Page 95 - Dutch Asiatic Shipping Volume 1

port of call, even before 1652 this was usually the case. The distance between Batavia
and the Cape was nearly 5,900 nautical miles, that between Ceylon and the Cape was
about four hundred miles shorter. Tables 15a - 15c summarize the average travelling times
of those ships for which complete data exist on departure from Asia and arrival at the
Cape. A certain drop in duration o f voyage after the middle o f the eighteenth century is
noticeable. O n average the voyage from Batavia took nearly three months (86 days),
which means a daily distance of about 68 miles. The crossing from Ceylon took 78 days,
from Bengal 81 days. This difference o f only three days is striking and justifies the Com-
pany's decision to ship part of the Bengal goods no longer via Batavia, nor require the
Bengal consignment to call at Ceylon. T h e tea-ships took o n average only a fortnight
longer in reaching the Cape than those from Batavia, again justifying the decision to open
a direct line.
Table 15a: Average duration of voyage Batavia - The Cape
1610-19 74
1620-29 104
1630-39 83
1640-49 79
1650-59 88
1660-69 82
1670-79 84
1680-89 100
1690-99 86
1610-99 87
1610-1795 86
(H)
( 24)
( 53)
( 48)
( 57)
(100)
( 96)
( 80)
( 92)
(561)
(2002)
1700-09
1710-19
1720-29
1730-39
1740-49
1750-59
1760-69 75
days (trips)
days (trips)
86 (135)
85 (172)
34 (249)
91 (215)
98 (130)
81 (131)
Table 15b: Average duration of voyage Ceyl-onThe Cape
1660-69
1670-79
1680-89
1690-99
1700-09
1710-19
1720-29
1660-1795
days (trips)
75 ( 6)
64 (19)
68 (33)
83 (36)
71 (47)
80 (61)
84 (57)
78 (478)
1730-39
1740-49
1750-59
1760-69
1770-79
1780-89
1790-95
1770-79
1780-89
1790-95
1700-94
(in)
83 (117)
85 (119)
89 ( 62)
86 (1441)
days (trips)
86 (48)
79 (35)
79 (37)
73 (33)
74 (26)
84 (27)
64 (13)