Cape Council of Policy
18
1653-01-19
Minute details
- Entry number
- 18
- Date
- 1653-01-19
- Year
- 1653
English translation
Yesterday the galley Swarte Vos arrived here expressly from the Patria, with advice and notices of war between our Dutch State and the new republic of England, along with an order to have the advice first go to Batavia. So it is that after careful deliberation and consultation of the matter, largely in the service of the E. Compe., it was found appropriate to bring the advice to Batavia, to despatch the yacht Goede Hope with 15 crew, with the merchant crews from the galley for India, so that the yacht may better cope with the sea and the present strong blowing winds, and so. to keep a galley here, especially since hunting in India will be able to provide more service in war than a galley, and here we will be able to use the galley for more convenience, sailing offshore and to islands to carry sealskins, etc., besides the fact that the aforementioned hunting is nowhere near as suitable as a galley for crashing into incoming ships, and moreover, here in the bay we usually have to leave 15 or 16 men at our disposal, which would otherwise be of no use, and the galley could be sent off with 8 men,41 as well as the remainder for greater speed in the work on the fortification, which we need in order to protect ourselves. Which then the chiefs of the aforementioned hunt have been ordered to prepare themselves to depart for Batavia around Wednesday, God's weather and wind permitting, in order to depart from here in all haste for Batavia, victualed for three months. This is also understood because, due to the frugality42 of the Dutch victuals, the people here in the country cannot be given the necessary work anywhere according to their income, and because no more cattle are to be obtained from the Saldanhars' departure, of the same also no more should be provided, so that all the more necessary refreshment might remain for their return trip,43 and yet they must work diligently with all their might to to bring the fort into action, so that in these times anything particularly exposed by the English would not be overwhelmed, that to encourage and encourage the people even more, one month's wages would be promised to each of them for their share. to honor, as soon as the fort will be completely cleared, and furthermore, after the galley has loaded its goods for India, to sail to Robben Island to salt some peguins and young seals for the people here on land, instead of Dutch victuals, which cannot last longer than two weeks. It was also considered good practice to have the pilot Gerrit Abelsz, familiar with the waters here from experience, transfer from the yacht De Hoope to the aforementioned galley, and in return, to have the chief pilot of the galley transfer to the said yacht, to sail with it to Batavia.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] TUENIS AIJSEN.
45
[Signed:] Fr. V.BURGH, Secrets.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] TUENIS AIJSEN.
45
[Signed:] Fr. V.BURGH, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Op gisteren uijt ‘t Patria hier expres aengecomen sijnde ‘t galjot de Swarte Vos , met advisen ende advertissementen van den oorloge tusschen onsen Nederlantschen Staet ende de nieuwe republicque van Engelant , nevens ordre omme do. advisen ten eersten te laten nae Batavia gaen, Soo is ‘t dat nae rijpe deliberatie ende overlegh van saecken ten meesten dienst van d’ E. Compe. goet gevonden is, om de advisen op Batavia te brengen, ‘t jacht de Goede Hope met 15 coppen te depesscheren, met de coopmansschappen uijt ‘t galjot voor India, alsoo ‘t jacht beter tegen de zee ende de jegenwoordige hard waijende winden mogen sal, ende do. galjot hier te houden, te meer dewijle ‘t jacht in India tot den oorloge meerder dienst39 als ‘t galjot sal cunnen doen, ende hier meerder gerieff van ‘t galjot sullen cunnen trecken in ‘t aff ende aen deeylanden40 om robbenvellen te varen &a., behalven dat voorsz jacht nergens nae soo bequaem als het galjot is om d’ aencomende scheepen in te botsen, ende daerenboven hier in de baij oock doorgaens met 15 a 16 man moeten beseth laten daer anders geen dienst van te trecken is, ende op ‘t galjot wel met 8 coppen sal cunnen affgesien worden,41 mitsgaders de reste tot meerder spoet in den arbeijt aen de fortificatie t’ onser nodige deffentie gebruijcken, Welcken volgende dan d’ opperhooffden des voorgemelten jachts geordonneert syn hun claer te maecken om tegen Woonsdagh aenstaende Godes weer ende wint toelatende ten eijnde voormelt nevens onse advisen van hier in allerijl nae Batavia te vertrecken, gevictualieert voor 3 maenden, Soo is oock verstaen, dewijle door de soberheijt42 van de Hollantse victualie ‘t volck hier aen lant in den nodigen arbeijt nergens nae haer becomste can gegeven worden, ende vermits der Saldanhars vertreck geen vee meer te becomen sijnde, van ‘t selve oock niet en dient geschaft op dat te meer voor deretour vlote43 t’ haerder nodige ververssinge mochte overblijven, ende nochtans cloeckelijck met alle man ende macht dient g’arbeijt om ‘t fort in vorder deffentie te brengen, op dat in dese tijden noch wat bloot leggende bijsonderlijck van de Engelse niet mochten overompelt44 worden, dat men aen ‘t volck om daer toe echter te meer te animeren ende couragieren, souden beloven elck een maent gagie op hun reecq. te vereeren, soo haest ‘t fort in volcomen deffentie sullen gebracht hebben, ende wijders ‘t galjot sijn goederen voor India in ‘t jacht overgescheept hebbende nae ‘t Robbeneijlant te laten gaen om wat peguijns ende jonge robben in te souten tot spijsinge van ‘t volck hier aen lant in plaetse van Hollantse victualie, die geen veertien dagen langher duijren can, Soo is oock goet gevonden den stuijrman Gerrit Abelsz ‘t vaerwater alhier door experientie bekent, van ‘t jacht de Hoope op voorsz galjot te laten over gaen, ende daertegen den opperstuijrman van ‘t galjot op gemelte jacht, om met ‘t selve nae Batavia te varen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] TUENIS AIJSEN.
45
[Signed:] Fr. V.BURGH, Secrets.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] SYMEN PIETER W. TURVER.
[Signed:] TUENIS AIJSEN.
45
[Signed:] Fr. V.BURGH, Secrets.