Page 52 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters
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This blockade was the only place in Asia where, after , the VOC could expect to have to fight a full-blown battle with another European fleet and therefore they had to deploy a strong blockade fleet. Combining this with trade activities in this region could reduce the cost of the blockade. The extensive expenses were justified by the VOC by the damage caused to the Por- tuguese supply of Asian products to Europe, which, it was believed, would ultimately benefit the VOC through higher prices on the European market (Coolhaas , p. ). These circumstances meant that after the arrival of the fleet in Goa, a number of VOC ships could be used for trade, depending on the strength of the Portuguese fleet and the judgement of the Admiral of the blockade fleet. In addition to the stores and armoury needed for the block- ade, some trade products were usually carried by the fleet as well. Normally, shortly after the fleet arrived in Goa, these goods would be sent on one or two ships to Surat, the most impor- tant port in north-western India, where the VOC had a factory. Trading ships sailing on to Surat or Persia had to be strongly armed to be able to resist the Portuguese still operating from many strongholds in the area. Indeed, the VOC lost one richly laden ship – Franeker (ID:) described as a warship, but too lightly armed to sail alone in this area – in a Portuguese attack (Colenbrander , p. ). From December to May, shipping along the Asian coast between Surat and Persia could be carried out in both directions. VOC ships travelled this route with products from other parts of Asia, and also as traders between these ports, even regularly transporting freight for local traders or authorities. From Persia, some VOC ships would sail on to Mocha in Arabia, where coffee (quawa) was already a trading item, though not yet a very important one. More important for the VOC were Persian silk and Surat cloth. At the end of the blockade, some ships were sent to the Indian coast in the neighbourhood of Goa to buy rice and pepper. Good profits could be made by first sailing to Surat to buy amphioen (opium) and then trading this for pepper on the Malabar Coast of South India. 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 Bengal Taiwan Persia 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 c e a a n Map .: The north-western routes, Branch A & B India Sri Lanka Ships returning from Persia directly to the Sunda Strait often had great difficulty in finding favourable winds which meant that voyages to Batavia could take as long as five months. A more efficient route was to first cross the Arabian Sea to its eastern shore. Ships sailing along the Indian and Ceylon west coasts could approach Galle nearly all year round, since this port Connecting the Asian regions: The trading and shipping network in operation after Vietnam Thailand (Siam) Cambodia China Kalimantan Java Spice Islands Sulawesi Lesser Sunda Island Philippines Japan
