Cape Council of Policy
209
1659-07-01
Minute details
- Entry number
- 209
- Date
- 1659-07-01
- Year
- 1659
English translation
The fiscal Abraham Gabbema had returned this afternoon from Oedasoa to the Saldanhars' chiefs, with a report that he had found him in a very painful and broken condition, and therefore still unprepared (because his child's illness also seemed to be a serious concern) to go with them. He was also not entirely satisfied, as it seemed to the interpreter Eva that they were making so much effort to go back and forth in vain, and also saying that a wagon would not be necessary to get there, because they could not bear the horse-drawn carriage, not even on an ox, according to their manner. He had to make a better arrangement (as it seemed to him as well as his child). had to wait and then come down whenever possible, so to speak, presuming that she must have spoken to Eva about the wagon, mostly to avoid going to feed herself, and that in other matters she also makes us somewhat wiser than Oedasoa has her convey. And why she herself, it seems, also thought so, showing some dissatisfaction with her, without, however, remaining otherwise to ours12 than to mean sincerely the offered friendship and closer alliance with us and the war against the Caepmans & others, and to make sure she made herself known to the Commander as soon as possible. to enter the fort, to speak with him face to face, following his previous instructions, and to discuss the matter further.
And after the fiscal, in the absence of Ngonnomoa (who appeared to be his second, as various things today revealed), and also understood from Eva that it had been established, he had arrived at the fort with Ngonnomoa today. Ngonnomoa, having been with Oedasoa today, was now stopped by him, and the fiscal had informed the Commander. to say that no further effort would be necessary, as he was aware of the fatigue of the people and that they would stand firm on this. Being better prepared, he and his child would come without fail, or rather, send Ngonnomoa off with Eva.
However, since he had not been able to resolve on the fiscal request, he only agreed to agree to one, two, or three men to show us where the plundering enemies might find their lair, and that ours had also found an animal with a rope tied to its horns, like Comps. draft animals to Oedasoas were met by 3 Hottentoes on their way, which gave us some strange suspicions. So the Council (reinforced by the skipper, merchant and sargeant of the ship Orangie, which was moored here) decided after much deliberation to approve and send out another 10 spies of our own people to search for our enemies ourselves and that from the high stone mountains of this Cape, along all the high dunes of False Bay to Hottentoes Holland about E.S.E., ten hours' walk (directly) from here behind the first African mountain range, to lay on after the return of the same. to discuss what should primarily serve the E. Compe., and generally to remain vigilant both on the aforementioned Oedasoa and on the open, marauding enemies who last night attacked ours on the forest hill; and also to await what will reveal itself in the meantime from the aforementioned Oedasoa and what God the Lord will bestow upon us.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] HENDRICK VAN DE PUT.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] PIETER DE COCQ.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] NATANIEL WALTER.
[Signed:] GIJSBT. VAN CAMPEN, secrets.
And after the fiscal, in the absence of Ngonnomoa (who appeared to be his second, as various things today revealed), and also understood from Eva that it had been established, he had arrived at the fort with Ngonnomoa today. Ngonnomoa, having been with Oedasoa today, was now stopped by him, and the fiscal had informed the Commander. to say that no further effort would be necessary, as he was aware of the fatigue of the people and that they would stand firm on this. Being better prepared, he and his child would come without fail, or rather, send Ngonnomoa off with Eva.
However, since he had not been able to resolve on the fiscal request, he only agreed to agree to one, two, or three men to show us where the plundering enemies might find their lair, and that ours had also found an animal with a rope tied to its horns, like Comps. draft animals to Oedasoas were met by 3 Hottentoes on their way, which gave us some strange suspicions. So the Council (reinforced by the skipper, merchant and sargeant of the ship Orangie, which was moored here) decided after much deliberation to approve and send out another 10 spies of our own people to search for our enemies ourselves and that from the high stone mountains of this Cape, along all the high dunes of False Bay to Hottentoes Holland about E.S.E., ten hours' walk (directly) from here behind the first African mountain range, to lay on after the return of the same. to discuss what should primarily serve the E. Compe., and generally to remain vigilant both on the aforementioned Oedasoa and on the open, marauding enemies who last night attacked ours on the forest hill; and also to await what will reveal itself in the meantime from the aforementioned Oedasoa and what God the Lord will bestow upon us.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] HENDRICK VAN DE PUT.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] PIETER DE COCQ.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] NATANIEL WALTER.
[Signed:] GIJSBT. VAN CAMPEN, secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Den fiscael Abraham Gabbema desen namiddagh van Oedasoa den oversten der Saldanhars wederom gecomen wesende, met raport hij den selven gansch pijnelijck ende debijl had gevonden, ende derhalven noch ongereedt (vermits oock de sieckte van sijn kint dat seer lief scheen te hebben) om voor jegenwoordigh noch mede te gaen, Item mede niet heel wel tevreden soo ‘t scheen op de tolcqinne Eva dat sij maeckten wijluijden dus veele moeijten te vergeefs heen ende weer deden, als latende seggen, dat om herrewarts te comen geen wagen soude behoeven, vermits het hossen niet en soude cunnen verdragen, selffs niet op een os, na hun maniere, Invoegen na beeter dispositie (soo ‘t scheen soo wel van sijn kint voorsz als hem selffs) moeste wachten ende dan soo al sachiens afcomen, sulcx te presumeren sij, Eva van de wagen sal hebben gesprooken, meest om haer selffs om niet te voedt te gaen, ende sij ons in ander saecken oocq wel wat meer wys maeckt als Oedasoa haer doet overtolcqen, Ende waeromme denselve soo ‘t scheen sulcx oock menende op haer al eenich misnoegend gelaedt thoonden sonder evenwel sich anders tegen d’ onse te gelaten12 als de aengebooden vrundtschap ende nader alliantie met ons ende den oorlogh tegen de Caepmans &a. oprecht te menen, ende te verseeckeren sich soo haest doenelijck bij den Commandr. in ‘t fort te begeven, om met den selven na syn voorige seggen dan mondt aen mondt te spreecken ende nader overlegh van saecken te maecken.
Ende nademael den fiscael in ‘t verbygaen van Ngonnomoa (sijn 2e scheynende te wesen soo ‘t heden aen verscheyden dingen bleeck) ende oock van Eva verstaen had dattet vastgestelt was hij Ngonnomoa met haer van daghe soude aen ‘t fort gecomen hebben ‘t welck Ngonnomoa heden bij Oedasoa geweest hebbende, door hem nu was tegen gehouden, ende den fiscael laten weten hadt, den Commandr. te seggen dat geen moeyten meer doen soude hem te besenden, als moeijende sich de vermoeijtheijt van ‘t volck ende dat men daer vast op soude staan hij ende sijn kint beeter gedisponeert sijnde sonder fault wel soude comen, ofte des niet Ngonnomoa met Eva afsenden.
Doch nademael hij niet hadde cunnen resolveren op des fiscaels versoeck maer 1, 2 a 3 man te consenteeren om ons te wysen waer men de rovende vyanden haer leger soude cunnen opvinden, ende dat d’ onse oock een beest met een tou aen de hoorens gevonden gelijck Comps. treckbeesten na Oedasoas crael op hun vertrecq door 3 Hottentoos tegen quam, welck een en ander ons al wat vreemde bedenckinge dede geven, Soo is bij den Raedt (versterckt met den schipper, coopman ende sargeant van ‘t hier ter rheede leggende schip Orangie ) na wel rype deliberatien goedtgevonden ende beslooten weder 10 spions van ons eijgen volcq uijt te senden om voorsz ons vyanden selffs op te soecken ende dat van de hoge steenbergen deser Caep aff, langhs door al de hoge duijnen van de baij Fals tot in ‘t Hottentoos Hollandt omtrent O.Z.O. thien uijren gaens (recht aen) van hier achter ‘t eerste overgeberchte van Africa leggende, omme na wederomcomste van deselve dan vorders te overleggen wat ten meesten dienste van d’ E. Compe. sal dienen voorgewendt ende doorgaens soowel op hoeden te blyven op voorsz Oedasoa als de rovende openbare vyanden, welcke verleden nacht noch een aenval op d’ onse aen den bosheuvel hebben gedaen; mitsgaders in te wachten wat middelerwijl van voorsz Oedasoa sich nader openbaren ende Godt de Heere ten besten sal gelieven te geven.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] HENDRICK VAN DE PUT.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] PIETER DE COCQ.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] NATANIEL WALTER.
[Signed:] GIJSBT. VAN CAMPEN, secrets.
Ende nademael den fiscael in ‘t verbygaen van Ngonnomoa (sijn 2e scheynende te wesen soo ‘t heden aen verscheyden dingen bleeck) ende oock van Eva verstaen had dattet vastgestelt was hij Ngonnomoa met haer van daghe soude aen ‘t fort gecomen hebben ‘t welck Ngonnomoa heden bij Oedasoa geweest hebbende, door hem nu was tegen gehouden, ende den fiscael laten weten hadt, den Commandr. te seggen dat geen moeyten meer doen soude hem te besenden, als moeijende sich de vermoeijtheijt van ‘t volck ende dat men daer vast op soude staan hij ende sijn kint beeter gedisponeert sijnde sonder fault wel soude comen, ofte des niet Ngonnomoa met Eva afsenden.
Doch nademael hij niet hadde cunnen resolveren op des fiscaels versoeck maer 1, 2 a 3 man te consenteeren om ons te wysen waer men de rovende vyanden haer leger soude cunnen opvinden, ende dat d’ onse oock een beest met een tou aen de hoorens gevonden gelijck Comps. treckbeesten na Oedasoas crael op hun vertrecq door 3 Hottentoos tegen quam, welck een en ander ons al wat vreemde bedenckinge dede geven, Soo is bij den Raedt (versterckt met den schipper, coopman ende sargeant van ‘t hier ter rheede leggende schip Orangie ) na wel rype deliberatien goedtgevonden ende beslooten weder 10 spions van ons eijgen volcq uijt te senden om voorsz ons vyanden selffs op te soecken ende dat van de hoge steenbergen deser Caep aff, langhs door al de hoge duijnen van de baij Fals tot in ‘t Hottentoos Hollandt omtrent O.Z.O. thien uijren gaens (recht aen) van hier achter ‘t eerste overgeberchte van Africa leggende, omme na wederomcomste van deselve dan vorders te overleggen wat ten meesten dienste van d’ E. Compe. sal dienen voorgewendt ende doorgaens soowel op hoeden te blyven op voorsz Oedasoa als de rovende openbare vyanden, welcke verleden nacht noch een aenval op d’ onse aen den bosheuvel hebben gedaen; mitsgaders in te wachten wat middelerwijl van voorsz Oedasoa sich nader openbaren ende Godt de Heere ten besten sal gelieven te geven.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] HENDRICK VAN DE PUT.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] PIETER DE COCQ.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] NATANIEL WALTER.
[Signed:] GIJSBT. VAN CAMPEN, secrets.