Beroepe - Stamouers.com
SAILORS AND SOLDIERS - PAY, POSITIONS ETC
Many potential VOC employees were victims of zielverkopers. The zielverkopers/volkhouders/borgen were pimps who attracted those who were seeking employment. Germans and Northern Europeans as well as boys from the countryside were taken in by them. The zieleverkopers would give them lodging and get them to sign a bond. In turn they would get them a position with the VOC. In the meantime they were housed in awful conditions, this could take a number of months. They were then charged up to 150 fl. On departure the zielverkopers would supply them with a kitbag. Often these zielverkopers would sell these bonded men to celenkoper.
Between 1670 -1680 the VOC recruited 45,000 personnel. On the average they had to recruit 1,000 men, three times a year. Between 1720 - 1780 the VOC had to recruit 7,000 - 8,000 personnel per year. The greatest number of workers the VOC had in the East was in 1753, when they employed 25,000 people. There was a big commotion with the recruitment: "vanuit het oostindisch Huis, via tromgeroffel, met trommel en pijpen, schalmein en trompetten in alle straten en stegen bekend liet maken dat men zich kon aanmelden om naar de Oost te gaan" Maritieme Geschiedenis der Nederlander Vol II, p 134. Even fights broke out as the desperate ran to try and get a placement. Once they were recruited they would receive two months salary in advance, that amounted to about 20 gulden. This money was given to the zielverkopers, by those who were bonded to them. The young had to serve 10 years, the older 3 to 5 years. They would only receive the rest of their payment after returning from Asia. Since the zielverkopers could not wait that long to receive all the money (due to shortage of capital), they thus sold the transportbrief also called celen (celen means 'seal', which is a similar sounding word to 'zielen' meaning soul), this is the origin of the name zielverkopers (soulsellers). The Company was a ray of hope for thousands of unemployed, even though the salary was low, they were guaranteed with a job for a number of years. Lodging and food was all part of the deal. The Company also offered a career promotional path.
The VOC ships were mainly manned by the down and out in society. A description of their behavior is recorded: "behave like wild boars; they rob and steal, drink and go whoring so shamelessly that it seems to be no disgrace with them" CR Boxer, The Dutch Seaborne Empire, p 78. Another more sympathetic account of the sailors lot are given: "Jan Maat, the least and lowliest person aboard, must be ready on the slightest nod or command of any superior, to do everything he is told without grumbling. At any show of reluctance, he is threatened and beaten with the rope's end. The sailors must climb and clamber in the shrouds and on the yardarms by day and night, in storm and tempest. They must load and unload the ships, and they must stand like a lot of subservient slaves with hat in hand by the gangway whenever the skipper or another officer leaves or returns to the ship" CR Boxer, The Dutch Seaborne Empire, p 78, 79.
A good description of what was contained in a sailors scheepskist "Aan kleren pakte hij broeken, hemden, kousen, schoenen, mutsen, hoeden, dassen, neusdoeken, en gespen in. Hij kon enig eet- en drinkgerei meenemen, zoals een bord, een kroes, een kan, een mes, een theeketeltje of een koffiemolentje. Voor de lichaamsverzorging bezat hij zeep, een kammetje en een spiegeltje. Tabak, een tabakdoos, een tondeldoos en een voorraad pijpen waren onmisbaar." Sporen van de Compagnie, p 59.
There was no love loss between the sailors and soldiers on board the ships, they were separated on the ship. The sailors usually lived in the oorloopdek whereas the soldiers lived in a lower deck. The duties of the soldiers only amounted to stand watch on the ship, whereas the sailors had to perform all the other work on board the ship, this increased the animosity. The various nationalities also displayed a lot of hostility eg between the Dutch/German and French.
There was a great amount of discrimination betwee these three groups on the ship. The officers ate at the officers table at the back of the ship and there was no rations and the food was a far better quality. They also had chinaware and cuttlery. Whereas the rest ate their food out of the common bowl. The lower officers received double rations. The mates and jonges and hooglopers received half a wine ration. The officers slept in beds in their cabins. Whereas the sailors slept in hammock on the overlop. The lower officers slept at place of their work. The volk (ordinary sailors) were only allowed to stay in front of the main mast on the upper deck. The officers had their privileged position at the back of the ship.
The VOC recruits were servants of the Company and not employees. Food and lodging on board the ship were free, however the outing and entertainment at the Cape and the pleasures on land in the East were the individuals responsibility. The cost to replace their clothing, whether it was from wear and tare, or stolen was a personal expense. Medical care was free, however some services by the surgeon amounted to an extra charge. On enlistment they received two months salary in advance. The employee was allowed to request a maximum of three months salary a year to be paid to family members back home. Those sailors or soldiers who went working for the company on land in the East or in the Cape was allowed to request up to six months salary a year. Those obtaining money as such received their salary in 'licht geld'. 'Licht geld' was when they received the currency in Cape money which was less than in Netherlands, in other words he got less money than was subtracted from his account.
Bruijns,Dutch Asiatic Shipping Vol I, p 210, 211
CR Boxer: Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600 - 1800, p 337 - 338
ed LM Akveld, S Hart, WJ van Hoboken, Maritieme Geschiedenis van der Nederlanden Vol II
2. SIEKTES EN ONGEVALLE OP DIE SKEPE
Daar was 'n direkte verbintenis tussen wat hulle geeet het en die gesondheid van die bemanning. Die kos op die skepe was gou nie van die beste gehalte nie. Eers het hulle die bederfbare kosse geeet. Daarna het die kos bestaan uit beskuit, ertjies, bone, gesoute- vleis, spek en vis. Botter was gebruik vir 'n lang tydperk op die rit om in te bak.
Een lys van 'n VOC matroos se voedsel word aangehaal deur PW Laidler, bl 17:
Wanneer mense siek geword het op die skip, was daar spasie vir tot 40 siekes in die siekeboeg aan boord. Die Noordsee was vriesend koud, die ewenaar was daar smoorhitte en windstilte, hierdie verskillende klimate het ook meer siektes veroorsaak.
Die sterftes op die skepe was as gevolg van: Bedryfsongevalle, gevegte en verwonding, asook skipbreuk
Uitputtingsiektes - skeurbuik. Tekort aan vitamine C (later het hulle suurlemoene en lemmetjies gebruik om dit teen te kamp). Simptome het ingesluit verlamming. Die mond was vol swere en hulle tande het uitgeval. Hulle het flou geval. Die siekte was baie erger wanneer hulle ook aan watergebrek gelei het. Die siek persoon se liggaam was bedek met blou vlekke. Die bene het opgeswel en swere het oral oopgebars. Die persoon beleef benoudheid op die bors en vind dit moeilik om te hoes. Die meeste slagoffers kom voor om die ewenaar, want dit is daar waar die waterrantsoen verminder word en die skepe het ook te doen gehad met windstilte. Die skepe het skaars geroer en die bemanning was siek, dit was bedompig, warm en onbestaanbaar.
Geslagsiektes - Was genoem besmettelijke vrouwesieckte, ook bekend as Venus ziekte. Hulle het die siekte behandel met kwiksilwer. Die "Here van ses weke" het maar 'n los lewe geleef wanneer hulle aan die land gekom het.
Kinders so jonk as 13 en 14 jaar oud het na die Ooste gereis as die derde scheepschirugyn. As 'n mens al die ongevalle op die skepe in ag neem, is dit ongelooflik dat daar altyd mense was wat bereid was, of dalk so desperaat was om werk te kry op die skepe van die VOC. Was dit dalk 'n geval dat hulle enige iets so prebeer om van hulle armoede weg te kom.
JR Bruijn & J Lucassen (eds) J de Hullu, Op die Schepen der Oost-Indische Compagnie
PW Laidler en M Gelfand: South Africa Its Medical History 1652 - 1898: A Medical and Social History, (Struik, 1971)
C Searle, The History of the Development of Nursing in South Africa 1652 - 1960: A Socio-Historical survey, (Struik, 1965)
M van Gessel, Gouden Buys
3. VERMAAK, EN GEESTELIKHEID
Omtrent 'n duisend predikante is deur die VOC oor 200 jare na die Ooste gestuur. Min predikante het op die skepe gedien. Die skepe was bedien deur 'n krankbezoeker en sieketroosters. Die persone wat in hierdie posisie gedien het was afkomstig uit die lae klas van werkers. Hulle was beperk met wat hulle mog doen; hulle kon nie hulle eie preke of gebede sê nie, en moes voorlees wat voorgeskrywe was. Hulle werk het die volgende ingesluit:CR Boxer The Dutch Seaborne Empire, p152 "To read the morning and the evening prayers from a little book, and to sing a verse or two from a psalm. On Sundays, they must read a chapter or a sermon and sing a psalm or a hymn before and after the same. If anyone is sick and likely to die, the sick-comforter must encourage him and read some Christian prayers to him (and help him to draw up his will)."
Die gehalte van die lewe van skeepspersoneel was nie baie beter as die slawe nie. Wanneer die skepe de Sorlings of Scilly eilande verby gevaar het, of by de Farilhoens, de Barles of Barlenga (wat een klein eilandgroep is aan die kus van Portugal en ongeveer gelyk met Lisbon geleë is) geseil het dan word al die manne wat nooit voorheen geseil het nie, gedoop. Die persoon was twee of drie maal van die ra in die see gedompel. Later was dit afgeskaf en het almal eerder een kan Franse wyn ontvang. Nog 'n ander groot Feesdag was wanneer hulle naby die Brasiliese kus gekom het, en verby die gevreesde Abrolhos eilande gevaar het (die eilande bestaan uit 'n reeks van klippe en banke wat meestal onderwater is.)
Om die skepe was daar dikwels haaie. Hulle het 'n haai gevang en dan bind hulle 'n paar leë vate aan die haai vas, dan laat hulle die haai vry. 'n Mens kan maar net verbeel die sport en gelag wat daarmee gepaard gegaan het. Die manskappe het ook daarvan gehou om te sing. Die bietjie genot wat hulle seker almal na uitgesien het was om te drink
JR Bruijn & J Lucassen (eds), J de Hullu, Op die Schepen der Oost-Indische Compagnie.
4. GEREG EN ONGEREG
Lyfstraf, vonnise siviele misbruik (Kyk ook na artikel Sailors, Soldiers - Pay and Position etc), oortredinge was deur die Scheepsraad toegepas. Die Brederaad het kapitale en kriminele sake gehanteer. Wanneer dit 'n groot saak was dan was die beslissing gelaat om verhoor te word by die vaderland, Kaap of Indië.
In die Maritieme Geschiedenis van Nederlanden Vol II, p 147 beskryf hulle oor die toepasing van die wet "Die zwaarste straffen standen op moord (in dat geval werd de dader met hun slachtoffer in de zee geworpen) ' vuyle sonden' of homoseksualiteit, desertie en muiterij."
ed LM Akveld, S Hart, WJ van Hoboken: Maritieme Geschiedenis van der Nederlanden, Vol II
JR Bruijn & J Lucassen (eds), J de Hullu, Op die Schepen der Oost-Indische Compagnie
5. TRADE AND DESTINATIONS
CR Boxer in Dutch Seaborne Empire, p 126 refers to one of the Amsterdam merchants in 1638 when asked about trading with the enemy Antwerpen he replied "that if he could make a commercial profit by passing through hell, he would risk burning the sails of his ships in doing so." A West African remarked to a VOC trader p 128 "Gold is your God". The Swedish King Charles X when some Dutch envoy spoke about liberty and religious freedom, the king pulled out a rijksdaaler and said p 128 'Voila votre religion'.
The Dutch in trading in the East did not only have the Portuguese as their opposition, the Portuguese in effect paved the way for the VOC trading venture. The Portuguese soldados - bachelor soldiers were encouraged to become casados - married settlers. The Portuguese left their mark on the east since they were there much earlier and many of their men had children from native wives and concubines. The descendants of these unions were Eurasians, and they constituted enclaves of Portuguese descendants with established settlements. The VOC and other European traders relied on these descendants as go betweens, and as wives or concubines. These people had an affinity with the West, they spoke Portuguese and were Christians. In the Afrikaans language this influence of the sea traders is evident with words such as: 'katel', 'kooi', 'kooigoed', 'hospitaal' and 'kombuis'.
The Europeans were looking for the exotic from Asia. Be it clothing, spices or slaves, this was a new world that fascinated them. The hub in the East for the VOC was Batavia, this was where the Hoge Regering van Indië was based. The trade and influence of the VOC included places such as Malakka (Malaysia), Ceylon, Cochin (India), Coromandel Coast (India), Malabar Coast (India), Bengal (India, Bangladesh), Ambon, Banda, Ternate, Deshima/Nagasaki (Japan), Surate (Iran), Macassar. Trade included many ports and numerous items of trade. The VOC traded for sugar and spice and everything nice:
armosijn - dun sy gebruik vir voering, afkomstig uit Ormus in Persië, Bengal en China
Bruijns, Dutch Asiatic Shipping, Vol I
CR Boxer, Dutch Seaborne Empire
Rita Kumar, Costumes and Textiles of Royal India
R Laarhoven, The Power of Cloth: The textile Trade of the Dutch East Indian Comapany (VOC) 1600 - 1780, doctoral thesis Australian National University, 1994