Page 44 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters
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the merchant Francisco Pelsaert, stationed in Surat and Agra at that time, and a man who ap- parently understood the importance of correct protocol, wrote to the VOC recommending lux- ury items to send from Europe. He observed the surprise by the rulers that the VOC had gold and silver manufactured into articles that were in common use in India: ‘It would be well therefore, for the first trial, to manufacture such goods as the following to the value of to reals-of-eight, and to the same amount in gold: feet for kettles, or bedsteads, hollow, and as light as possible, but artistically wrought. Aftabas, or ewers used by Moslems for washing their hands. Betel boxes Fan handles, handles for fly-switches. Dishes and cups with covers. If necessary, the style or fashion of these items should be explained’ (Green ). After returning to the Netherlands, Pelsaerts advice was followed and with the fleet of , a fine collection of this type of articles was sent. Due to the wrecking of the Batavia on the west coast of Australia a part of these valuable items never reached India. Basra Arabian Peninsula (31) Mocha Persia (32) Gamron Map .: The western region: Arabian Sea, indicating the shipping routes. The traditional centre for trading connections with Europe, the Asian Silk Road, was in the far west of the VOC’s trading area in Asia. Persia was still important for its silk, but also for bullion obtained by selling pepper and spices. The money was used by the VOC to trade in Asia. Trade in Persia presented a dilemma because the spices used for barter by the VOC and other traders were likely to create competition with the VOC’s own spice exports to Europe; they had found their way to the European market over the traditional land route long before the sea route was opened. The VOC set up a post in Gamron (Bandar Abbas) in . The English in particular were very active there and were often a threat to the VOC. In the extreme west, the VOC established a small trading post at Mocha on the south-western tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In the early days, the VOC traded spices for precious metals from Europe, although reluctantly. During an early visit to Mocha in , the VOC official Pieter van den Broecke advocated that the supply of money the VOC used for trade purposes be sourced from this region instead of being shipped around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. He also described a local specialty: ‘Kahauwa, a kind of black bean / resembling Boontje-Holwor- Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters Arabian Sea Surat Gulf of Cambay (33) Goa (36) Goa Malabar (37) Maldives (38) Cochin P e r s a iu n G l f n e d A f o f l u G
