63
compás int •
compass int
·amura·
ciudad es considerada el alma de ese país. Fueron los
holandeses quienes apreciaron la ubicación estraté-
gica de este territorio, iniciando así la colonización
del mismo. Bajo la dirección del comerciante holan-
dés Jan van Riebeeck, un grupo de holandeses
desembarcaron en esta costa por primera vez el 6 de
abril de 1652. La comitiva estaba constituida por 82
hombres y ocho mujeres, quienes tenían instruccio-
nes de proveer alimentos frescos a navíos en su
camino de África a Europa.
Los primeros colonizadores comenzaron a cultivar la
tierra para obtener alimentos frescos y, por medio del
intercambio con habitantes nativos, pronto consiguieron
carneyproductosdeorigenanimal.Apesardenumerosas
calamidades, el asentamiento prosperó. Cada vez había
másmarinos que llegaban a Ciudad del Cabo para reabas-
tecerse de provisiones. Se construyó un muelle y se fun-
daron talleres para reparar navíos y un hospital.
El crecimiento acelerado del puerto hizo aparente
la necesidad de trabajadores. En un principio fueron
principalmente esclavos traídos de Indonesia quienes
cubrieron estas necesidades, pero más adelante otros
inmigrantes holandeses y del resto de Europa comen-
zaron a establecerse. Notablemente, en 1688 un grupo
numeroso de hugonotes franceses huyendo de perse-
cuciones religiosas en Europa se establecieron aquí.
considered the soul of this country. The Dutch were
the ones who appreciated the strategically location of
this territory, initiating this way its colonization.
Under the direction of the Dutchmerchant Jan van
Riebeeck, a group of Dutchmen disembarked
in this coast for the very first time the 6 th of
April of 1652. The retinue was constituted by 82
men and eight women, who had instructions of
supplying fresh food to the ships in their trip
from Africa to Europe.
The first colonists started to harvest the land
to obtain fresh food and, by the exchange with
native inhabitants, they soon obtained meat and
animal products. In spite of numerous calamities,
the settlement prospered. Each time there were
more marines that arrived to Cape Town to supply
of provisions. A dock was built and shops were
founded to repair the vessels and a hospital.
The accelerated growth of the harbor made suita-
ble the need of workers. In the beginning there were
mainly slaves brought from Indonesia who covered
these needs, but later onother Dutch immigrants and
from the rest of Europe started to settle. Remarkably,
in 1688 a numerous group of French Huguenots run-
ning away from the religious persecutions in Europe,
were established here.
