person
Autshumato
Table Bay, Robben Island and the early Cape settlement.
Parent: Goringhaicona
Autshumato was a Goringhaicona leader and interpreter who mediated exchanges between Cape communities and visiting European ships. English mariners took him to the East Indies in 1631; after his return, he used his language skills and knowledge of Table Bay in trade and communication with the VOC and other visitors.
He and a group of followers also used Robben Island as a base connected to maritime trade and local resources. In 1658, VOC officials detained him after enslaved people escaped from the settlement and transferred him with Jan Cou and Boubo to Robben Island. He escaped in 1659 and later returned to dealings with VOC officials.