1682
Olof Bergh undertakes a west-coast expedition
Ensign Olof Bergh travelled north in 1682 to trade with Namaqua communities and investigate the west coast and Namaqualand.
View in timelineIn 1682, Ensign Olof Bergh led a VOC party north along the Cape west coast toward Namaqualand. The expedition sought livestock, trade and information about routes and mineral-bearing country. Its journal recorded encounters and exchanges with Namaqua communities and described the landscape through the party’s commercial and exploratory aims.
Significance
The expedition extended VOC reconnaissance and commercial contact into Namaqualand, while its journal recorded local communities, routes and trading practices.
Why it matters
The expedition extended VOC reconnaissance and commercial contact into Namaqualand, while its journal recorded local communities, routes and trading practices.