Religion

Asked about the local religion, residents allegedly told Bosman that “it principally consisted in Reverencing and obeying” their government and “without troubling themselves with what was above” it.

Rather than accurately reflecting local beliefs, this account depicts the difficulty of translating abstract concepts from one language (Dutch) to another (Vai) through a third (Portuguese), which neither of the communicating parties probably spoke very well.

Had the question been put by residents of Cape Mount to the common seamen aboard Bosman’s ship, the response would probably not have corresponded with the views of Dutch clergy.