Verhaal van het vergaan van het jacht de Sperwer

In the mid‑1600s a Dutch East‑India Company vessel set sail for Japan, only to be shattered by storm‑tossed seas and driven onto a remote Korean island. The surviving crew, led by the ship’s accountant, found themselves stranded far from home, forced to adapt to an unfamiliar land while awaiting any chance of rescue.

Their painstaking journal records daily life among the Korean people, from bustling markets to serene mountain villages, offering the first detailed European glimpse of a culture that remained largely hidden from the West. Accompanied by a hand‑drawn map and a series of vivid woodcut illustrations, the account captures both the hardships of survival and the curiosities of a world unknown to its authors.

Beyond its dramatic adventure, the narrative serves as a valuable historical document, shedding light on early Dutch encounters with Korea and enriching our understanding of 17th‑century maritime trade, cross‑cultural exchange, and the resilience of those who endured the ordeal.