Gerrit van Wuysthoff

Gerrit van Wuysthoff (also Geraerd Wuesthoff; lived in the 17th century) was a Dutch merchant and served in the Dutch East India Company . According to sources, he was the first European to visit what is now Laos .

1641 Wuysthoff undertook on behalf of the Cambodian Faktorei the East India Company a reconnaissance trip of of the then capital of Cambodia , Lovek , according to Vientiane in northern Laos. His companions were a barber who also worked as a field clerk, an interpreter, two porters and a group of Laotian merchants. The trip began during the rainy season on July 20, 1641 with a collection of goods and gifts to the King of Lan Xang , Sulinyavongsa , who resided in Vientiane. There were a total of 30 people who went up the Mekong in 12 boats.

Wuysthoff's trip was determined by two reasons: first, the Dutch East India Company wanted to find out how profitable trade with Lan Xang was, and then they wanted to find out to what extent the Mekong was suitable as a trade route into the inland of Southeast Asia. The Dutch were at Lac (paint resin, lat. Rubber lacca, fr. Gomme laque, Eng. Gumlac) for the production of sealing wax , benzoin (lat. Styrax benzoides , Eng .: benzoin) for the production of incense , and animal skins interested. Although they had contact with Laotian merchants in Ayutthaya and Cambodia, the company wanted to eliminate competition from Arabia and India by trading directly with Lan Xang. Therefore, Wuysthoff should convince the Laotian king to trade with the company and grant it a monopoly on certain goods.

Wuysthoff was received with great honor, after all, relations with the Dutch East India Company were very useful. There was never a trading post in Vientiane, the journeys were just too long and inconvenient. The boats had to be unloaded and carried at the numerous waterfalls.

Van Wuysthoff wrote a travel diary that was translated into French and used as a travel guide for centuries, see literature.

Web links

• http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/20070207/ Brief overview of van Wuysthoff's journey (last accessed on May 15, 2010)

literature

• Jean-Claude Lejosne: Le journal de voyage de Gerrit van Wuysthoff et de ses assistants au Laos (1641-1642) . 2d. édition revue et complétée. CDI du Laos, Paris 1993, ISBN 2-906652-03-2 .