Editing Samuel Blommaert (section)

==Early career==
[[File:Café Papeneiland - Amsterdam - 20020095 - RCE.jpg|thumb|left|In 1615 Gerrit Reynst became the owner of an empty lot, now [[Prinsengracht]] 2; his heirs, two daughters who married Samuel Blommaert and Isaac Coymans sold the lots in 1617, 1618 and 1622.]]

For many years Blommaert was involved in a company which traded in copper from [[Angola]] and the African coast, together with Frans Jacobsz. Hinlopen, and Lucas van der Venne.<ref>Klein, P.W. (1963) De Trippen in de 17e eeuw, p. 146.</ref><ref>Gelderblom, O. (2000) Zuid-Nederlandse kooplieden en de opkomst van de Amsterdamse stapelmarkt, pp. 224, 231.</ref> In 1615 [[Jacob le Maire]] carried a letter from his father [[Isaac le Maire]] to be presented to Governor Reynst, with an offer to smuggle goods to his son-in-law in Amsterdam. Blommaert was investigated in Amsterdam by the board of the East-India Company on January 30, 1616 <ref>Kernkamp, G.W. (1908) Brieven van Samuel Blommaert aan den Zweedschen Rijkskanselier Axel Oxenstierna 1635–1641, pp. 16–17</ref> about a vessel, named ''Mauritius de Nassau'', sailed from a Dutch port, under the command of Jan Remmertszoon from Purmerend. The ship was ostensibly destined for Angola, but from there she was ordered to direct her course for "[[Terra Australis]]." The plan, therefore, was, from the west coast of Africa to sail southward to [[Tierra del Fuego]], and then {{blockquote|"to explore the whole of the coast <!--of Terra Australi-->: as far as the [[Strait of Magellan|Straits of Magellanes]], on the chance of finding an opening that might allow a passage to the South-sea; and on such opening being found, to run into and through the same, in order to discover whether they could in such manner get into the South-sea; should such passage to the South-sea have been found, they had orders to return home forthwith, but in case adverse circumstances should prevent them from doing so, they were to run on for the East Indies."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600571h.html|title = Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal}}</ref>}}

Around 1619 he settled on [[Keizersgracht]]<!--"de stad Rijssel" now number 158 or 160--> and bought a lot (30x170 ft) where a new house was built, next to [[Laurens Reael]].<!-- now number 137 of 139--> In 1620 Isaac Coymans, a broker, became his brother-in-law.