Magnificent sunsets, exotic flora and fauna, the aroma of finest spices in the air – the Far East has always had a magical appeal to adventurers, soldiers of fortune, explorers, traders and merchants. Around 400 years ago, merchants in many different countries organized themselves into companies so that they could send larger fleets of ships to the Far East. They hoped for huge profits from these voyages, because spices such as pepper and nutmeg were quite literally worth their weight in gold.