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The first Dutch travelled along the Cape coast much earlier than 1652, usually anchoring at St. Helena (island) to take in supplies of fresh water and fuel (wood). Yet by the middle of the century, St. Helena had become depleted (and, so the story goes, overrun with stray dogs), so that a new place was sought to find refreshments. A ship was strunded a couple of years before in what would become Cape Town and for a couple of months the sailors had to make do on Robben Island. They wrote a report on their return to the Netherlands and the Company decided to build a refreshment station at the Cape. Note: there was never the intention to build a colony. The purpose was simply to set up a stall, really, to trade with the natives and provide the passing ships with fresh produce to continue on their voyage. The area settled by Europeans soon expanded, however, as trade with the native Khoikhoi was difficult and agriculture was not that easy (due to the Southeastern winds), and so Company officials were released to become free farmers (vrije burghers) and thus the start of the "Colony".

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16y ago

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