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English Bosman and Dutch Bosman. A Comparison of Texts - VI

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2013

Albert Van Dantzig
Albert Van Dantzig*
Affiliation:
University of Ghana
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Extract

[This continues the comparison of texts of the English and Dutch versions of Bosman. For earlier instalments see History in Africa 2(1975), 185-216; 3(1976), 91-126; 4(1977), 247-273; 5(1978), 225-256; 6(1979), 265-85. Procedural matters are discussed in the first instalment, to which the reader is referred.]

Type
Research Article
Information
History in Africa , Volume 7 , 1980 , pp. 281 - 291
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1980

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References

NOTES

1. The English translator here added a detail of horror which cannot be found in the Dutch edition. The grammar of the Dutch passage is also somewhat faulty, and it is not clear just who did the throwing.

2. Blanke means white man in Dutch. However, this Captain was also known by that name to other Europeans (to whom Blanke must have remained a mere name). In other contemporary documents one finds reference to Blanke and Carter as two different captains.

3. Schurken, Pluymstrykers en Pannelikkers: lit. Scoundrels, Feather-strokers, and Pan-lickers.

4. It is interesting that Bosman should make this remark because, according to Labat, the former Dutch Fiscal Henry Caerlof claimed in 1671 that he was such an intimate friend of King Tezifon of Allada that he had drunk with him “mouth to mouth, from the same cup.”

5. Kapitein Grandes; Grand-Captains would have been Groot-Kapiteins. The Portuguese term Capitão Grande had probably remained in use at Whydah along with so many other Portuguese expressions.

6. The “Customs” (kostumens) mentioned here are of course customary payments, not custom duties in the modern sense. 1,500 Ryksdaelders should amount to ₤375 rather than the ₤400 mentioned.

7. The following two paragraphs are written in the past tense in the Dutch second edition - and with reason, since by that time the Company no longer maintained a trading post at Whydah, as noted earlier.

8. Northern Quarter was the name of the Company's Chamber whose offices were at Hoorn. The five other Chambers of the Company were: Amsterdam, Zeeland, Maze (Rotterdam), Friesland, and Stad-en-Lande (Groningen).

9. In Whydah the King had such strict control over the slave trade that once he had fixed the price, there was no bargaining, as there was on the Gold Coast. The King apparently saw nothing wrong in trading at the same time with different parties at different “markets,” as appears from what follows.

10. Roofvogels en Aerds Dieven: a rather poor kind of pun: arch - (thieves angels, bishops or enimies) would be aerts - … Aerds Dieven really means Earth-Thieves, probably as opposed to birds of prey in the skies.

11. ‘n Oom Kool: lit. ‘n Uncle Cabbage; a burlesque character of the period?

12. That is, at Glehoué or modern Whydah town.