Page 10 - aruba-today-20210119

A10 LOCAL
Tuesday 19 January 2021

Aruba in the eye of the Dutch Episode LXXXVIII - 88

ORANJESTAD — From the end of the sixteenth century the
Dutch began exploring the Spanish new world territories
and were first seen in 1585 around our islands by Caque-
tian scouts. Small companies at Amsterdam, Enkhuizen
and Rotterdam organized illicit trade with their partners
on the Iberian dominions across the Atlantic.

The role of Amsterdam’s Sephardic merchants in the west-
ward expansion of commerce and trade across the vast
ocean, offered an historical turning point for Holland as a
world power, by connecting the Dutch capital to the grow-
ing network of emerging merchants of the “Portuguese Na-
tion,” who were conducting trade from the Iberian Peninsula
and its American colonies. Sephardic merchants played a
significant role in sustaining trade with the main land Ameri-
ca. For trade with Spanish colonies was interdicted to all for-
eigners.
1624 had been related in some documents, that there are
cattle and Christianized Indians on the islands of Curacao
Bonaire and Aruba. Aruba is a low country, but has two small
mountains, called Yamanota and Pan de Azucar as called
by the Spanish, the last presents itself to the eye in the shape
of a sugar-loaf, our todays “Hooiberg” Haystack. A pyramid
shaped hill about five miles in circumference and an eleva-

tion of 165 m. The island is inhabited by around the islands under other flags. But
families of Amerindian Christians, mesti- not everything that happened was re-
zos and some Spaniards”. They sustained corded.
their selves as farmer, fishermen. They In 1633 Spain conquers the island of St.
hunted and herd horses, mules, donkeys, Martin, a strategic point on the line con-
cattle, goats and sheep. Nothing is heard necting Brazil and New Netherland. They
yet about landings on Aruba, though its were in search of a suitable operational
few inhabitants some years afterwards base in the struggle for supremacy in the
saw ships sporting the flag of the West In- New World. They are weighing the pros
dia Company sailing past. and cons of various islands. In this con-
Aruba’s horsemen frighten the Dutch. nection refer to the island of Aruba and
In January 1627 a Dutch expedition its importance with regard to the route
commanded by Van Uytgeest was off to Lake Maracaibo. But they don’t pos-
St. Vincent, where they remained for sess sufficient information concerning the
some days. Next their course led them South Caribbean. Until Jan Jansz Otsen,
past Martinique, Santa Lucia, Dominica who had fallen into Spanish hands and
and St.Kitts and finally reaching Tortuga. thus seen something of Curacao, offers
Along the coast they cruised to Mara- his services to the Dutch squadrons. Now!
caibo and on May 1627 they arrived off The Dutch decided to conquer these
Aruba, observing on shore many natives three “islands of Curacao” in the year
on horseback who did not look friendly, 1634.q
and did not think it advisable to disem-
bark there. They sailed on to Rio Hacha,
Colombia. Van Uytgeest, therefore, must To get to know a little more regard-
have been close inshore, and the sight ing Aruba’s and its cultural origins we
of those horsemen on Aruba must have highly recommend you to book your
been so disquieting that his people, who participation in our cultural encoun-
were not easily daunted, preferred the ter session.
safety of their ships.
Between 1628 and 1630, some Dutch A mind opening revelation and en-
squadrons are noted sailing past in the tertaining island experience.
Caribbean Sea steering for Bonaire. As a
result Aruba was not the first of the three Mail us at etnianativa03@gmail.com,
Leeward Islands to be called at by the our facilities and activities take place
Dutch, this was to be Bonaire in 1623. close to high rise hotels.
Of course there have been more ships