1563-1611

Dutch explorer who went in search of a northeast passage to India. From 1583 to 1589, Linschoten lived in India, working as a bookkeeper for the archbishop of Goa. Seeking a shorter route from the Netherlands to India, he sailed with the Dutch navigator Willem Barents in search of a northeast passage through the Arctic. He was eventually forced to turn back due to bad weather in this, as well as a subsequent voyage. In 1601, Linschoten published the journal describing his expedition, which inspired later Dutch and English explorers to continue his search.