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Cape Council of Policy

252

1660-08-26

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Minute details

Entry number
252
Date
1660-08-26
Year
1660

English translation

Suddenly, because of the extraordinary rain this season more than ever before Comps. residence here has fallen, the first old work of the fort's walls (still without wooden and woven garden work as is now happening, being occupied) has almost entirely come to collapse, folding in which has been a great and extensive work for the people for a long time, and continues to be, in addition to the necessary widening of the canals and the establishment of the water, with two rigid, strong dams, taken in hand below the Reijgerspunt: in accordance with the left order of My Lord Sterthemius (on our shown project) there with greater ease and less spillage or breaking of vessels, by allowing the crew of the arriving ships to fetch very clean, clean and clear sunken water, and also with one to the satisfaction of the The instructions given by our Lord Majores from the country to Commander Riebeeck were to direct the water around the fort's moats and shore it up, while constructing these dams and leaving it there, as best as possible, with the least amount of labor and expense.

The Council, considering the many serious difficulties of all this work and maintaining the posts and guards at night, agreed upon after deliberation: to hasten the work sooner and to encourage the people in it a little more, to set up several plots, so that when work was done, they (meaning those working on the aforementioned extraordinary work of the walls and moats) should be treated to a barrel of the best brewed beer, and a fat meal or pub (as the common man calls it), and when everything is dissolved, to provide each of them, in addition to the ordinary loans, a month's money in cash on account, in addition to a general allowance of two hundred guilders, for these extraordinary workers, besides twice a day hot food and meat, fish or something else in the afternoon. get the 1/2 lb. rise above their ordinary ration of bread and bread & butter. to let it be purchased for so long until fresh work will be absolved.170

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

[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1660.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1660.

[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.

[Signed:] H. LACUS, Secrets. 1660.

Original Dutch transcription

Naademael door den extraordinairen regen dit saijsoen meer als oijt te vooren staande Comps. residentie alhier gevallen, het eerste oude werck van des forts wallen (noch sonder houdt ende gevlochten thuijnwerck gelijck nu geschiet, beset sijnde) meest altemaelen is coomen neder te storten, invougen daaraen al een lange wijle groot ende veel wercx voor ‘t volck is geweest, ende noch blijft aenhouden, behalven oock het noodig verwijden der grachten ende besettinge des waaters, met twee stijve stercke dammen, onder de reijgerspunt onderhanden genoomen: omme conform de gelaeten ordre van Myn Heere Sterthemius (op ons verthoonde project) aldaer met beter gemack ende minder spillinge ofte breecken der vaaten, door ‘t volck der aencoomende schepen heel suijver, schoon ende claer gesoncken water te cunnen laeten haelen, ende alsoo met eenen tot voldoeninge der medegegeven instructie onser Heeren Majores uijt ‘t vaderlant aen den Commandeur Riebeeck ‘t waeter rontsom in des forts grachten te leijden ende op te stutten, bij ‘t leggen deser versz dammen ende verlaten daerdoor, met den minsten arbeijt ende costen best doenlijck &a.,

Soo is bij den Raadt overwogen de veele swaere moijelijckheden, van al dat werck ende ‘t waernemen der posten ende wachten bij nacht, al met eenen mede na overlegh van saacken goetgevonden: om het gem. werck te eerder te spoedigen ende ‘t volck daerinne wat meer aen te moedigen, te stellen verscheijde percken, om tot daer gearbeijt sijnde, haer als dan telckens (verstaande die aen voorsz extraordinaris werck der wallen ende grachten arbeijden) te laeten tracteeren met een vat van ‘t beste gebrouwen bier, ende een vette maeltijt ofte croeg (soo ‘t den gemeenen man noemt) ende wanneer ‘t alles sal weesen g’absolveert, ijder van deselve boven d’ ordinaires leeningen te verstrecken een maantgelt in contant op reeck., boven noch een generale vereeringe van twee hondert guldens, voor deselve extraordinaire arbeijdersbeneffens 2 mael daegs warme cost ende ‘s middags vleijs, vis of ‘t wes anders te crijgen ende 1/2 lb. rijs yder boven hun ordinaire rantsoen brooden ende costgelt &a. te laeten schaffen soo lang tot versz werck sal g’absolveert wesen.170

Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope, ten dage ende jare als boven.

[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1660.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1660.

[Signed:] PITER EVRARD.

[Signed:] H. LACUS, Secrets. 1660.