You can find the birthplace of Willem Ysbrantzzon Bontekoe at Veermanskade 15 in Hoorn. Bontekoe was a sea captain with the East India Company, and published his journals in 1646. They contain incredible accounts of his adventures, including an account of a voyage from Hoorn to Jakarta where the mainmast snapped, there was an outbreak of scurvy, and the crew were forced to abandon ship after a massive explosion occurred. The facade of the house shows a spotted cow, to depict ’bonte’ (meaning, spotted) and ’koe’ (meaning, cow).
