Page 15 - KBHA Bulletin 16

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Table 2: EIC Agency Wine Shipments to St Helena (in gallons). (Arkin, 1965: 288.)

Year Garrison Civilian % Cape’s wine exports
1815-16 50 000 - 11.6
1819-20 152 000 40 000 26.3
1825-26 38 500 16 500 5.3
1829-30 51 000 27 500

Whale oil was required as a lubricant, as wax for candles, and in soap-making. Annual

consumption was about 5,000 gallons and St. Helena’s own whaling industry supplied
some of its needs. But it also took about 17% of Cape export production, while the

remainder went to Britain. Cape supplies were variable and in 1832 a quantity of 600
gallons was sourced from the Kalk Bay Fishery: “At that time there were two whaling

stations on the False Bay coast – one at Fish Hoek belonging to T. Lesar and the other at

Kalk Bay owned by Stephen Twycross and William Liesching.” (Arkin, 1965: 301 -
304.)

Variable shipments were made of horses (seven were sent in 1819 for Napoleon and his

officers), salted meat, butter, soap, flour and sundries.

The period 1815 – 21 benefited a number of the Island’s firms who became involved in

the import trade from the Cape: Saul Solomon & Co. (mainly wine), R. W. Baker
(livestock, mainly young bullocks), O’Connor & Carroll (butter & forage), and Green &

Co. (sheep & wine.) (Arkin, 1964: 213.) Given the preponderant value of the wine trade

(eg. 71% of the value of Agency shipments in 1820, which was a representative year for
this period) it is probable that Saul Solomon & Co. and Green & Co. benefited relatively

the most among these firms. Already, prior to 1815, Saul Solomon had acquired “a virtual
monopoly of the shipping supply and general wholesale trade of the Island” and was

well-known as “The Merchant-King of St. Helena.” (Herrman, 1935: 69.)

Although the opening of the St. Helena market stimulated the Cape economy it accounted

for less than one third of overall Cape exports: in 1820 this amounted to £47,000 out of a
total of £157,000. This proportion soon declined markedly due to the rapid growth of the