View of Coconut Island and Traitors' Island in the Pacific Ocean

View of Coconut Island and Traitors' Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Cocos Eijlandt / Isle de Cocos / Verraderds Eylandt / Isle des traitres.

This print shows how the inhabitants of Traitors' Island pelted the ship De Eendracht with stones because they were impressed by the hardness of the wood from which the vessel was made. The Dutch felt threatened and opened fire with their muskets. As a consequence the island was named 'Traitors Island'. In the days prior to the incident the contacts between the Dutch and the locals had progressed reasonably well.

Schouten and Le Maire's expedition in 1615 was equipped by Le Maire's father for the Australische Compagnie (Australian Company). This company attempted to circumvent the VOC patent by finding an alternative route to Indonesia. Schouten and Le Maire succeeded in doing so by sailing via Vuurland rather than through the Magellan Strait. In spite of their discoveries the voyage did not prove very successful: on arrival in Batavia they weren't believed and their remaining ship, de Eendracht was impounded along with its cargo.

Coconut Island is today known as Tafahi, while Traitors' Island is called Niuatoputapu. Both islands constitute part of the kingdom of Tonga.

Cf. Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague, inv. nr. 108 D 7 part III, folio 39.

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