WI: Abel Tasman discovers sandalwood in Oceania?

[twovultures]

Sandalwood was a very valuable trade commodity, and was relatively accessible in multiple places that were not colonized by Europeans until the 18th/19th century, such as Fiji, Vanuatu, and northern Australia.

I think Abel Tasman or some equivalent Dutch explorer could have discovered sandalwood in those regions in the 17th century. I'd be curious to hear people's thoughts on whether or not the VOC would go that far out of its way to exploit sandalwood once it is discovered, and how it would do so. Would it pay Malay 'contractors' to gather sandalwood? Would they try to establish permanent settlements a la Mauritius? Or would they ignore this discovery, weighing the potential profits of sandalwood as lesser than the costs of actually gathering it?

 

[Jürgen]

The Dutch could go any way, they could eradicate the local population of the islands and replace them with slaves. They could also set up a few trading post and simply trade it for European goods.

 

[pompejus]

Northern Australia is relatively close to the DEI. I could certainly see the VOC founding some sort of plantation or whatever in northern Australia. It probably needs some people to farm those plantation, so i guess they will get some closeby Indonesians to do that for them. Fiji and Vanuatu might be a bit too far, so it depends on profit and cost differences. That said, I think the natives of these islands might do the work for the VOC and they just found trading outposts and trade for the supplies they wanted instead of harvesting it themselve. That is probably cheaper than starting your own plantations. It is a bit out of the way, but still closer by than the DEI were to Europe. Especialy if there was a market for Fijian or Vanuatuan products in Asia.

 

[Arkenfolm]

If it's Australia, then they'll keep going south into areas where sandalwood is more common once the initial stocks are exhausted. They can import Malays and conscript what they can of the locals for labour.

However, I believe for Australian sandalwood, weren't the best and densest stocks of it in what is now the more populated zone of Western Australia? That's a pretty far detour. But it does give a reason for a Western Australia station for the Dutch. The Dutch never made the best settler colonialists, but maybe you could also have them make permanent settlements on Île Saint-Paul and Île Amsterdam to support this venture as a result. I suppose the fact they were never colonised is comparable to how the Spanish were so late in colonising California despite the Manila Galleon routes passing not far off the coast.

Fiji and Vanuatu are a bit more remote, but correspondingly more sandalwood. It's a good way of ocean, but might large-scale Dutch operations there attract the attention of the Spanish in the Mariana Islands and Micronesia?

 

[Riain]

The thing about west Australia sandalwood is that it is a free good. If the Dutch found it they could call on the WA coast after crossing the south Indian Ocean and gather it while perhaps gathering some water, fresh meat and conducting repairs. They don't have to pay anyone anything for it.

 

[Arkenfolm]

The thing about west Australia sandalwood is that it is a free good. If the Dutch found it they could call on the WA coast after crossing the south Indian Ocean and gather it while perhaps gathering some water, fresh meat and conducting repairs. They don't have to pay anyone anything for it.

True. No native leaders to negotiate with (or there is, but there's no reason to think they won't just shoot them if they get in the way like the British). Fijians at least would be a bit trickier to deal with.

 

[twovultures]

If it's Australia, then they'll keep going south into areas where sandalwood is more common once the initial stocks are exhausted. They can import Malays and conscript what they can of the locals for labour.

However, I believe for Australian sandalwood, weren't the best and densest stocks of it in what is now the more populated zone of Western Australia? That's a pretty far detour. But it does give a reason for a Western Australia station for the Dutch. The Dutch never made the best settler colonialists, but maybe you could also have them make permanent settlements on Île Saint-Paul and Île Amsterdam to support this venture as a result. I suppose the fact they were never colonised is comparable to how the Spanish were so late in colonising California despite the Manila Galleon routes passing not far off the coast.

Interestingly enough, the Portuguese are also close by and although their Indonesian empire is pretty tiny, they were far more willing to commit to settler colonialism than the Dutch, and southwestern Australia has a Mediterranean climate that the Portuguese would find far more hospitable than Dutch or English. Following Dutch explorers could see an at least partially Portuguese Australia.

Fiji and Vanuatu are a bit more remote, but correspondingly more sandalwood. It's a good way of ocean, but might large-scale Dutch operations there attract the attention of the Spanish in the Mariana Islands and Micronesia?

If the Dutch can avoid the temptation to commit piracy against ships passing by the Marianas, I think the operation could largely fly under the radar. IMO the Spanish would continue to focus on defending the Manila Galleon route rather than expanding outward, but I could certainly be wrong especially if the Dutch start trading sandalwood to the Chinese and Japanese.

True. No native leaders to negotiate with (or there is, but there's no reason to think they won't just shoot them if they get in the way like the British). Fijians at least would be a bit trickier to deal with.

Polynesians were pretty hierarchical, which ironically may make them easier to deal with than the more decentralized Aborigines from a western perspective (there's one central person to buy off, as opposed to having to buy off the whole tribe). IOTL, the Aborigines were happy to let Malays trepang in exchange for tobacco, pipes and a few small consumer goods, but trepanging did minimal damage to their environment. Dutch overseers and Malay workers tromping through the bush, scaring the game and crushing edible plants underfoot, may cause more conflict even if the Dutch do some trade with the Aborigines.

 

[pompejus]

The thing about west Australia sandalwood is that it is a free good. If the Dutch found it they could call on the WA coast after crossing the south Indian Ocean and gather it while perhaps gathering some water, fresh meat and conducting repairs. They don't have to pay anyone anything for it.

Actualy that is not true. Harvesting the sandlewood yourself also has its cost. You have to pay for the workers, their food, their living space, etc. The costs could even be higher than buying them from other people, especialy if their price is low. If you can make them do all the work and pay them with scraps. It seems exactly something like the VOC would do. Let other people dot he work.

 

[Riain]

Actualy that is not true. Harvesting the sandlewood yourself also has its cost. You have to pay for the workers, their food, their living space, etc. The costs could even be higher than buying them from other people, especialy if their price is low. If you can make them do all the work and pay them with scraps. It seems exactly something like the VOC would do. Let other people dot he work.

The workers are sailors on the ships who collect sandalwood while undertaking hip repairs,, restocking water and shooting kangaroos. The latter three things were standard on oceanic voyages back in the 1600s, so gathering sandalwood in the process wouldn't add too much too the crew cost.

 

[twovultures]

The workers are sailors on the ships who collect sandalwood while undertaking hip repairs,, restocking water and shooting kangaroos. The latter three things were standard on oceanic voyages back in the 1600s, so gathering sandalwood in the process wouldn't add too much too the crew cost.

That will get some sandalwood, but getting enough to make a lot of money on will require tracking it down in the woods (remember, it's not being grown in plantations) and taking time to chop down a lot of sandalwood-all while dealing with indigenous people attempting to stop this activity through either negotiation or violence, before bringing the sandalwood back to the ship. Sandalwood is slow-growing, so it will quickly be depleted in any easy to reach place as well, forcing the Dutch or whoever to go looking further and further for it. Just nipping out for a few logs while stopping for ship repairs might get enough sandalwood for a sailor to make some money, but justifying the detours a ship must take to reach any place with sandalwood (including Northern Australia) will require a more organized and system pillaging which costs money.

 

[chornedsnorkack]

If it's Australia, then they'll keep going south into areas where sandalwood is more common once the initial stocks are exhausted. They can import Malays and conscript what they can of the locals for labour.

However, I believe for Australian sandalwood, weren't the best and densest stocks of it in what is now the more populated zone of Western Australia? That's a pretty far detour. But it does give a reason for a Western Australia station for the Dutch. The Dutch never made the best settler colonialists, but maybe you could also have them make permanent settlements on Île Saint-Paul and Île Amsterdam to support this venture as a result. I suppose the fact they were never colonised is comparable to how the Spanish were so late in colonising California despite the Manila Galleon routes passing not far off the coast.

No, too far.
And that´s not a far detour from the route they were following for navigational reason anyway.

Sending Dutch or even Malay slaves to Australian outback to track down sandalwood trees? Nah. They´d run hungry and thirsty.

Rather, trade with Australians. Sell them iron axes - which they would use to cut sandalwood trees, and purposes of their own as well.
And found a colony at Swan River or so. Plus a chain of small trading posts along coast.

 

[Arkenfolm]

What's too far? Those two islands were used as navigational aids and are right there, and even moreso if you're having a colony in the Swan River area.

Once disease runs its course, are there really going to be enough reliable Aboriginals to chop the sandalwood? I think the Malays or others will get involved in this venture sooner or later.

 

[chornedsnorkack]

Once disease runs its course, are there really going to be enough reliable Aboriginals to chop the sandalwood? I think the Malays or others will get involved in this venture sooner or later.

Uh, did Hudson Bay Company import Negro slaves to Rupert Land to hunt furs? Even though Canadian Indians suffered from diseases, too.

There is a big area of hostile environment, the natives are few in number and lack powerful chiefs, and the valuables are scattered through the environment. You need people who already know how to survive in the environment.
And if they do, you cannot conquer or enslave them. Canadian Indians knew how to live scattered in forests - if they chose not to come to a factory to trade, Hudson's Bay Company was in no position to chase them down in their forests, any more than they could chase down the fur animals. Hudson's Bay Company had to be valuable for the Indians in order for them to choose to trade.