Hendrik Brouwer Dutch navigator, admiral and 8th Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Date of Birth: 01.01.1581 Country: Netherlands

1. Early Life and Career
2. Captain of the East Indies
3. Opperhoofd of Japan
4. Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
5. Valdivia Expedition
6. Death and Legacy

Early Life and Career

Hendrik Brouwer was born in the Netherlands in the spring of 1581. Little is known about his early life. It is believed that he first traveled to the East Indies in 1606 with the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

Captain of the East Indies

In 1610, Brouwer returned to India as the captain of three ships. During this voyage, he decided to deviate from the Portuguese sea route, which hugged the coast of Africa and passed Mauritius and Ceylon before reaching Bantam. Instead, Brouwer sailed south to the Roaring Forties (40° to 50° south latitude) and took advantage of the strong westerly winds. He then sailed east between 35° and 40°, finally reaching the Sunda Strait at the longitude of Java. As a result, his ships arrived in Bantam after a journey of only 5 months and 24 days. By 1617, the VOC required all its ships to follow Brouwer's route.

Opperhoofd of Japan

Upon arriving in the East Indies in 1611, Brouwer was sent to Japan to temporarily replace Jacques Specx as the chief representative (Dutch: 'opperhoofd') from August 28, 1612, to August 6, 1614. During this time, Brouwer visited the Japanese court in Edo. In 1613, he also made a trip to Siam, laying the foundation for the establishment of trade between the Dutch and Siam.

Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

In 1632, Brouwer was appointed the 8th Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, replacing Jacques Specx once again. He held the position until January 1, 1636. His deputy was Anthony van Diemen, who oversaw many of the early Dutch explorations in the Pacific region.

Valdivia Expedition

In 1642, the VOC joined forces with the Dutch West India Company to mount an expedition to Chile. The aim was to establish a base for gold trading on the abandoned territories of Valdivia. The fleet sailed from Dutch Brazil, where Johan Maurits provided the expedition with supplies. Rounding Cape Horn, the expedition determined that Staten Island was not part of an unknown southern land. After landing on Chiloé Island off the coast of southern Chile, Brouwer made a treaty with the Mapuche, the indigenous Chilean people.

Death and Legacy

However, on August 7, 1643, Brouwer died at the age of 62. He was succeeded by Admiral Elias Herckman, who arrived in Valdivia on August 24. Brouwer was buried in the new settlement, which Herckman named 'Brouwershaven' in his honor. Herckman and his men remained in Valdivia only until October 28, 1643. Learning that the Dutch planned to return to the abandoned territory, the Spanish viceroy of Peru sent 1,000 men in 20 ships to reoccupy and fortify Valdivia in 1644. The Spanish soldiers from the new garrison exhumed and burned Brouwer's body.