In 1598, he led an expedition with five vessels organised by Pieter van der Hagen and Johan van der Veeken intended to find a trade route to the Spice Islands and to incite the local population to rise against the Spanish.
The Blijde Boodschap was better known as Vliegend Hert (Flying deer) prior to this particular voyage.
After leaving European waters the ships spent sailed to the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa, staying there from 2 to 29 September.
The Geloof became the first Dutch ship to cross the Pacific and returned to Holland via the Strait of Magellan in July 1600 with only 36 of her original 109 crew.
[citation needed] Liefde was wrecked on the coast of Japan with 24 survivors, one of whom, William Adams, remained as a trader[2] and personal advisor to shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu.