Page 54 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters

establish communications there, underlining the strategic position of Galle in the trade and shipping network. Shortly before , the VOC established a connection between the north-eastern and the north-western routes. Around December, some ships returning from Japan and Taiwan would not sail to Batavia but would travel directly through the Strait of Malacca to the north instead. Some of these ships were expected to report to the Goanese fleet around January to be escorted through Portuguese spheres of influence and to redistribute cargo for Surat or Persia. Others had orders to sail directly to the Coromandel Coast. Japanese silver and copper, Chinese gold and porcelain and sugar were their most important cargoes. From the Coromandel Coast, these ships would join the other VOC ships trading in the region and then return with them to Bata- via. There was no direct VOC trade in the opposite direction through the Strait of Malacca to China, as the Portuguese had carried out with their annual shipping from Goa via Malacca to Macao. 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 India 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 Sri Lanka 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 connection between the routes to the Far East and the North-West after  The developing complexity of the trade and shipping network between these regions illustrates the flexibility of the VOC in utilising their ships to the fullest extent and keeping them sailing, in contrast to the Portuguese who often left ships idle in Macao, waiting for a change of season. It is interesting to note that the VOC seemed to be the only partner who could transport and safely store large amounts of gold and silver along all the ports mentioned above. Local rulers in all these places knew that it was not wise to allow any major theft to take place, even if it was in the guise of robbery by bandits, because the VOC was able to take retaliatory action in the whole area. The VOC was therefore effectively able to capitalise on the exchange differences between gold and silver values and between different kinds of coins, by transporting large amounts of these currencies. The transport of the right kind of bullion to the right place was a permanent concern for the VOC traders (see Case Study -). Like Branch A, Branch B also included a pepper route to Sumatra. VOC ships visited the south-eastern coast of this island to exchange cloth for pepper. Trade here was in some ways different from that on the west coast of the island. Most of the centres for the pepper trade were situated inland and connected to the sea by rivers. The VOC often kept some smaller ships on 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