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Cape Council of Policy

101

1657-01-24

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Minute details

Entry number
101
Date
1657-01-24
Year
1657

English translation

By the E. Jan van Riebeecq, Commander of this fortress de Goede Hoope, fortified in the Council with members of the Military Council and Justice, exhibits two separate declarations made and signed at the request of His E.: as well as legally recollected and sworn, one by Cornelis Borsselaer, chief surgeon, and his own wife Anneken Borsselaer, who had been secreted in the said fortress, now departed with the Vogelsangh to Batavia, and the other by Johan van Kempen, midshipman, present here still secreted, all in Comps. service, as well as considered the credibility of the said declarants as being persons of honour, and by His E. written the Council requested their opinion whether these statements could also be accepted as true testimony or whether they should be rejected, since the statements seem to show that the aforementioned Commander was very scandalously and completely mendaciously discredited behind his back with many slanderous calumnies and injuries by the assistant Jan Woutersz, present at the Saldanha Bay watching the seal catch, and thereby not only his honour was affected, but also his respect and that of Comps. on the grounds of command saw so offended that the same has therewith sufficiently and completely committed crimes under his majesty &a., besides that it also appears that the aforementioned assistant has said that he now wants to steal as much of the sealskins as he can or may, since he saw the Commander do so well and that therefore it had to go that way &a., all which we below as impartial counselors have seen and considered: on the one hand considering the loyalty and diligence of the aforementioned. His E. in all matters him of Comps. ordered on the other side, the debauched life of the aforementioned assistant and especially also his312 lying gossips to great contempt, disrespect and dishonor of the community. Speaking of commanders, as well as those who have long been quite divulged, such that the fame will have spread as far as India and Europe. The Council is therefore to accept and acknowledge the aforementioned statements as sufficient testimony of full evidence, not only to detain the aforementioned assistant, but also to commit various acts of trespass against the seals, to have his trial instituted by the tax authorities at the first opportunity, and to have the claim and conclusion criminally filed as is legally appropriate.

Act in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year above.

[Signed:] JAN VAN HERWERDEN. 1657.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] BALTE CORNELISEN.

[Signed:] JAN VAN BEMMEL.

[Signed:] This mark T. of JORIS JOPISZ.

[Signed:] CASPAR VAN WEEDE, Secrets. 1657.

Original Dutch transcription

Bij d’ E. Jan van Riebeecq Commandeur deser fortresse de Goede Hoope, in den Raet versterckt met de leden van den Chrijghsraet ende Justitie, verthoont sijnde twee distincte verclaringen ten versoecke van Sijn E. gedaen ende geteijkent: mitsgaders oocq wettelijck gerecolleert ende b’eedight, d’ eene bij Cornelis Borsselaer, opperchirurgijn, ende des selffs huijsvrouw Anneken Borsselaer, bescheijden geweest in de gemelte fortresse, nu vertrocken met de Vogelsangh na Batavia, ende de ander bij Johan van Kempen, adelborst, jegenwoordigh alhier noch bescheijden alle in Comps. dienst, mitsgaders geconsid[e]reert de gelooffwaerdigheijt van de gemelte verclaerders als persoonen van eeren sijnde, ende door Sijn E. verschreven den Raet affgevordert haer gevoelen of deselve verclaringen oocq voor waerachtige getuijgenissen souden cunnen opgenomen offte wel gerejecteert worden, vermits bij do. verclaringen schijnt te blijcken dat den Commandeur voornt. door den adsistent Jan Woutersz, jegenwoordigh in de Saldanhabaij besigh wesende aen de robbevanghst, seer schandaleuselijck ende gansch leugenachtigh achter rugge met veele lasterlijcke calumnien ende injurien is gedisfameert, mitsgaders daer door niet alleene in sijn eere geraeckt: nemaer oock in sijn respect ende van Comps. wegen bevolen gesagh soodanigh gekrenckt dat den selven daer bij genoeghsaem ende volcomentlijck heefft begaen crimen lese majestatis &a., behalven dat oocq blijckt voorsz adsistent geseijt heefft nu van de robbevellen sooveel te willen steelen als hij can off mach dewijle hij doch sagh den Commandeur sulcx wel dede ende het dierhalven soo gaen moste &a., allen ‘t welcke bij ons ondergesz als onpartijdige raetspersonen ingesien ende overwogen: aen d’ eene sijde considereerende de trouwe en de naersticheijt van voorgem. Sijn E. in alle saken hem van Comps. wegen bevolen, ende aen de ander cant, ‘t gedebaucheert leven van voorsz adsistent ende voornamentlijck oocksijne312 leugenachtige achterclapperijen tot groote cleijnachtinge, disrespect ende eerrovinge des gem. Commandeurs gesproken, mitsgaders oock van al over langh vrij gedivulgeert, sulcx dat die fame al tot in India ende Europa sal over gevlogen sijn, Soo is bij den Raet verstaen voorsz verclaringen als genoeghsame getuijgenisse van volle preuven op te nemen ende te erkennen niet alleen om den adsistent voorsz te detineren: maer daer op oocq ten aensien van sijn voorgenomen ontrou off divereij te plegen aen de robbevellen, bij de eerste occasie sijn proces door den fiscus te formeren, mitsgaders eijsch ende conclusie crimenelijck te laten instellen als nae rechten behoorende.

Actum in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare ut supra.

[Signed:] JAN VAN HERWERDEN. 1657.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] BALTE CORNELISEN.

[Signed:] JAN VAN BEMMEL.

[Signed:] Dit merck T. van JORIS JOPISZ.

[Signed:] CASPAR VAN WEEDE, Secrets. 1657.