Kenepa 2

The first part about the history of Kenepa dealt, among other things, with the freedom struggle of enslaved people in 1795. As well as "the curse of Knip" that haunted the owners of the plantation, and the oppression of the residents, which continued into the 20th century.

No water and electricity

The last shon, for example, did not allow Knip to be connected to the water and electricity network. From the government every family received 2 drums of water per week and they had to make do with that. In some families the men washed in the sea to save water for the women and the household.

All over the Knip terrain there were water mills for supplying the water tanks for livestock. At the plantation house itself stood a large rain tank, filled to the brim with water, but you were punished if you tried to steal water from the water tanks or the rain tank. If it was not the shon himself — actually present only at weekends — then it was the vitó, the overseer, who behaved as lord and master of the estate. The vitó was, incidentally, a job that at Knip passed from father to son in the same family for generations.

The Vitó

A resident of Knip tells: "As a child I saw that all kinds of chores were done at the vitó's home and the garden was regularly maintained. Later I understood that people were forced to do this, in return to the shon / vitó for the Paga tera system."

From Kenepa in the direction of Westpunt lay the lands Dam Gera, Pos Kabai, Kadushi bientu and finally Kòrta p'e, which lies opposite Rancho El Sobrino on the border with Westpunt. In Kòrta p'e were most of the kunuku's that were rented to ex-enslaved people. The shon chose a knoek every so often, whose tenant was forced to open it up to the cows of Knip. The consequence, of course, was that the entire planting was destroyed.

In the valley on the border of Lagun and Kenepa lay the Pos di bahá (well on the slope), a natural walk-in well. Residents were allowed by the shon to fetch water from the well only after his cows had walked through it and the water had therefore become polluted.

The shon also did not want corpses to be transported over his terrain, so the dead, especially from Lagun, were transported by sea to Westpunt, where there was a cemetery.

Also, until around 1960, car drivers still had to pay to drive across the plantation because the public road ran over the shon's property.

Freedom

According to a younger descendant of a family from Kenepa it is incomprehensible how that oppression could persist for so long. "The area was so large, so the chance of being 'caught' if you didn't hand over your share to the shon was fairly small. But long after the abolition of slavery there was still an all-dominating ingrained fear of the shon and the vitó of Kenepa. Half of what was produced on that one square metre that people rented, or what was caught in the bays of Knip, was meekly delivered to the plantation house or to the vitó."

This situation, and the fact that the plantation and the later village has seen little outside interference over the years, are reasons why at Kenepa slavery was actually only abolished in 1975. That was in fact the year in which the plantation was sold to the government, Kenepa was connected to the water and electricity network, and the residents could finally be free. At a celebration in the neighbourhood some years later, descendants of the last shon apologised to the inhabitants of Knip and surroundings for the conduct of their ancestors.

Geography

Plantation Kenepa borders in the north on plantation Papaya, in the east on Zorgvliet and Savonet, in the south on Zevenbergen and Lagun and in the west on the sea. Beyond Playa Hulu, just before the famous Boka Fluit, the coastline makes a sharp bend to the north and the wind drops. This point and the geographic westernmost point just after Playa Kalki together form the two westernmost points of the island. The entire coast here is shielded from the north-east trade wind by the high hill country.

The indigo blue of the calm sea forms a sharp contrast here with the turquoise coastal water. The cosy little bays carved into the high limestone plateau, Playa Abou (Kenepa Grandi) and Kenepa Chikí, are counted among the most beautiful bays of Curaçao. In an international competition Kenepa Grandi even ended up in the top three of Caribbean bays.

Beautiful coral reefs determine the underwater life here, and while snorkelling or diving the visitor can come across rays, large cubera snappers, turtles and occasionally even dolphins or a whale shark.

Knip rock

In the area where Knip lies a special rock formed from microscopic sea creatures occurs, which was deposited 70 million years ago: the Knip rock, or Knip Formation, which was first investigated on plantation Knip. And because so much of this rock is found here, it was given the name of this plantation. The Knip Formation belt stretches from Zorgvliet through the Christoffel Park in a west-south-westerly direction to Pos Spañó. Further on at plantation San Juan Knip Formation is also found, and the fine terrace floor on the north side of plantation house Savonet has been laid with this special rock.

This rock is also found at Seru Gracia and the Christoffelberg. Another form of this rock is flint. The top of the Christoffelberg consists largely of this very hard reddish-brown, sometimes bluish rock, which is called Piedra di kandela (fire stone) and with which a fire can be lit. This flint also occurs in Roi Berú in the Christoffel Park at Savonet.

Hilly plantation

Plantation Knip is very hilly and lies against the flank of the highest peaks of Curaçao. The top of the 295 m high Seru Gracia lies half on plantation Knip. Other hills above 100 m on this plantation are Seru Batata (242 m) on the border of Knip and Savonet, Seru Baha Hundu (211 m), Seru Palomba (163 m) and near the border with Zorgvliet Seru Boosman (178 m) and Seru Mangel (170 m). Close to Playa Abou stands the 150-metre-high Seru Kòrtapé.

From the eastern terrace of plantation house Knip you can enjoy, in the dry season, the yellow splendour of colour of the kibrahacha (yellow tabebuia) on these slopes. In the rainy season the hills exchange their grey mourning dress for lighter, more cheerful shades of green.

The Knip forts

The fort complex at Knip was very extensive, and along the entire coast of the "Knippe or Knibbe baai" lay various defence works that have been demolished by the ravages of time or by the construction of beach facilities. The defence works probably date from the middle of the 18th century and were intended to protect the plantations against plundering by pirates and other enemies from overseas.

The Kleine Knipbaai (Small Knip Bay) was the most important bay for Plantation Knip because from there the plantation house was easily reached and the merchant ships dropped anchor there. This bay was therefore initially designated with the name Knipbaai (Werbata map 1909).

According to research by the Werkgroep Archeologie, the defence of Knip consisted of at least three parts: a middle fort, situated between the Grote and Kleine Knip bays, and three batteries at both bays.

At the Grote Knipbaai (Large Knip Bay), on old maps also called Benede Knip baay and Playa Abou, there were three batteries, one of which was on the beach and one in the south, near the present car park and viewpoints. Only the (ruin of the) battery on the rocks on the north side of the beach still stands.

At Kleine Knip there were also three batteries, one of which was on a cliff on the south side and another very spacious battery on the north side. Both can still be seen; the battery that stood on the beach, however, has disappeared.

All fortifications were probably in contact with each other by means of flag signals on the flagpole of the middle fort, where according to residents a cannon stood for a long time.

The guard post

A part of the middle fort was known as "de wachtpost" (the guard post), a ruin consisting of two roofless rooms and a kind of covered terrace. This can now be easily reached via a coral-stone path that leads to it. During work a few years ago a part of this fort was destroyed by a bulldozer, but after protest from neighbourhood residents the demolition was stopped and the fort was to be restored to honour. That did not happen, however.

Hòfi Kenepa

North of the plantation house stands the house of the vitó. Right next to it is the entrance of the hofje, where a large, stately mahok tree stands. Just behind it stands a large water tank that is in good condition, followed by a magnificent specimen of a Pos di pia, a walk-in well. East of this lie 2 wells: a pos kobá and a pos borá — one dug by hand and one mechanically drilled well. Further on there is another well, a few dilapidated indigo vats, a tanki — a natural water collection place — and an extensive dry salt flat that borders in the west on the Playa Grandi of Knip. According to older residents this salt flat was formerly in open connection with the sea, and at the back, close to the hòfi of Kenepa, a salt pan was laid out. In the rainy season the entire salt flat is under water.

Pos Kayuda

On the plantation there is also Pos Kayuda, a well that is named after the many kayuda trees that stand close by. The Kayuda (swamp soursop) is a rare tree whose fruit resembles the soursop, but without little spines. In the past the well was kept clean by hand so that there was always clean water. A wall had also been built around the well to keep the water level high so that it could easily be scooped up. Although it now lies dry, the ground around the well is wet even in the dry season, so that it is strewn with young kayuda plants. Access to Pos Kayuda runs through the Christoffel Park. South of Pos Kayuda, at the eastern foot of the Seru Bahá Hundu, there is in the Roi Sanchi also a freshwater spring that was formerly used by the residents of Kenepa.

Sources

• Charles do Rego: Sklabitut i rebelion 1795
• Ieteke Witteveen: Amigoe 25 Feb 1995: Landhuis Kenepa
• Paul Brenneker: Sambumbu, various editions
• Werkgroep Archeologie: various work reports
• Ministerie SOAW: Buurtprofiel zone Lagun.

With thanks to: Elfried Koots, Frensel Mercelina, Jeroen Heuvel, Rose Mary Allen, François van der Hoeven, the Werkgroep Archeologie, Jeanne Henriquez and Christel Monsanto.