Page 38 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters

As part of the (mutually reluctant) cooperation with the English, a ‘fleet of defence’ was sent to the Philippines in . Although the booty captured from the Chinese junks was substan- tial, the combined action against the Spaniards was not very successful and the alliance soon broke up. Other VOC ships were then employed directly on the coast of China to break open the Chinese market. So, once again, fewer ships were available or suitable for regular trade. This situation became worse when attacks on Portuguese strongholds intensified again after the end of the truce that had lasted for  years. At the same time, expansion of the many trading posts was also responsible for a rise in operational costs. It was obvious by then that not all the VOC’s ambitions could be fulfilled and that decisions had to be made to reduce costs. On Coen’s advice, the VOC tried to concentrate on the shipping of cargo to Europe, leaving the intra-Asian trade to local traders and the private European operators. Even the monopoly on trade in the Spice Islands was no longer sacred. In a letter from , Coen suggested to the VOC directors that Ambon could be used as an emporium where locals and traders from the Orient could bring items from the Chinese trade to be shipped to the Netherlands, thus reliev- ing the VOC of many expenses. For other destinations, too, he hoped to arrange affairs in such a way that ‘many Indians would sail for us and thus \[that we\], without investments and adven- tures, enjoy a fair amount of their profit’ (Colenbrander , p. ). Coen was reluctant to recommend that European private traders (vrijburgers or vrijlieden) operate in Asia because, in his opinion, this group consisted merely of ‘scum’. Still the VOC could not ignore this growing group of vrijburgers, mostly former VOC employees who stayed in Asia after they had served their contracts. In order to organise the private trade for the future, Coen recommended establishing colonies of good officers and reputable families who would, together with slaves, be able to organise affairs in Asia (Colenbrander , p. ). His successor, Pieter De Carpentier, extended this policy to include the role of private traders and wrote to the VOC directors in the Netherlands: ‘Liberate all trade also for the vrijlieden, except for the Spice Island, Paleacatte (Coromandel Coast) and the Chinese and Persian silk and indi- go. Through a price policy and by force at sea, the trade should be directed to Batavia, which means that then many trade posts could be lifted’ (Coolhaas , p. ). The initiative to set up this policy to stimulate a colony of vrijburgers with associated opportunities for free trade was taken by Coen before he left Asia for Europe in . It was clearly not yet an official policy, but pending a formal decision, the developments were tolerated. On his return to the Netherlands, he was able to present his plans to the directors of the VOC for the restructure of the organisation in Asia onto a ‘new footing’. Initially, Coen could count on sympathy for these plans and some of his suggestions were followed up. On the instructions of the directors in the Netherlands, large ships were only to be used for the return shipping between Europe and Asia, whilst yachts were to be used in Asia. Using these specific vessels, proportionally equipped by the VOC Chambers in the Netherlands, would also help the management in Asia to follow the proportional division of return-cargo between the various Chambers (Colenbran- der , p. ). Coen also suggested opening a direct link with Surat and the Coromandel Coast from the European Chambers (Colenbrander , p. ). The directors followed this  In , the trading posts in Patani, Sangora (north of Patani), Siam, Cambodia and Atchin were closed. During this period, various initiatives by European private traders to develop shipping on these routes can be seen. For example, in , vrijlieden sent various ships ‘with special commission and permission’ to places like Jambi, Siam and Patani to set up trade, and bring the most sought after food supplies to Batavia (Heeres , pp. , ). Even the trade to Coromandel was released by the VOC on condition that the private traders paid appropriate customs duty (Colenbrander , p. ). Gradually however, opposition to these plans arose. Coen ended up in a highly political power game over his ‘new footing’ policy. The political arena included, apart from the Heren XVII, Reael as former Governor-General opposing the plans of his successor, a group of active dolerende (dissenting) shareholders, complaining officials in Asia and the Dutch government. advice by sending several ships directly to Surat in this period. policy, most trading posts could be closed. Coen advised that only Surat, Coromandel, Japan and Solor should be continued – as long as the private traders did not take over the trade in sandalwood.  Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters As a consequence of this