Willem Schouten

Categories: 1567 births | 1625 deaths | Dutch explorers | Explorers of Australia | Explorers of the Pacific

Willem Cornelisz Schouten (1567?-1625) was a Dutch navigator.

In 1615 Willem Cornelisz Schouten and Jacob le Maire sailed from Texel in the Netherlands, in command of an expedition whose objective was to evade the trade restrictions of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) by finding a new route to the Pacific and the Spice Islands. In 1616 he rounded Cape Horn, which he named for his birthplace, the Dutch city of Hoorn. He followed the north coasts of New Ireland and New Guinea and visited adjacent islands, including what became known as the Schouten Islands.

Although he had opened an unknown route, the VOC claimed infringement of its monopoly of trade to the Spice Islands. Schouten was arrested (and later released) and his ship confiscated in Java.de:Willem Cornelisz Schouten nl:Willem Cornelisz Schouten pl:Willem Corneliszoon Schouten sv:Willem Corneliszoon Schouten