The ship the Witte Leeuw was bought by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1665. It left for Asia on October 28 of that year and arrived in Batavia on June 26th, 1666.

The General Missives of the VOC (see references) report that the Witte Leeuw departed from Bengal together with the Caneelboom on November 6, 1670 with destination Batavia with a cargo consisting mainly of silk worth 376458 guilders. They never arrived and at the height of Pulicat, wreckage washed ashore so that it was assumed that the two flutes had perished there. On the other hand, the Uitloopboeken (ship lists, via DAS, see references) report that the ship perished on 3 November 1670 on the coast of Orissa, so a lot more north in India.

Maritiem Museum Rotterdam

Detail of a map of the Gulf of Bengal by Johannes Jansonius.

The wreck has not been found yet.

Nationaal Archief

Floor plan of Fort Geldria near Pulicat, anonymous, 1708.

• DAS 1040.1.
• Coolhaas.
  Generale missiven III. 743.