PREFACE OR FORE-

WORD TO THE READER.

A large ornamental historiated initial 'M' is decorated with elaborate foliage and scrollwork designs within a square frame.

Observing, benevolent reader, while in the East Indies—and indeed, I may say without boasting, while conversing among the most prominent people there, both Christians and others—I could not refrain, whether through natural inclination, or because of the strangeness and wonder of it all, from noting down and sketching or portraying The Dutch conterfeyten means to represent or copy from life, often through drawing. as best I could whatever seemed to me to be particularly special, or different from the nature, customs, and manners of our own land. I did this solely for your pleasure or as a pastime, so that I might later show it to my friends in private as a novelty. However, after my return to the City of Enkhuizen (for which God be praised), as I reviewed what I had gathered (as mentioned above) and as it was viewed now by one person and then by another, it seemed that—even though in my opinion it was done poorly and crudely—they nonetheless took a singular wonder, delight, and pleasure in it. They very insistently persisted, urging me daily without pause to bring these records or memories of my aforementioned journey to light, for the enjoyment of everyone so inclined.

Having taken this task upon myself, I realized that more sharp-wittedness and prior practice would have been necessary for me to better satisfy the intelligent reader. But just as one who has reached the open sea complains too late about the advice he took to set sail with the skipper in time Linschoten uses a nautical proverb: once the journey has begun, it is too late to regret the decision to depart., I cannot now trouble myself much with making excuses or shifting the blame onto the misunderstandings of others. I only trust in your goodwill, that you will please interpret my small wit, labor, and unlearned manner of writing according to the good intention I had: to please my aforementioned friends and also to faithfully present to Your Honor The Dutch abbreviation "V. E." stands for Uwe Edelheid, a formal address meaning Your Honor or Your Excellency., while you remain at home in your chamber or office Contoor: a private office or counting house used for business and study, everything wonderful and memorable that I encountered during thirteen years, both in traveling and in staying in the aforementioned lands.

I hope that Your Honor will find this more clearly and broadly explained in the following pages for your pleasure and possible profit, more so than I could fittingly recount here with few words as the matter requires. Therefore, I pray that Your Honor will not seek great artistry or extraordinary finery original: "frapicheyt," a term derived from the French frappant, meaning striking or elegant. in the illustrations, but only their natural and true depiction. Nor should you expect any eloquence in the brief narrative, for I was not raised or trained for such things in my youth. I have used only the plain truth, laid bare. Therefore, as my reward, let me enjoy the effect of the common proverb: The good will [is taken] for the deed, and that shall be honor and thanks enough for me.