The aftermath of the sea battle of 14 December 1600

In October 1600 Olivier van Noort arrived in the Philippines with two ships, the Mauritius and the Eendracht. The expedition sailed to the southeast side of the island Luzon and went into a bay now called Albay Bay. After obtaining some provisions there, the ships continued slowly towards Manilla. After staying near Manilla for about a month, on 14th December Van Noort was confronted by a Spanish fleet under Antonio de Morga. The ships engaged and a protracted battle took place. The Eendracht was captured by the Spanish. The Mauritius was rammed and entered by the Spanish admiral’s ship but the Dutch were able to defend themselves until a fire broke out and the Spanish had to retreat. The Mauritius then opened fire and caused such damage that they sank the admiral’s ship. The Eendracht was considered a lost cause and soon after disengaging Van Noort decided to leave Manilla to sail to Borneo.

The image shows the aftermath of the battle and the landscape of Manilla. To the left is the Mauritius, with on the right the Spanish vice-admiral’s ship and the Eendracht, which it had captured during the battle. The Mauritius could not, in Van Noort’s, estimation, attempt to recapture the Eendracht as the Mauritius was too damaged from the fighting. On the top is a Spanish castle called Cabite and the bay of Manilla. The image also has depictions of two large sea creatures. The one at the top may represent a whale, while the bottom creature is likely a large squid.