On 11 January 1684 Joannes Camphuys was appointed by the Council of the Dutch East Indies as successor to Cornelis Speelman as Governor-General, initially as provisional Governor-General until the Lord XVII approved the appointment. Because a number of people felt passable in the appointment, his understanding with the Council was not optimal. He was sometimes absent and even did not decide if he did not agree with that. But the Lord XVII was on his hand and so he could go his way. Under his rule there was peace in the archipelago. On 17 December 1690 he resigned on his own repeated request. He handed over the landlord's office to Willem van Outhoorn on 24 September 1691.