Indonesia. 1,500 Dutch troops, led by Stephen van der Hagen, attack and conquer, without a fight, several Portuguese forts and islands: Victoria Castle on Ambon Island, the Banda Islands of nutmeg and cloves, and finally Tidore, where fierce fighting ensues before the Dutch achieve victory. Ternate, the other famous source of cloves, is already effectively in Dutch hands through an alliance with the local sultan.
