Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Neck, Jacob Cornelisz. van

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I)

 

Born: 1564, Amsterdam, Holland. Died: 1638, Amsterdam, Holland.

 

career:

An educated man who went to sea at an early age. He was appointed Admiral in command of two early successfull Dutch voyages to the East. After his return he settled at Amsterdam, holding several important offices.

 

Collecting localities:

1598-99.1 Sailing from Texel (May 1, 1598), rounding the Cape of Good Hope; Nov. 19 Sumatra in sight, sailing 5 days along the coast; Sunda Straits, passing Krakatau and Cibissy (= Sebesi), anchoring off Samor (a high fertile mountain in S. Sumatra; ? possibly G. Radjabassa, and the place Soemoer) (24); W. Java: Bantam City (Nov. 27-Jan. 10, 1599); van Neck leaving for the home voyage (11), watering at Samor (S. Sumatra) and bringing the sick on land (12-18); rounding the Cape (Apr. 7); St Helena; arrival at Texel (July 17); back at Amsterdam (27). van Waerwijck and van Heemskerck proceeded to the Moluccas in Jan. 1599 with part of the fleet. -1600-1603.2 Sailing from Texel (June 28, 1600), rounding the Cape of Good Hope; anchoring near Bantam City (W. Java) (March 30-May 1, 1601); Ternate (June 2-July 30), also visiting Tidore; by way of the Philippines: Coyo (Aug. 19), and another Philippine island (22), to Macao; Patani in S. Siam; on the home voyage visiting Bantam in W. Java again (Sept. 27-Dec. 1, 1602); St Helena; back at Amsterdam in July 1603. One of the ships returned after the first visit to Bantam, but this time van Neck accompanied the fleet to the Moluccas etc.

 

collections:

He brought home a collection of fruits, etc., described by Clusius.3

 

literature:

(1) ‘Reisverhaal van Jacob van Neck (1598-99)’ (by Dr H.T. Colenbrander after an old MS in Bijdr. & Med. Hist. Genootsch. 21, 1900, p. 194-329). Many other publications on this voyage, e.g. J.C. van Neck & W. van Waerwijck: ‘De 2e scheepvaart etc.’ (works edited by the Linschoten Vereeniging, 1938-42).

(2) ‘Journael van de Tweede Reys, gedaen by den Heer Admirael Jacob van Neck, naer Oost-Indien, met zes scheepen in den Jare 1600’ (Amsterdam, 32 pp.); ‘De tweede Voyagie van Jacob van Neck, naer Oost-Indien’ (appended to ‘Wonderlijcke Voyagie, bij de Hollanders gedaen, door de Strate Magalanes etc.’, Amstelredam 1648).

(3) Cf. C. Clusius, Exoticorum libri etc. 1605, p. 36, 82, etc.

 

biographical data:

H. Terpstra: ‘J. van Neck, Amsterdams admiraal en regent’ (Amsterdam 1950); Winkler Prins, Encyclop. 14, 1952, p. 300-301.