The isles of Manhattan and Pulau Rhun could hardly be farther apart1, not just in geography, but also in culture, economy and global prominence.
Rhun, in the Banda Sea in Indonesia, has no cars or roads and only about twenty motorbikes. Most people get around by walking along its paved footpaths2 or up steep stairways3, often toting4 plastic jugs5 of water from the numerous village wells or sometimes lugging6 a freshly caught tuna.
But in 1667, in what might now seem one of the most lopsided trades7 in history, the Netherlands believed it got the better part of a bargain8 with the British when it swapped9 Manhattan, then known as New Amsterdam, for this tiny speck10 of land.
The delight the Dutch took in11 the deal can be summed up12…
You're reading a preview of
Speak Up (Digital) - 1 Issue, No 467