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Challenges to Dutch Monopoly of Japanese Trade During the Wars of Napoleon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Paul E. Eckel
Paul E. Eckel
Affiliation:
University of Miami
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Extract

The most serious threat to the Dutch monopoly of Japanese trade came from the English during the wars of Napoleon. As early as 1794 Holland was overrun by French forces, and French propaganda transformed the Dutch East Indies into a Batavian Republic allied to France. Grave complications immediately arose with Great Britain who was at war with France. The situation became even more acute when in 1801 Napoleon gave to Holland a new constitution and demanded a more enthusiastic cooperation with his policies.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , February 1942 , pp. 173 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1942

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References

1 From 1639 to 18S4 the Dutch were the only Westerners allowed by law to have trade relations with the Japanese and to retain in Japan a permanent commercial representative.

2 The use the Dutch made of neutral ships during the French Revolution and the period of Napoleon is discussed in some detail by Van Hendrik Doeff who was the chief Dutch resident in Japan from 1804 to 1817. Doeff, Van Hendrik, Herrtrmcrmgen uit Japan (Te Haarlem, 1833), pp. 61–64 and 80–84.Google Scholar

3 Deshima, a small island in the bay of Nagasaki, was allotted by the Japanese to the Dutch factor and his staff.

4 Acton, Thomas Hermon, Reports of cases argued and determined before the most noble and right honorable the Lords and Commissioners of Appeals in prize causes, vol. 2 contained in “The English reports, Privy Council I,” vol. 12, 1809–1838 (Edinburgh, 1901), p. 206.Google Scholar

5 Ibid., p. 201.

6 Aston, W. G., “His Majesty's ship ‘Phaeton’ at Nagasaki,” Transactions of the Asiatic society of Japan, 7, part 4 (1897), 329et. seq.Google Scholar

7 Doeff, , op. cit., 161–64.Google Scholar

8 SirRaffles, Stamford, “Extract from the secret report of Mr. Henry Doeff concerning the occurrences with the English frigate the Phaeton in the bay of Nangasacky …,” Report on Japan to the Secret Committee of the English East India Company, … 1812–16, edited by Paske-Smith, M. (Kobe, 1929), pp. 142–13.Google Scholar

9 Doeff, , op. cit., p. 169.Google Scholar

10 The granting of supplies to Pellew free was not unusual. The Japanese followed the policy of supplying ships in distress with commodities but refusing to accept payment on the grounds that such an exchange would be trade, and trade was forbidden by law.

11 The Phaeton's log is reproduced in Raffles, Report on Japan …, op. cit., facing pp. 162 and 164.

12 Aston, , op. cit., p. 335.Google Scholar

13 The incident of the Phaeton and the attack on the coast of Japan was recounted to Captain Belcher, an Englishman, who visited Nagasaki in 1845. Captain SirBelcher, Edward, Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Samarang during the years 1843–46 (London, 1848), p. 47.Google Scholar

14 Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., p. 142Google Scholar

15 Raffles, Sophia, ed. Memoir of the life and public services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (London, 1830), p. 230.Google Scholar

16 Coupland, Reginald, Raffles, 1781–1826 (London, 1926), p. 19.Google Scholar

17 Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., p. 95.Google Scholar

18 Ibid., p. 66; Raffles, , “Extract of report by Sir Stamford Raffles made to the Governor General of India from Malacca,” Report on Japan …, op. cit., p. 1.Google Scholar

19 For the possible commercial advantages to the English in taking over the Japanese market see SirRaffles, Thomas Stamford, History of Java (London, 1830), vol. 2, pp. 270–71Google Scholar; appendix B pp. xix-xxviii; Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., pp. 68–69.Google Scholar

20 Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., pp. 4–5.Google Scholar

21 Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., pp. 229–30.Google Scholar

22 Raffles, , “Letter from Sir Stamford Raffles to the Governor General of India, 23rd. September 1813 …” Report on Japan …, op. cit., pp. 62–63.Google Scholar

23 “Correspondence concerning the charter of the ships ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Mary’ for the voyage from Batavia to Japan,” ibid., pp. 42 and 45.

24 “Letter from the Government of India approving the undertaking dated the 31st, July 1812,” ibid., p. 22.

25 For lists of American ships chartered by the Dutch see Sakamaki, Shunzo, “Japan and the United States 1790–1853,” Transactions of the Asiatic society of Japan, second series, 8 (Dec, 1939)Google Scholar, appendix; Wildes, Harry Emerson, Aliens in the East (Philadelphia, 1937)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, appendix.

26 Doeff, , op. cit., p. 185.Google Scholar

27 Ibid., pp. 191–92.

28 Raffles, , “Letter from Sir Stamford Raffles … reporting the successful return of the two ships sent to Japan,” Report on Japan …, op. cit., p. 98Google Scholar; Doeff, , op. cit., pp. 192–94.Google Scholar

29 This information was given to the Japanese by Captain Golownin who had been a prisoner in Japan since 1811. See Golownin, Captain, Narrative of my captivity in Japan during the years 1811, 1812, 1813 (London, 1818), vol. 2, p. 152.Google Scholar

30 Doeff, , op. cit., pp. 195–96Google Scholar; Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., p. 98.Google Scholar

31 For a complete account of DoeflPs negotiations with Ainslie andWardenaar see Doeff, , op. cit., pp. 201–04Google Scholar; Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., p. 230Google Scholar; and Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., pp. 97–105.Google Scholar

32 “Firando” is the English term for a white clay from the famous deposits at Mikawachi used in the manufacture of porcelain pottery known as hirado yaki.

33 Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., p. 321.Google Scholar

34 “Extract of a consultation held at Fort William on the Sth February 1814 to consider the application from the Government of Java for certain articles required for a further expedition to Japan in 1814,” Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., pp. 169–71 and 176.Google Scholar

35 Doeff, , op. cit., pp. 218Google Scholaret. seq.

36 “Letter from the Government of India to the Government of Java forbidding further ventures to Japan unless authorised by the public authorities in England, Dated the 11th. June 1814,” Raffles, , Report on Japan …, op. cit., pp. 210–12.Google Scholar The visit of the British ship Brothers in 1818 was likewise unsuccessful. See Paske-Smith, M., Western barbarians in Japan and Formosa in Tokugawi days 1601–1868 (Kōbe, 1930), p. 131.Google Scholar

37 For correspondence pertaining to Raffles' dismissal see Raffles, Sophia, ed., op. cit., pp. 269–74Google Scholar, and 284–86.

38 For the reasons why the British evacuated Java and returned the colony to the Dutch see Parliamentary debates, 19 (1819), pp. 155–66.

39 Bley, J. H. C., Die Politik der Niederlande in ihren beziehungen zu Japan (Oldenburg, 1855), p. 6.Google Scholar

40 Doeff, , op. cit., pp. 250–54.Google Scholar

41 The hopes and commercial ambitions of the Dutch for their Japanese trade are given at some length by Philipp Franz von Siebold who resided in Japan from 1823 to 1830. Sec Siebold, Philipp Franz von, Nippon archiv zur beschreibung von Japan (Berlin, Japaninstitut, 1930)Google Scholar, 1, Vorwort. Dutch ambitions were never realized, however, since Japanese restrictions forbade any but the most limited trade until the country was opened in 1854.