Cape Council of Policy
226
1659-10-15
Minute details
- Entry number
- 226
- Date
- 1659-10-15
- Year
- 1659
English translation
Dewyle het soo hard van den Z.Z. east remains ways that no vessel can sail either to or from the ships moored here, to summon the chiefs of those ashore and to strengthen the Council here in the matter of the Hottentoes present at the fort, which cannot suffer any delay due to various reasons, but the sooner the better the deliberation. So it was taken by the daily Council of the fort and after various considerations it was understood that it would be contrary to all right and fairness for people (although enemies and also (although they try to excuse it) to have been involved in the theft of the animals etc.) who come to them themselves offer for peace making &a. would keep them in custody, especially these poor guests, who are not at all firm, and by their detention such aversion and disbelief would be created among the others that those (to whom the E. Compe. is rightly and principally concerned)78 would never lose confidence in this matter, whereas on the contrary, the liberal access granted to them before this one at their present request and being seen badly by them, the others will lose all the more courage in this matter and thus in time and while a better opportunity may be found: to take proper revenge or to enter into and maintain such conditions, as then mostly in the interest of d’ E. Compe. and that the best thing might happen and be approved in due time and according to the circumstances, especially since the fortifications (to keep the beasts from chasing the Hottentoes away) are not yet finished or ready, and consequently we can do little else but preserve our beasts with all our might, which has also been greatly diminished by the consumption of ships, and therefore we must also necessarily keep thinking of ways to become different and more through trade (the best option), which cannot be achieved by the detention of these people, and much less to keep these Caepmans, our principal enemies, so far away to entice us again that they might be able to wage a revenge battle against us at once, such as they have had many opportunities to do so before, and it is hoped that they might come back in time and with liberty, or at least to the point where they might reconcile with us and give us back some of the stolen cattle, so that they might also carry on trading with the others more peacefully, which they now seek through Oedasoa to evade us as much as possible and to make everyone reject us, for which a countermeasure must necessarily be employed, which cannot be better thought of beforehand than to release these aforementioned Watermans and let them come and go freely. Since, however, neither their people nor anyone prevent us from having the opportunity to generally speculate about everything that they have done (seeing that we will make it stronger for a long time) we hope that they will at least have the opportunity to turbulence again, provided that everything is closely monitored and that one remains equally on guard everywhere, leaving aside the fences and other defensive reinforcements and the same as yverich continue.
Thus done and resolved in 't Fort de Goede Hope date aforesaid.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] GYSBT. VAN CAMPEN, Secrets.
Thus done and resolved in 't Fort de Goede Hope date aforesaid.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] GYSBT. VAN CAMPEN, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Dewyle het soo hard van den Z.Z. oosten blyft wayen dat geen vaertuygh aff off aen de hier ter rheede leggende scheepen cunnen varen, om d’ opperhooffden van dien aen landt te ontbieden ende den Raedt alhier daer mede te verstercken in de saecken van de jegenwoordigh bij ‘t fort synde Hottentoos ‘t welcke om verscheyden insichten geen uijtstel can lijden maer hoe eer hoe liever dient over beraedtslaeght, Soo is sulcx bij den dagelijcksen Raedt van ‘t fort by der handt genomen ende na verscheyden overweginge verstaan dattet tegen alle recht ende billicheyt soude stryden dat men luijden (hoewel vijanden ende mede (schoon sij het trachten te excuseren) aen ‘t roven der beesten &a. handtdadigh geweest) die haer selffs comen aenbieden tot vreede makingh &a. soude vast ende in hechtenisz houden, te meer aen dese kale gasten doch gansch niet vast en is, ende door d’ aenhoudinge van de selve, soodanigen affkeer ende wangeloof onder d’ andere soude gemaeckt worden dat hun die (aen wien d’ E. Compe. recht ende principaelst gelegen is)78 nooyt hier omtrent souden derven vertrouwen, daer ter contrarie desen den liberen toegangh als voor desen op hun jegenwoordigh versoeck toegestaen ende hun quaet geooghluijckt wordende d’ andere haer te vrijmoediger sullen derven hier omtrent begeven ende alsoo in tijt ende wijle beeter gelegentheijt mogen aengetroffen worden: om off behoorlijcke revengie te nemen ofte soodanige conditien aen te gaen ende doen houden, als dan ten meesten dienste van d’ E. Compe. ende ‘t gemeene beste na tijt ende saecks gelegentheijt soude mogen voorvallen ende goedtgevonden cunnen worden, te meer oock jegenwoordigh de schutweringhen (om ‘t bestiael voor ‘t deur ende wegh jagen der Hottentoos te keeren) noch niet affgemaeckt ofte vaerdigh sijn ende wij dienvolgens weijnich anders cunnen uijtrechten als ons bestiael met alle macht noch maer te bewaren ‘t welcke oock door de consumptie aen scheepen seer is verminde[rende], ende dierhalven oock noodtsakelijck moedt blijven gedacht op middelen, om door handel (‘t geradenste) weder ander ende meer te becomen ‘t welck door d’ aenhoudinge van dese luyden niet can verstaen worden te bewercken soude sijn, ende veel min om dese Caepmans onse principale vijanden soo verre weder bij ons te locken dat men op deselve soude cunnen onse slagh tot revengie ter degen eens waernemen soodanigh als men daer toe voor desen wel dickmael gelegentheijt heeft gehadt, ende gehoopt wort met de liberteyt aen dese te laten wel weder in tijt ende wijle toe mochte comen ofte ten minsten soo verde dat se weder met ons comen te reconsilieren ende eenich van ‘t gerooffde vee wederom te geven om dan oock den handel met d’ andre te geruster te exerceren, die se nu door Oedasoa ons soecken soo veel mogelijck t’ ont[t]recken ende yder een affkerigh van ons te maecken daer dan een tegen middel noodtsakelijck toe dient aengewendt die niet beeter voor eerst can bedacht worden, als dese voorsz Watermans liber ende vrij te laten toe ende affgaen. Dewijl men doch echter haer volck noch niemandt beletten can onse gelegentheijt doorgaens over al aff te speculeren die se (siende dat wij langh soo stercker maecken) te hoopen sij te min sullen soecken weder te turberen, mits op alles seer naeu met scherpe wacht gepast ende men overal even seer op hoede bljve, ende latende met de schutweringen ende andere deffencive versterckingen idem yverich voortvaren.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope datum ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] GYSBT. VAN CAMPEN, Secrets.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope datum ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1659.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1659.
[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.
[Signed:] GYSBT. VAN CAMPEN, Secrets.