FIVE
INSTITUTIONS AT THE CAPE
1. Fort de Goede Hoop in Tafelbaij
2. The VOC Caep Siekenhuijs
3. The Compagnie Tuin
4. Die Kerk
5. The Slave Lodge
THE
'COMPAGNIE TUIN'
AM van Rensburg
In
the 17th and 18t century the time it took to sail between Europe
and Asia, caused a challenge since the knowledge of preserving
foods for this time period was not yet manageable. The ships
ran out of fresh fruit and vegetables. The smoking and salting
of meats even though it helped with the preservation, yet it
was not ideal. Sickness and fatalities on board the ships made
it imperative for the VOC to look at a supply of fresh fruit
and vegetables halfway to the East. The VOC thus established
at the Cape a garden which could supply this need. Thus the
two key pivotal motives why the Cape became a base for the VOC
was the need for a hospital facility and the need to have a
garden to provide produce for the ships.
The
Council of XVII decided on 25 March 1651 to establish a refreshment
station at the Cape: "alsoo bij resolutie van de vergaderinged
der seventiene representerende de gemelte generale Oost Indische
Compagnie, goet gevonden is, dat (ommme voor te komen dat de
gaende ende komende Oost Indische scheepen NA ende van Batavia
respective sonder ongeluck de voornoemde caep ofte baij aen
doen mitsgaders aldaer komende gelegenheijt mogen vinden omme
haer van groente, vleijs, water en andere nootwendigheden aldaer
te ververschen ende door middel van dien de siecken op de scheepen
sijnde tot haer gesontheijt te brengen nodigh sij) de strant
van de gemelte caep begrepen werden."
As
early as 29 April 1652 Hendrik Boom was instructed to make a
garden, by 19 June five or six men was helping him sowing of
plants. However in July most of the seed was washed away.
The
garden was surrounded by a ditch eight feet wide and they planted
thorn trees beside the ditch to keep out animals and thieves.
Hendrik Boom was the chief gardener. By 20 January 1654 van
Riebeeck wrote to Batavia that the garden had plenty of cabbage
and other vegetables, watermelons, cucumbers etc. The extent
of the garden by August 1654, was 5 morgen, the next month they
were already harvesting seed from turnips, carrots, beetroot,
cauliflower, radish and broccoli. In May 1655 the Cape requested
that apple and orange trees be brought from St. Helena to the
Cape. It was also also requested that grape vines be brought
from Mauritius. In a letter 15 July 1656 van Riebeeck mentioned
to the XVII that they had cherry, plum, peach, quince and pear
trees in the garden. In 1656 sweet potato from Brazil was planted.
The
Company also traded sheep and cattle from the Khoikhoi, thus
commenced the expansion of farming with herds and flocks. With
animal husbandry they were able to provide themselves and the
passing ships with food.
Cattle
and sheep were obtained from the local Khoikhoi in order to
supply the ships. By 1700 the company obtained 116,000 cattle
and 37,000 sheep from the Khoikhoi according to van Mil p 82.
The garden was a great success, and assisted the VOC with food
and nourishment, in order to maintain the trade between Europe
and Asia. Today the garden is still in Cape Town but now it
is not used for food supply but as a place where people can
enjoy nature and feel refreshed bynature.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AJ Böeseken, Jan van Riebeeck en sy Gesin
C Searle, The History of the Development of Nursing in South
Africa 1652 - 1960: A Socio-Historical Survey, (Struik,
1965)
P van Mil, De VOC in de Kaart gekeken 1602 - 1799
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