Floris digs into Dutch National Archives

On the 7th of April, Floris set off to the Netherlands to conduct research at both the National Archives (Nationaal Archief) and National Library (KB Nationale Bibliotheek) in The Hague. Though temporarily waylaid by heavy wind and rain, the trip was a wonderful opportunity to look at some of the amazing documents held in the archives for our project.

Apart from the well-known VOC collection, much of which has been digitized and is therefore available online, the National Archives also contain letters, documents, and diaries offering a wealth of information. Many of these give fascinating insights into the Dutch interactions with various places in premodern East and South-East Asia. With the help of some of the brilliant staff at the archives Floris was able to look through boxes and folders, finding some great information; from how to find trustworthy translators at Dejima in Japan in the 18thcentury, to the exact pay for mercenaries from different countries in Batavia, and from the effects of natural disasters, to the joy of a sturdy tobacco pipe. 

There was far too much to look at in such a short space of time and a future trip might give even more data to work into our case studies. However, for now this was another very fruitful research trip and is sure to contribute greatly to our project!