There were different ways of recruiting sailors, e.g. by announcing that anyone wanting to go to India should apply to the 'Directors of the Noble Company'. Here they would receive a little money and a case for personal belongings. Another way to recruit staff was to send out 'soul sellers', who looked for people that could work on VOC ships. Usually they recruited people from the lowest social classes such as unemployed sailors, homeless people, those trying to escape justice and orphans. The soul seller provided food and shelter and passed on their names to the VOC. He made sure that the future sailors had their 'gear', consisting of clothes, tobacco, gin and some small items and then they were sent to Asia, whether they liked it or not; there was no way back now. The newly recruited sailor had to hand over the advance he had received upon registering to the soul seller and he had to sign an IO