Malakka (Malaysia) – De Stad Malacka

Malakka, an important hub of the VOC in the East

Decorative panoramic view of the town of Malacca with European vessels in the foreground. The old Church of St. Paul’s on the hill in the fortified old town to the right of the river is clearly apparent as are the remnants of Albuquerque’s original fortress ‘O Formosa’ the prominent North Tower dilapidated and still clearly bearing the scars of the Dutch assault in 1641. The covered wooden bridge on high stilts over the River Malacca joins the fortified old town to the Chinese market, visible in the left foreground and the Muslim mosque, whose tower is just visible behind, along with the Chinese temple beyond and the crowded buildings of native settlement. Dutch galleons and smaller skiffs and boats fill the seas in the foreground. This print originates from ‘Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën’ by François Valentijn (1666-1727), a Dutch missionary, who worked at Amboina from 1684 to 1694 and 1705 to 1713 and traveled extensively in the VOC’s lands. He twice traveled to the East Indies and served as Calvinist minister to Ambon between 1686 and 1694. In preparing this monumental work, he was given privileged access to the previously secret archives of the VOC, containing transcripts and copies of important earlier Dutch voyages.