History
The Bruinvis (this means porpoise) was part of the first squadron sent out by the WIC to Africa. The squadron consisted of the ship Dolfijn and the yachts Tonijn and Bruinvis, all from Amsterdam, and a merchant ship (not-WIC) Zwarte Leeuw (captain Philips van Zuylen). Their objectives : reconnaissance, trade and if possible to take enemy ships. In the early years of the Dutch WIC, it was used as a commercial and military tool to further the war efforts of the Netherlands against Spain.
Later, the Bruinvis went across the Atlantic to the Caribbean with the Kater. The ships found the squadron of Hendrick Jacobsz. Lucifer on May 4th 1627 and decided to join it. The Bruinvis took a barque near the Cayman Islands, after which the yacht sailed to New Netherland (present day New York) and back to the Netherlands (De Laet 101-102).
![De WIC verovert de Portugese suikervloot in de Allerheiligenbaai, 1627. Janssonius, Johannes. Deze afbeelding is waarschijnlijk afkomstig uit: I. Commelin, Frederick Hendrick van Nassauw prince van Orangien [...], Amsterdam 1651.Rijksmuseum, inventarisnr RP-P-OB-79.38. The battle between the Dutch and Portuguese of 1627 in the Bay of All Saints. via Atlas of Mutual Heritage](/photos/l/00000853.jpg?modifiedon=1727511948)
Description
Yard: Amsterdam
WIC chamber: Amsterdam
Tonnage: 60 last
Master: Cornelis Haringh (+ 1623), replaced by Jochem Gijsens
Armament: 8 gotelingen (light iron guns)
| People on board | 24 |
|---|
Status
It is not clear what happened to the ship.
According to slavevoyages.org, a WIC ship named the Bruinvis made voyages with enslaved people in 1639 and 1641. During the first voyage, they were bought in the Gold Coast, the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra and were transported to Pernambuco. Of the 179 people taken on board, 145 survived the voyage. The second voyage went from Luanda to Pernambuco. Of the 350 people taken on board, 241 survived the voyage.
References
- De Laet, Kort verhael.