Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792

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XIX. Swellengrebel to J. Deutz
(May 1782)

Hon. Sir,

In answer to your question whether it would be to the advantage of both Surinam and the Cape to have direct trade relations, I assure you that it would be not only feasible but most advantageous for the Cape, where the main problem is lack of an adequate market for its products immediately the number of ships calling there drops to that of the normal annual fleets of the different East India Companies, from the level caused by war or other out-of-the-ordinary events.

When I visited the Cape in 1776, the price of wine was so low that no man of wealth sold his wines if he could possibly help it. When there is a good harvest, the price of wheat can drop so low that one can scarcely obtain 14 to 15 Rds. (of 48 Stivers to the Rd.) for 10 muid - which sometimes has to be carted to market over a distance of 20 or more hours. It stands to reason that there is usually a surplus, if one considers how long ago it was that the Colony already produced sufficient food for a refreshment station; and this at a time when more Cape wine and wheat was shipped to Batavia and other Company's settlements, and when the return fleets were larger. Since then, the population has increased and occupied more land. In a healthy climate, with a growing population, cultivation has expanded to such an extent that for some years the Company has bought wheat for export to Europe at 25 per cent less than the price fixed for wheat for local consumption or to meet the requisitions from the Indies. No storage is available for holding over part of a good harvest. The area of supply for grain and wine extends as far as waggon transport is feasible.

The great distance from Europe makes it difficult to ship such products profitably - particularly for the Company with its lavishly fitted-out ships. The distance to Surinam is less; and coffee, sugar, etc. would provide a return freight. Surinam, in turn, might develop an entrepot trade with European goods for the Cape.

The big difficulty lies here at home, in the great fear of unauthorised trade in East Indian goods to the Company's prejudice; but this can never be eradicated until the Company's servants get adequate pay. If the Company paid its servants better and ruled out perquisites I am sure that enough honest people would be found.

If the two companies could agree, in my view there is no reason why Company's ships should not be employed on the trade, so long as they were fitted out as merchantmen, to reduce the costs enough to be covered by the freights earned on such bulky cargoes. Indeed, since the voyage out

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and back would not take very long, in between the ships might be employed on a coasting trade - e.g. in the interchange of wine for timber between Cape Town and the far-off coastal forest regions, a trade quite impracticable by road.

If the Company could conduct such a trade without making a loss, it might be exploited still more easily by private traders, should ocean trade be thrown open. It might be necessary to require an oath from all members of ships' crews, to provide a basis for punishment, should they take part in such trade as was not permitted.

Although I am convinced of the liberal views of the Governor and other Company's servants at the Cape, I could not expect them to approve such a plan if the trade in this produce was simply placed directly in the hands of the colonists, even if they had to make use of Company's ships. There ought, indeed, to be such an arrangement to leave them an adequate profit. Otherwise, if it has to be conducted at second hand, through as costly a channel as the Company, the profits would be greatly reduced. However, not only the Chief Administrator (who is also the deputy-Governor), the keeper of the provision stores, the warehouse superintendent and the cellar-master, but many other Company's servants, derive their income from the trade that the Company conducts with the colonists. (This trade, however much the colonist has to pay, is barely profitable once all the overhead costs of servants, slaves, warehouses, etc., have been met.)

It would be asking too much to thrust a plan on them which could greatly reduce their incomes if the colonists obtained all they needed direct from Europe. The arrangements must be such that the Company's servants at least should not suffer, even if the trade brought no benefits for them. It seems to me that the Directors ought to be able to come to a decision on their own, since the Company receives such comprehensive and accurate accounts from all its establishments. They must, therefore, be aware that, in view of the number of colonists at the Cape, more must be produced than can be sold, whenever the large extent of land along the coast is fully cultivated. From this it can easily be deduced how far a trade link between both colonies would be dangerous for the Company, or not, and what measures must be framed against unlawful trading.

The greatest advantage for the Cape would emerge from allowing the colonists to undertake the trade in produce between the Cape and Surinam and back again, and, if necessary, carrying a cargo from Surinam to the Netherlands and from here returning to the Cape with all sorts of requisites. It would be less advantageous for them to have the goods transported in Company's ships on payment of freight charges plus a ‘recogni-

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tie’, since these ships are more expensive to run than those of private individuals. It would be least advantageous if the Company undertook the whole business on its own account. Yet, even so, it would provide a wider market for Cape produce and so be advantageous to the Colony, even supposing that the Company made no profit from it save that which accrued to the advantage of some of its officials - at a cost of denying a still greater profit to the burghers.

I am glad that such a plan is afoot. Many colonists who could find nowhere to live in the Colony have crossed the mountains. Yet, owing to transport problems, they have left uncultivated the most fruitful land, mostly along the coast, and have given themselves over to a lazy herdsman's life, from which a total degeneration of morals proceeds, with worse to come. The plan would provide opportunities for an honest livelihood and a return to civilized life. I hope that, in spite of all difficulties, you and other true friends of humanity will follow up your ideas. I feel the urgency all the more since I am convinced that, if the Company pays no attention to the provision of a market for the Cape's produce, there will be no lasting peace and quiet. I regard this lack of a market as the main source of turmoil raging there.