III 413 413 3 vols 423
  • Unger , W.S. 1948 . De oudste reizen van de Zeeuwen naar Oost-Indië, 1598–1604 's-Gravenhage in the series Werken uitgegeven door de Linschoten-Vereeniging, nr. 51. The most important journals are from John Davis, the pilot of the expedition, and Frederick de Houtman, who during this voyage acted as a captain.
  • Mollema , J.C. 1935 . De eerste schipvaart der Hollanders naar Oost-Indië, 1595–1597 … 47 – 47 . 's-Gravenhage
  • Unger . 1948 . De oudste reizen van de Zeeuwen naar Oost-Indië, 1598–1604 Vol. 50 , 75 – 75 . 's-Gravenhage
  • Unger . 1935 . “ 109 and Mollema ” . In De eerste schipvaart der Hollanders naar Oost-Indië, 1595–1597 … 50 – 50 . 's-Gravenhage
  • The patent dated February 4th 1603 is registered in the Resolutions of the Staten Generaal 12299, f xcixv, Algemeen Rijksarchief in 's-Gravenhage (General State Archives, The Hague). An extract of it was included in de Houtman Frederick Spraeck ende woord-boeck, inde Maleysche ende Madagaskarsche talen … Amsterdam 1603
  • Houtman , De . 1603 . Spraeck ende woord-boeck, inde Maleysche ende Madagaskarsche talen … Amsterdam Introduction
  • Knobel . 1917 . On Frederick de Houtman's catalogue of the southern stars . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 77 : 420 – 420 . The opinion expressed by Knobel still carries weight in the modern literature, see William B. Ashworth Jr., ‘Halley's discovery of NGC 6231 and the hazards of early star nomenclature’, Journal for the History of Astronomy 12 (1981), 1–10 (p.9, footnote 11).
  • This conclusion was already reached by Stein J. De oorsprong der zuidelijke sterrebeelden Hemel en Dampkring 1922 20 2 9 33–8. Stein based his conclusion on a comparison between the data published by Merula (footnote 12) and the catalogue of De Houtman (footnote 19). Nevertheless, Stein maintained that De Houtman should be blamed for taking the credit from Keyser for the discovery of the southern sky.
  • Stein . 1922 . De oorsprong der zuidelijke sterrebeelden . Hemel en Damkring , 20 : 9 – 9 .
  • Keuning , J. 1973 . Willem Jansz. Blaeu: a biography and history of his work as a cartographer and publisher Amsterdam
  • Warner . 1917 . On Frederick de Houtman's catalogue of the southern stars . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 77 : 28 – 28 .
  • Snelders , H.A.M. 1980 . Alkmaarse natuurwetenschappers uit de 16de en 17de eeuw . Alkmaarse historische reeks , 4 : 101 – 122 .
  • Biographical data on Frederick de Houtman can be found in Mollema De eerste schipvaart der Hollanders naar Oost-Indië, 1595–1597 … 's-Gravenhage 1935 46 52 These data are based on notes by J. W. IJzerman in the Gemeente-Archief [=Municipal Record Office] Amsterdam, registered as Part. Arch. 742, no. 41. From these archives it is clear that Frederick de Houtman, thorugh his marriage, was related to Cornelis Drebbel. The relationship between De Houtman and Adriaan Metius is acknowledged by Metius in Institutiones astronomicae et geographicae, fondamentale ende grondelijcke onderwysinghe van de sterrekonst … (Amsterdam, 1621), p.4, and Adriaan Metius, Nieuwe geographische onderwysinghe … (Franeker, 1614), p. 29.
  • Warner . 1917 . On Frederick de Houtman's catalogue of the southern stars . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 77 : 30 – 30 . and Van der Krogt (footnote 16), 56.
  • Van der Krogt . 1984 . Old globes in The Netherlands: a catalogue of terrestrial and celestial globes made prior to 1850 and preserved in Dutch collections 59 – 59 . Utrecht
  • Van der Krogt . 1984 . Old globes in The Netherlands: a catalogue of terrestrial and celestial globes made prior to 1850 and preserved in Dutch collections 65 – 65 . Utrecht
  • Van der Krogt . 1984 . Old globes in The Netherlands: a catalogue of terrestrial and celestial globes made prior to 1850 and preserved in Dutch collections 156 – 156 . Utrecht
  • Our analysis is based on the Hondius globes of 1598, recently located by P. C. J. van der Krogt, who kindly put photographs of these sources at my disposal. For the other sources, see Merula P. Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden] 1605 and F. de Houtman (footnote 19).
  • Ptolemaeus . 1963 . Handbuch der Astronomie Vol. II , Leipzig 2 vols
  • See also Allen Richard Hinckley Star names: their lore and meaning New York 1963 217 217
  • A full account of the identification of all stars recorded in De Houtman's catalogue (footnote 19) shall be published in a separate paper together with a detailed numerical analysis. Part of this analysis is based on an unpublished investigation of De Houtman's catalogue carried out by Zwiers H.J. a Dutch astronomer appointed at Leiden Observatory in 1907 the Archives of the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden, registered as Arch. 282 in
  • Columba was introduced by Plancius on his world map of 1592, see Warner The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 New York, Amsterdam 1979 203 203 In Merula (footnote 12), 106, it is attributed to a globe produced by Van Langren, a statement we have not been able to confirm.
  • Warner . 1979 . The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 201 – 201 . New York, Amsterdam
  • Allen . 1963 . Star names: their lore and meaning 14 – 14 . New York
  • The data presented here and hereafter in the analysis of the composition of the constellations were derived from globes in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, Amsterdam (globes of Hondius and Blaeu of 1600 and 1602, respectively), and the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden (globe of Blaeu of 1603). Also photographs were used of the globes in the collections of the Stift Kremsmünster, Osterreich (globe of Hondius of 1601), and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Brussel (globe of Blaeu of 1602). These photographs were made available to me by R. A. J. van der Krogt. The data on the globe of Hondius of 1598 were derived from material kindly put at my disposal, prior to publication, by P. C. J. van der Krogt. See also van der Krogt P.C.J. The globe-gores in the Nicolai-collection (Stuttgart) Der Globusfreund 1985 March 99 116 (p. 99, no. 24). Apart from the catalogue of De Houtman (footnote 19) we also used maps from the unpublished investigation by Zwiers (footnote 47).
  • Norton , Arthur P. 1978 . Norton's star atlas , 17th ed Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • These estimates are based on the data provided by Gould B.A. Uranometria argentina Cordoba 1879
  • A more detailed account of the instrumental aspects of the survey carried out by Frederick de Houtman shall be given in the paper announced in Zwiers H.J. the Archives of the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden, registered as Arch. 282 in
  • Stein , J. 1929 . De Hemelglobe van Jodocus Hondius van 1600 . Jaarverslag van de Vereeniging Nederlandsch Historisch Scheepvaart Museum te Amsterdam , 13 : 42 – 47 . (p. 47)
  • Merula . 1605 . Cosmographiae generalis libri tres, item Geographiae particularis libri quattuor 105 – 105 . Lugdunum Batavorum [=Leyden]
  • Warner . 1979 . The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 30 – 30 . New York, Amsterdam
  • Warner . 1979 . The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 206 – 206 . New York, Amsterdam
  • Warner . 1979 . The sky explored: celestial cartography 1500–1800 203 – 203 . New York, Amsterdam expresses surprise that the world map (outdated by the new results on the southern sky) is included in Merula's Cosmographiae (footnote 12). However, as Stein (footnote 34) pointed out, Merula obtained a commission to write another important book (Historia Belga) in December 1598, by which the progress of the Cosmographia most likely was delayed. When finally the 1358 pages of this latter work were finished, he apparently did not bring the first few hundred pages, written in 1597–1598, up to date.
  • George , Wilma . 1980 . Sources and background to discoveries of new animals in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries . History of Science , 18 : 79 – 104 . (pp. 87, 94)
  • The world map of Plancius edited in 1594 is often found in Huygen van Linschoten Jan Itinerario Amsterdam 1596 I used a photograph of it, included in J. J. Vredenberg-Alink, Spiegel der Wereld (Utrecht, 1969), 56–7. See also Warner (footnote 1), 202.
  • Rouffaer IJzerman De eerste schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595–1597 's-Gravenhage1915–1929 I 14 14 3 vols 52, 134
  • Burger . 1908 . Amsterdamsche rekenmeesters en zeevaartkundigen in de zestiende eeuw 100 – 100 . Amsterdam
  • Blundeville , M. 1594 . His exercises containing sixe treatises London is a good example. A series of data is discussed, but only the Southern Cross is considered useful.
  • An extensive study on the reception of scientific knowledge in navigational quarters was recently published by Davids C.A. Zeewezen en wetenschap: de wetenschap en de ontwikkeling van de navigatietechniek in Nederland tussen 1585 en 1815 Amsterdam 1986
  • The most extensive account I found in Cabeliau Abraham Rekenkonst vande groote seevaert Amsterdam 1617 Of the ten stars south of the equinoctial line mentioned in the table preceding chapter 6, five were observed for the first time during the first voyage.
  • Bayer , Johannes . 1603 . Uranometria Augsburg and Johannes Kepler, ‘Tabulae Rudolphinae … (1627)’, in Gesammelte Werke, 19 vols (Munich, 1937–1975) x, pp. 138–41. How in fact Bayer and Kepler came into possession of the data they published is the subject of Elly Dekker, ‘On the Dispersal of Knowledge of the Southern Celestial Sky’, Der Globusfreund, nos 35–37 (1987), 211–30.
  • According to Blundeville His exercises containing sixe treatises London 1594 222 222 Plancius himself had expressed doubts about the reliability of the constellations he introduced in 1589 and 1592.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.