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Cape Council of Policy

144

1658-02-25

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Minute details

Entry number
144
Date
1658-02-25
Year
1658

English translation

Since the rumors are circulating rapidly and all the fires that are heard daily around the large African mountains inland, it is also apparent that near and along or around the large mountain river, many inhabitants of the Saldanhars are deprived of their bestiality, without any of them appearing here at the fort. And since we have consumed nearly 40 cattle and 50 sheep at the required ships Arnhem and Honingen, and fed them with them during their stay here,476 in addition to another 25 pieces for this garrison of each, we are therefore again quite scarce of bestiality, so that the following ships from the Fatherland and India (expected every day in great numbers) will be able to be accommodated in a very sparse manner for the necessary refreshments. So, after various deliberations, it was agreed to send the day after tomorrow with a group of 15 men, provisioned for three weeks, under the supervision of Sargeant Jan van Harwerden, after the aforementioned inhabitants to make another trip, with a consignment of copper, tobacco, and pipes on dragoons, to see whether one could not handle a good portion of the goods with love and friendship, and also to lure some of the principals back here: to give a good reception here, and thus to make them more inclined to our nation, not to the captain of the Chainouqua for this one who has been here warned us not to send any more people inland: for reasons he himself had agreed to do so, as it might well be for his own benefit, and would gladly have trade with us alone, etc. However, be it as it may, it is nevertheless understood that this expedition should be carried out for a closer examination, also with the order of the aforementioned captain, in order to obtain and examine together with him a quantity of elephant teeth, ostrich feathers, musk, cevet, gold, or any stones that might be hidden under them, and to inquire carefully after the names of the troops; and for that purpose, to have pertinent records kept by the surveyor Pieter Potter of the daily events, in addition to pertinent notes and observations of all the circumstances of the countryside, mountains, rivers, etc., in order to include everything in the maps, so that one can always know how to travel the roads in the future, etc., and also learning that the Saldanhars were inclined to trade there rather than here, to speculate where it would be most cost-effective to set up a small redoubt or guardhouse with a squadron to exercise the trade, etc.

Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.

[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1658.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] JAN VAN HERWERDEN. 1658.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA, secrets. 1658.

Original Dutch transcription

Nademael de geruchten dapper loopen ende aen al de vuijren die men jegenwoordich overalomtrent475 groote overgeberghte van Africa te landewaert in dagelijcx verneempt oock apparent is dat bij ende langs offte omtrent de groote Berghrevier haer veele inwoonders van de rechte Saldanhars met bestiael sijn onthoudende, sonder dat nochtans eenige van deselve hier aen ‘t fort verschijnen, Ende aengesien wij jegenwoordigh aen de benodichde schepen Arnhem ende Honingen bijna 40 koebeesten ende 50 schapen hebben geconsumeert, ende haer den tijt hares leggens alhier daermede gespijsiget476 boven noch wel 25 stucx voor dit guarnisoen van elcx &a., sulcx wij dienthalven weder vry schaers van bestiael sijn versien, soodanich dat de volgende schepen uijt ‘t Patria ende India (alle dagen over hoop te verwachten) gansch sober daervan sullen cunnen worden tot nodige ververssinge geaccommodeert, Soo is na verscheijden deliberatien goetgevonden op overmorgen met een trop van 15 fixe mannen voor drie weecken geprovideert onder ‘t gesagh van den sargeant Jan van Harwerden, eens na voorsz inwoonders weder een tocht te laten doen, met partije coper, tabacq ende pijpen op draegossen, omme te sien off men met minne ende vruntschap niet een goet deel bestiael van deselve sal cunnen handelen ende oock eenige van de principaelste herwaerts afflocken: om alhier wat goet onthael te doen, ende alsoo te meer tot onse natie genegen te maken, niet jegenstaende den capiteyn van den Chainouqua voor desen hier geweest ons gewaerschout heefft geen volck meer te landewaert in te senden: om redenen bij den selven daervan als doen gegeven, alsoo wel mochte wesen sulcx eijgen baets-halven had geseijt ende gaerne den handel met ons alleen wilde hebben &a. Echter, ‘t sij hoe ‘t wesen mach, is evenwel verstaen dese tocht tot een nader preuve te doen met ordre oock aen den voorsz sargeandt omme met eenen mede te vernemen ende te ondersoecken offer oock quantite oliphantstanden, struijs-veeren, muscus, cevet, gout offte eenige gesteenten onder deselve mochte schuijlen, ende wel naeuw te vragen na de namen van de troupen: mitsgaders ten dien eynde pertinente aenteijckeninge te doen houden, door den lantmeter Pieter Potter van de dagelijcxe voorvallen, beneffens pertinente notitie ende observantien van alle de gelegentheijt der lantdouwen, geberghten, revieren &a., omme alles vorder ter degen in de caerten te brengen, ten eynde men altijt weten mach hoedanich de wegen in toecomende te bereijsen &a., als oock vernemende dat de Saldanhars genegen waren liever daer als hier te handelen, aff te speculeeren waer men daerop ‘t oncostelijckstealsdan477 soude cunnen een cleijn redout off wachthuysjen met een crael stellen om den handel te exerceeren &a.

Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jaere als boven.

[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1658.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] JAN VAN HERWERDEN. 1658.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA, secrets. 1658.