On April 19, 1600, for the people living in Sashifu, in the Bungo area (nowadays Usuki in Oita Prefecture), the view out to sea was different from normal days, for a ship strangely shaped and rigged lay at anchor. The other three had been lost the " Blijde Bootschap " ("Good Message") in fights with the Spaniards, " Trouwe" ("Faithfulness") to the Portuguese and "Hoope" (Hope) to storm. "T Gheloove "("Faith") had turned back for Rotterdam before entering the Straits of Magellan. The journey proved a historic one. The first Dutch ship ever to arrive in Japan was the "Liefde " ("Charity" or "Love") it was one of the five that originally left Rotterdam on June 27, 1598, and the only one to arrive safely in Japan - on April 19, 1600. But once out on the high seas, the sailors of the five vessels, which are heavily loaded with weaponry, are informed of their additional tasks - to raid and plunder Portuguese and Spanish strongholds along the route in South America and Asia and to wreak damage on their enemies, understandable objectives in those turbulent times. The crew have been told that their destination will be the Moluccas to buy spices, and to explore the "Silver-rycke" (the Silver Empire) of Japan. One fine June afternoon in 1598, five ships in Rotterdam ready their departure for a long journey.
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