Page 135 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters
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C t s a E Arabia Afrika Region Arabian Sea Region Bay of Bengal Region Sumatra Region Strait of Malacca Region Java Sea Region Route Spice Islands Region Route Far East Persia 268 Bengal 152 China 437 Kalimantan Java 880 Taiwan h i n a a t s a o C l e d a m o b a r r A n y o n h t a u B o M S i a n i S fC B e S e h n C a e g a a S l e a l a b a r S t r a i t oM f I o a l a c c a Malaysia Sumatra n S a B v a d a J a S a a i d n O e a e a a Map .: Development of the frequency of the VOC shipping < India Sri Lanka The VOC’s military actions were redirected from China (visits dropping to half the number in the previous period) to the Portuguese stronghold of Malacca, which showed a % increase with arrivals, Goa, with arrivals as against only in the pervious period, and Ceylon with visits. Large men-of-war were sent to these latter regions, in most cases to organise a block- ade. The volume of the shipping to the Strait of Malacca did still remain relative low. Some of these ships were also used for trade with VOC-friendly ports in these areas. The Period - The total amount of shipping in Asia in - again showed an increase of % over the previous period and the volume increased by almost %. The reason for this and the pre- viously noted differences between frequency and volume will be explained later in the compo- sition of the VOC fleet in Asia. Significant changes during this decade were the capture of the Portuguese strongholds of Malacca and Galle. Malacca became a strategic rendezvous on the route from Taiwan to the Westerkwartieren. Galle gradually developed into an important em- porium for the transhipment of products from Bengal, Coromandel, Surat and Persia. The de- velopment of both areas can be seen very clearly in the figures; shipping volume to both areas increased five-fold over the previous ten years surpassing Taiwan and the Spice Islands in im- portance. The VOC had a well distributed network of destinations where products could be exchanged and transhipped from ships occupied in local and regional trade to ships engaged in inter-regional and intercontinental shipping to Europe. Independently of their function as An analysis of the development of VOC shipping in Asia until Vietnam Thailand (Siam) Cambodia 95 158 Sulawesi Lesser Sunda Island Spice Islands 375 Philippines Japan c e n
