A man on the afterdeck of the large boat is waving farewell with his hat. The soldiers and sailors who entered the service of the Amsterdam chamber of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) embarked on ship on Oude Schans near the Montelbaanstoren. From here they were taken by lighter to the awaiting ships in the roadstead off the island of Texel some weeks before the planned departure to Asia. The journey across the Zuider Zee (now the IJsselmeer) took a couple of days. The VOC needed thousands of soldiers for the garrisons in its numerous bases in Asia. Many of the troops were Germans and other foreigners.