Coastline profile of Cape Refice

In April 1601 the Moluccan fleet of the Fifth Expedition (Vijfde Schipvaart) organised by the Oude Compagnie set off from the Dutch Republic. The objective of the fleet was to continue the highly profitable Dutch trade in spices in the Moluccas which had been initiated by the Second Expedition (Tweede Schipvaart) in the previous years. The ships began their journey sailing south and passed Portugal by the middle of May. They then continued past the Cape Verde islands and followed the currents through the Atlantic Ocean, arriving at the south of Africa by mid-August 1601. Here they rounded the capes of Good Hope and Recife. Joris Joostensz. Laerle, onderstuurman on board of the Zeeland and later artist on board of the Gelderland is possibly the author of these coastline profiles of Cape Recife in the journal of admiral Wolfert Harmensz. of the Gelderland. According to the descriptions, the top panel shows the landscape of Cape Recife as seen at a distance of 6 to 7 miles when land was sighted at 18 August. The second panel shows floating materials that were mistaken for land.