He was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women, his own wife amongst them. They had been instructed to establish a strong base to provide the Company's ships with fresh groceries, mainly meat and vegetables on the long journey from Europe to Asia.
First of all, van Riebeeck's men erected the "Fort de Goede Hoop" for their own protection, and they laid out a large garden and started to grow fruit and vegetables. They tried to obtain the meat provisions through trade with the natives. (Please click on "Next")
European settlement in South Africa started in Cape Town, which is why it is still called the Mother City to this day. After the British had decided against establishment of a colony at the Cape of Good Hope, it was the Dutch who realized the strategic and economic importance of the Cape. On a commission for the Dutch-East India Trading company the merchant Jan van Riebeeck anchored in the picturesque bay at the foot of the Table Mountain on April 6, 1652.
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First of all, van Riebeeck's men erected the "Fort de Goede Hoop" for their own protection, and they laid out a large garden and started to grow fruit and vegetables. They tried to obtain the meat provisions through trade with the natives. (Please click on "
