Cape Council of Policy
10
1652-09-24
Minute details
- Entry number
- 10
- Date
- 1652-09-24
- Year
- 1652
English translation
By God's help, the work on Comp's fortification has progressed so far that we are now all reasonably prepared for an attack by this country's nation, and therefore it is beginning to be time to look for any profits for our Lordships. Mrs. for their support here and to suffer further expenses, for which purpose the yacht Goede Hoope (which is moored here with its crew and is of little use) is a suitable vessel, and can nowadays be spared without delay to sail to the Island of Elisabeth, which is full of seals and badgers, suitable for furs and for burning tears, about 7 or 8 miles north of here, and further on to the Bay of St. Helena 22 by 32 2/3 degrees S latitude and Saldanha approximately at 33 3/423 degrees. laying, for the further discovery of the same, and the coasts situated between here and there, as well as primarily to investigate whether any trade for the Company might occur there, as we were informed in an extract of a letter from Wingurla 24 sent by skipper Davit Claesz ao. 1651 to the fatherland by the Reijger, that a certain Portuguese ship had arrived a few years ago at the aforementioned baija of the Saldanha embassy, and had exchanged for old copper, gold, amber25, and elephant teeth, also from Mr. General van Lijn to Amsterdam that last year a French ship had been with him at St. Helena, which had brought a cargo of furs and tannins (as he had heard) near the aforementioned places, worth a ton of gold, as skipper Turver also apparently knew. Also that we learned of the same in the Journals of Joris Spilbergen. 1601 in the month of November there were many fires burning in the country, from which it is certain that people will be found, and apparently among them also cevet or musk,26 and elephant teeth, as we have seen some Hottentoes or savages wearing them around their necks here, and from Herrij, who speaks a bit of broken English, we can sufficiently understand that those of Saldanha, along with the species, as well as elephant teeth, would be reasonably abundant. Item in the aforementioned Spilbergen Journal, that the aforementioned Island of Elisabeth is full of seals, capable of burning many tears, and the skins of those, according to information from some people in the country, the aforementioned skipper is familiar with, the piece well rixdollar or 3 guilders would be worth, as well as the badgers there in abundance having beautiful and costly skins, which alone would sufficiently make the journey, although it is a good thing that no trade was found anywhere. So, after good consultation of the matter, it was agreed that the hunt would be stopped for the most part with ample instructions on the one and the other against the beginning of the coming month in the Name of the Lord. To embark with as many barrels for seal blubber as we can spare from here, and to allow a Hottentoes boy to accompany us with his parents' consent, so that he may learn our language in the meantime, and thus eventually be able to serve as an interpreter. Furthermore, for further protection and defense, to furnish with two brave soldiers, in the hope that the Almighty will bless the proposed work for the benefit and profit of our Lord. Amen.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as before.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK, 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as before.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK, 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Door Godes hulpe soo verde met de wercken aen Comps. fortificatie g’arbeijt hebbende, dat jegenwoordigh al redelijck in deffentie sijn geraeckt voor aen val van dese lants natie, ende dienthalven begint tijt te worden om uijt te sien nae eenige profijten voor onse Hren. Mrs. tot soulagement haerder hier supporteerende ende noch te lijden onkosten, waer toe ‘t jacht de Goede Hoope (‘t welck hier met sijn volck doch stil leght ende weijnigh dienst van getrocken wort) een bequaem vaertuijgh is, ende jegenwoordigh sonder verleth wel can gemist worden om te varen nae ‘t Eijlant Elisabeth dat vol robben ende dassen is bequaem tot pelterijen ende om traen te branden, omtrent 7 a 8 mijlen noortwaerts van hier, ende wijders nae de baijen van St. Helena 22 op 32 2/3. gradenZ. breeteende Saldanha omtrent op 33 3/423 grden. leggende, tot nader ontdeckinge van deselve, ende de custen tusschen hier ende daer gelegen, mitsgaders oock ten principalen omme te ondersoecken off aldaer eenigen handel voor de Compe. mochte vallen, alsoo ons bij extract van missive uijt Wingurla 24 gesz door schipper Davit Claesz ao. 1651 per den Reijger in ‘t vaderlant gecomen, is gecommuniceert dat seecker Portugeese hurcke eenige jaren geleden aen voorsz baija der Saldanha empassant soude sijn aengeweest, ende voor oudt cooper geruijlt hebben, gout, ambergrij25 , ende oliphantstanden, oock van d’ Hr. generael van Lijn tot Amsterdam dat verleden jaer een Frans Scheepjen bij hem aen St. Helena was geweest welck omtrent voorhaelde plaetsen hadde gehaelt een ladinge bestaende in pelterijen ende traen (soo had cunnen vernemen) wel van ongevaer een tonne gouts waerdigh, gelijck schipper Turver mede kennelijck is, Item oock dat bij de Journalen van Joris Spilbergen vernemen deselve ao. 1601 in de maent van November daer geweest veele vuijren in ‘t lant hebben sien branden, daer uijt seecker is, datter volcq sal te vinden wesen, ende apparent bij deselve mede cevet off muscus,26 ende oliphantstanden, alsoo wij ‘t sommige Hottentoos ofte wilden hier om den hals hebben sien dragen, ende van Herrij die wat gebroocken Engels spreeckt genoeghsaem cunnen verstaen, dat die van Saldanha met de specie als oock oliphantstanden redelijck abondant soude versien sijn, Item bij gemelte Spilbergens Journael, dat het voorsz Eijlant Elisabeth vol robben is, bequaem om menichte traen van te branden, ende de huijden van dien na informatie van eenige luijden in ‘t vaderlant voorsz schipper bekent, ‘t stuck wel een rijxdaelder off 3 gl. waerdigh soude sijn, als oock dat de dassen daer in meenichte wesende fraije ende costelijcke vellekens hebben, waerdoor de reijse alleen genoughsaem soude connen goetgemaeckt worden, alwaer ‘t schoon datter geen handel ergens gevonden wert, Soo is nae goet overlegh van saecken ten meesten dienste ende voordeel van d’ E. Compe. goetgevonden ende g’arresteert ‘t jacht ten dien eijnde met ampele instructie op ‘t een ende ‘t ander tegen ‘t begin van de toecomende maent in den Name des Hren. aff te vaerdigen met soo veel vaten om ‘t speck van de robben in te bergen als van hier sullen cunnen missen, ende een Hottentoos jongen met bewillinge van sijn ouders mede te laten gaen, om ondertusschen onse tale te doen leeren, ende alsoo metter tijt tot tolk te mogen gebruijcken, Item tot meerder verseeckeringe ende defentie noch te versien met 2 cloecke soldaten, op hope den Almogenden ‘t voorgenomen werck tot dienst ende proffijt van onse Hren. Mrs. sal zegenen amen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als voren.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK, 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als voren.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK, 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.