Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

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42 Elias Hesse

(See also item 48.) His ‘Ost-Indianische Reisebeschreibung’ was published at Dresden in 1687. It is very rare, but there is a reprint edited by S.P. L'Honoré Naber at The Hague in 1931: this omits all Hesse's descriptions of the Hottentots, as has also been done here - it is all second-hand, from Dapper, Schouten, Ten Rhyne, often word for word. But it omits also his notes on whales, civet-cats and the ‘Tiger-Bushcat’, which have been supplied in item 48 from the Dutch by De Vries (Utrecht 1694, with Fryke and Schweitzer) except the part of the note on whales which deals with Spitzbergen and Holland, apparently inserted merely to get in some useful publicity for another book. Fortunately the Dutch translation is pretty accurate, to judge from a comparison of it with the parts published by Naber.

Hesse was recommended by one of his employers in Saxony to Benjamin Olitzsch, just appointed Director of the V.O.C. goldmines in Sumatra, and was engaged as Mine-Clerk (‘Berg-Schreiber’). In July 1680 he went down the Elbe to Hamburg and thence by sea to Amsterdam, arriving there on September 1. Took oath to the V.O.C. Crimps*, women especially successful as such. Embarked in Sumatra at Texel, sailing November 9. Galerefuge in Torbay. Canaries sighted. Sufferings from thirst at the Equator: life aboard ‘like slavery’. Martin Vaz island. February 23 much reeds seen in the water, ‘by the seamen called Trombes’, sign that the Cape was not far off. Land sighted March 11, 1681, but driven off by contrary winds, and in danger from reefs.

On March the 18th we sighted the cloud-high Table Mountain lying on the Cap de bon Esperance; yet at nightfall we must cast anchor because we were close to the land. Next day we sailed again with a very adverse wind, and at 10 in the morning anchored [dr] in the Table Bay. Here we found the Land Schauwen [dr 17/5], outward bound from Zeeland to the Indies, and also four other ships come from Batavia which had already lain there for about five weeks [dr 13/2], and gave thanks to GOD that he had brought us hither without mishap.

From Holland to this Cape we had now successfully laid behind us, thanks to Him, a distance of 2100 miles*, or 2000 as some reckon it, and during this journey had lost 26 by death [dr 34, including the Skipper], among them three of the best of our miners.

Now that we were come here, our other miners, some of them weak and worn out, were brought ashore to recuperate somewhat, as also twenty-two sick, these latter being taken into the hospital*. Our Chief, the Mine-Director, also left the ship, with his dear wife and children, much fatigued and very unwell. He was received most amicably by the Commandeur vander Stelle, and lodged in the old Dutch Fort* or Bon Esperance Castle, and there provided with everything available, at the costs of the Company. But all the refreshments of the land proved to us more damaging than helpful, since from them

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most of us suffered from the flux; but the reason was that they observed no measure of diet, but drank all too much wine, and ate too many Spanish Speck* and water-lemons, and thus fell into a mortal sickness.

Now the longing of many of us was that GOD should grant them a happy ending, since the terribly wide sea on which we had been well tested was become very repugnant to them and to us all. For this reason also no one had great desire to re-embark, and had it been done according to their wish, we should have remained there, at least for a time, so as to examine somewhat the copper mines* of the Cape, to see if they would yield something of advantage to the Company, a beginning in this having also been made previously.

According to my humble opinion this would not have been without benefit; and at least it would have yielded the advantage, that these Saxon miners would, with GOD's help, have been able to regain their full strength. Moreover, they would thus, little by little, and the more slowly, the better, have become accustomed here to a hot climate (the air here being otherwise very healthy); and then later, if it were found that nothing of profit was to be had from mining in these hills, they could all have been taken on to the East Indies. There, having become somewhat accustomed to the climate, they would better have preserved their health, and thus have been of much greater service to the Company than by setting them on board the Sumatra, again to travel onwards to the Indies with entirely exhausted and weak bodies.

I turn now to the conditions of this land, to examine them a little. Petrus de Val tells in his General Description of the World as follows: The Cape, or Promontory of Good Hope, lying on the southernmost point of Africa, is indeed one of the largest and most famous parts of the world, but also one of the most dangerous. It was given its name in 1498 [sic], when the Portuguese came here, and now hoped to reach the Indies; before then it was called the Capo des Tormentes, because of the many storms which are common here. Some have also called it the Lion of the Sea, and others the Head of Africa.

For my part, I will give the following information as regards the Cape of Good Hope, which is also the name of the newly-built Fort*, raised with five bastions just below the Devil's Hill. In the same are to be found very commodious quarters for the Commandant and the other Servants of the East-India Company, all built in the European fashion. This fortress is richly provided with all manner of war-stores. When I was there the garrison* was between three and three-and-a-half hundred, including those who were otherwise in the service of the Company.

Without the Cape, as the Fort is here called, there dwell some sixty or seventy Freemen*, all of whom have well-built houses and are able to maintain themselves by agriculture and from the ships which call. Not far from the Castle lie three large hills. The largest is called Table Mountain, because it is as flat and even as a table; the second is called the Lion Hill, either because it shows the form of a lion or because many lions are to be found there; the third is the Devil's Hill.

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The Table Mountain, from which the Bay receives its name, is said to be 1350 feet [sic] high. The only thing to give one pleasure there, is the very beautiful Garden* and Orchard of the Company, in which I saw rosemary growing as tall as a man. Here grow just the same trees, fruits, and herbs as in Germany, apples, pears, chestnuts, and especially vines of which very many have been planted here, quinces, etc. It is a special delight to see how the leaves of the European apple-trees fall off, whereas on the contrary those of the African trees such as oranges and lemons remain always green. From this Orchard are daily refreshed all the ships that come, Dutch and other, with all sorts of fruits so long as they lie here, as also with water-lemons, radishes, cabbages, carrots, turnips, lettuce and such like, besides what is consumed in the Castle; so that it can readily be concluded that this Garden and Orchard is not of the smallest. It lies right under the Table Mountain, and has a long avenue extending from the houses of the Freemen to the foot of that Hill. On one and the other sides lie the Lion and the Devil's Hills, but the former nearer than the latter.

No land under the sun is so well endowed and adorned with pleasant and agreeable plants and trees as this, therefore the Dutch farmers there have bettered it year by year and day by day with ploughing, sowing and cultivation; from which they profit there in butter, milk, corn and other grain in great abundance. Stock-breeding is also successful here: especially there are found very large herds of sheep, of which some are more than 1200 in number, belonging to the Company, in great abundance for a distance of six or eight hours* from the shore. The Dutch farmers are especially skilled in the rearing of their livestock, whether oxen, cows, sheep or pigs. They drive their stock out each morning, but for fear of the beasts of prey bring it in again in the evenings. But otherwise they live very simply, especially as regards their houses, in which lonely peasant huts windows and glass are not to be found.

[Notes on Hottentots omitted.]

Wild beasts are also often captured in this region and brought to the Dutch Castle, so that at this one can see all sort of such animals, namely Lions, Tigers, Rhinoceroses, Snakes and Wolves, but all dead and stuffed [see Museum*].

After we had now lain for 20 days at the Cape of Good Hope, and meanwhile provided our ship with the excellently good local water, which is very clear and sweet especially in the Table Bay, and can also be brought quite easily without heavy trouble to the ships, and also with firewood and other necessary provisions, we set sail on April the 7th [dr] together with the Land Schouwen, with GOD and a favourable wind..... [June 10 Batavia until November 12. December 29 Pulo Chinco, and at gold-mine there until 1683.]