Introduction

As stated earlier, Dutch whaling during the nineteenth century was conducted both in the Arctic as well as the South Pacific. In the Netherlands, initiatives to invest time and energy in whaling – a trade so popular among foreign entrepreneurs – in the South Seas came fairly late. After the failure of the Afrikaanse Visscherij Sociëteit (see Chapter 1), initiatives for whaling in the South Seas were postponed until the mid-1820s. In this chapter, the leading characters in this drama will be introduced. Attention will be paid to the manner in which they conducted their business. In this way, Dutch involvement in South Seas whaling and its results will be assessed.

Gerrit Boon (1825)

In 1825, Rotterdam merchant Gerrit Boon wrote a petition to King Willem I revealing his plans to establish a whaling and sealing company. This petition carried the title Memorie en Concept-Plan tot oprichting van een Walvisch en Robben Visscherij in de Zuid-Stille en Indische Zeeën (Memorandum and Preliminary Plan for the founding of a Whaling and Sealing Industry in the South Pacific and Indian Seas). Unlike the other Rotterdam-based company, Boon's firm intended to focus its activities on whaling and sealing in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Boon thought it necessary to raise the huge sum of ƒ2,000,000 for fitting out a fleet of no fewer than ten rather large ships, measuring between 400 and 600 tons, carrying six to eight whaleboats, and each manned with 70 to 80 crewmen.

This company would have its seat in Rotterdam. It should not come as a surprise that Gerrit Boon envisioned himself as acting director. In an attempt to attract their attention for his whaling project, Boon approached some of the finest Rotterdam merchants as well as banking and manufacturing communities: C.J. Blankenheym, Anthony van Hoboken, M.A.F.H. Hoffman, A. Mees, P. Osy, Frans Smeer, and J. van der Wallen van Vollenhoven. None of them, however, desired to become financially involved.

From the onset it was clear that the Dutch government would never supply that kind of money. In fact, Boon applied again, repeating his request in February, 1826. The official response from the Dutch government was striking.