What sorts of things would a 16th century explorer document?
score:8
Why not read Willem Schouten's own journal translated into English?
THE RELATION OF a Wonderfull Voiage made by WILLIAM CORNELISON SCHOVTEN of Horne.
Shewing how South from the Straights of Magelan, in Terra Del-fuogo: he found and discouered a newe passage through the great South Sea, and that way sayled round about the world.
Describing what Islands, Countries, People, and strange Aduentures he found in his saide Passage.
...
a north north east wind and faire whether, and the 29. the Maister and Marc••nt of the Horne came abord the Vni∣tie to agree together about order to be taken vpon the 4. of Iuly, for sharing of our victuales, according to the man∣ner and custome vsed in shippes that sayle long voiages, where they deliuer the saylers their meate and drinke by waight, and measure, to euery man alike and according to his qualitie.
The 4. of Iuly, according to the aforesaid resolution, it was ordred that euery man should haue a can of beere a day, 4. pound of bisket, and halfe a pound of butter (be∣sides sweete suet) a weeke, and fiue cheeses for the whole voiage.
The 8. being vnder 39. degrees and 25. minutes right against the Bassels, our carpenters Mate dyed.
The 9. and 10. with a north and north east winde and a stife gale, the 11. we had a sight of Porto Santo and Ma∣dera, and held our course east.
...
The 3. in the afternoone, the Horne being made cleane vvas lancht into the water againe, and our master went out to fish, in the euening bringing a great shole of fish with him, in fashion like to a shoemakers cutting knife, and euery man 150 Limonds for his part.
...
The 12.13.14.15. and 16. our men went continually on land to seeke for water, but found none, euery day bringing good store of birdes and fishes on boord.
...
There we saw extreame great Sea-Mewes, bigger of bo∣dy then Swannes, their winges being spread abroad, were each of them aboue a fathom long. These birds be∣ing vnaccustomed to see men, came to our ship, and sat thereon, and let our men take and kill them.
And so on. Wind, weather, food, position, hunting, going ashore, people dying...
If you can read German or Latin, you can even read Willem Schouten's originals at archive.org.
More journals and writings of 16th century explorers are available translated into English.
- Extracts From The Journal of Christopher Columbus
- Letter of Amerigo Vespucci To Pier Soderini, Gonfalonier of the Republic of Florence
- The Discovery of Guiana by Sir Walter Raleigh
- The Memoirs Of The Conquistador Bernal Diaz Del Castillo Written By Himself Containing A True and Full Account Of The Discovery And Conquest Of Mexico and New Spain
Upvote:5
It depends on the explorer. Exploration was done by very different people, and for most of them, exploration was not the principal goal. Some were traders, others pirates. Many expeditions had a military character.
Most ship captains would routinely record daily the state of the weather, the state of the sea and air, the course of the ship, especially all changes in weather and course, astronomical observations whenever any were made, and all events they thought worth mentioning. They would describe the shore/islands/people if they thought that new places had been discovered. Some journals of Columbus, Barentsz and others are available, you may check.
More post
- 📝 How was Pre-Samurai Japan structured ? What part did solders and warriors play in the yayoi culture and how did the Yamato state wage war ?
- 📝 How to find the population and mortality in London during the period 1760-1834?
- 📝 What was the estimated population of the Mississippi Valley before contact with Europeans?
- 📝 How much firepower did the British navy represent in 1940?
- 📝 Why are Turkish people and other Turkik people considered of Mongolic race if their language is not in the Mongolic language family?
- 📝 How could a man be made a bishop of a place while not having received major orders?
- 📝 When were the "War Relief Toy Works" set up and by whom?
- 📝 How hard was it to produce German zeppelin pilots in World War One?
- 📝 In what way and to what extent did the USSR exert influence on Mongolia?
- 📝 How did Hussars change from heavy cavalry into light cavalry?
- 📝 When did h*m*sexuality become unacceptable in Europe?
- 📝 Could Hitler have won WW2 after losing the beaches of Normandy
- 📝 Are there any publications in English about the Saltukid dynasty of Erzurum?
- 📝 Why was the Cold War carried out over the whole world instead of between Siberia and Alaska?
- 📝 Why is "Jonathan Wild" spelt "Ionathan Wild" in this ticket to his 1725 hanging?
- 📝 What is the name of the theory that says an early discovery can stop technological development?
- 📝 Has anyone (other than Churchill) indicated that the Germans might have won a negotiated peace in World War II?
- 📝 How did the debt collection of Gregorius IX work?
- 📝 Approximately how much travel time was saved by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869?
- 📝 What would people have been smoking in 700 AD Central / Eastern Asia?
- 📝 Who was the US first cross-dressing governor?
- 📝 How much of colonialism profit was continued post-colonialism by neo-imperialism/neo-colonialism?
- 📝 What would be a typical rank for KGB intelligence officers spying abroad in the 1980s?
- 📝 Why didn't the linguistic split overlap with the religion split in Prussian Silesia?
- 📝 What specifically did Einstein have in mind when he called the Israeli Freedom Party fascistic?
- 📝 Could Polish people who didn't live in Poland get Polish citizenship after Poland's revival in 1918?
- 📝 Who is the most recent (non Bush) father son pair who have invaded the Middle East?
- 📝 How were the hides of wild beasts cured and tanned back in the 11th century?
- 📝 What was the political significance of the investiture conflict?
- 📝 How long did it take for mail to get to London from New York in 1919?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What sorts of things would a 16th century explorer document?
- 📝 What would a Norseman in the early 11th century have worn as daily clothing?
- 📝 What kind of education would a 12th/13th century English knight get?
- 📝 What would have been the carrying capacity for 11th-13th century backpacks?
- 📝 What sorts of games of chance/skill and other events would a Middle-ages/renaissance festival have?
- 📝 What psychology would have been taught at the 19th century Lyceum?
- 📝 What are these items in this 16th century plan of an English town?
- 📝 What is the original source of this 16th century image of a French town holiday with musicians in a tree?
- 📝 What sorts of people were popular celebrities in 17th to 19th century Europe?
- 📝 What route would 1st century BCE travellers have taken from Alexandria to Jerusalem?
- 📝 What was the judicial body in 16th century France called?
- 📝 Why would a 16th century Italian painter choose canvas over wood panel?
- 📝 What did people in 13th century England know about Greek mythology?
- 📝 What would have been the typical drinks for a US farmer in the late 18th/early 19th century?
- 📝 Why did life expectancy decline sharply in 16th century England?
- 📝 How likely it is that a nobleman of the eighteenth century would give written instructions to his maids?
- 📝 Researching a Spanish document from the ~XV century
- 📝 What would have been the price of a loaf of bread in 1645 Amsterdam?
- 📝 What courses would have been required to get a B.A. in America in the 1930s?
- 📝 What would a Roman slave be legally required to do if his master vanished?
- 📝 What reasons did the Confederacy have for believing they would have a quick victory?
- 📝 What would the Arch of Titus have looked like painted?
- 📝 What is the context of Lincoln saying: "if I could save the union without freeing any slave I would do it"
- 📝 What did the top minds of the late 17th century have to say about Salem witch trials?
- 📝 What would people have been smoking in 700 AD Central / Eastern Asia?
- 📝 Would a common person in the 18th century have heard Mozart's music during his lifetime?
- 📝 What would be accurate illustrations of vikings and viking culture?
- 📝 What household servants would a Tudor gentleman have had?
- 📝 What did it mean to be a Grecian in late-18th Century British schools?
- 📝 Did the syphilis epidemic start the 16th and 17th century wig craze?