Cape Council of Policy
29
1653-10-21
Minute details
- Entry number
- 29
- Date
- 1653-10-21
- Year
- 1653
English translation
To our great sorrow and beyond all expectation the misfortune God has befallen us that all of the Compes's cattle amounting to 44 stx. including last Sunday during the sermon he was taken away and abducted by the Stantloopers (called Watermans), notwithstanding that the same of our arrival lived here under our care and daily made many friends, especially the Hottento Herrij, who was taken as a customs officer, who was generally fed from our table as a great friend every day, dressed in Dutch clothes and decorated with copper chains, stocks and plates87 ) as well as all the others, likewise always filled their lean and hungry88 bellies, by which they had become so diligent with fetching water and fuel wood, as well as milking the cows and attending to the young calves & such seemed to be no different, or were we89 as our own countrymen inclined, yet, by90 this rogue work proved to be the opposite and, without the slightest hesitation, we found ourselves completely deceived in it, and we, the common people (missing much besides), because their private considerations were very embittered against this nation and were inclined to avenge it, as well as besides that, it was also well past and deliberated that taking revenge here or persecuting this nation would cause great irritation, and as a result we might well remain completely and forever unaware of the proceedings with the Saldanhars, which nevertheless was the principal intention of our Lords and Masters here place they, whom we fear, will nevertheless first remain shy about coming here to the fort with their cattle, apparently out of fear that they will think we would seek our revenge on them, so we have approved and decided not to commit any act against the murder of young Davit Jansz (having looked after the animals) in addition to their theft of the cattle, since on the hotter date the said rogues have not been able to overtake, to warn our people by placard and interdict none of these inhabitants, be they Sa[l]danhars or strays who have stolen our animals, appearing at the fort or meeting them on the roads, yes not even the former toll Herrij (apparently the only cause of this roguery being) to do the least harm, but on the contrary92 to prove as much, indeed93 more than less friendship as before, in order, if possible, to dispel the fear of the Saldanhars by it, as well as to nourish and increase their affection for us more and more, also94 to show that we are not at all inclined to avenge any harm, much less to do any good to the world without cause damage or hindrance, as we are so unconcerned with the revenge of a group of rogue strays, that our necessary trade with the Saldanhars would have to lag behind, to which the E. Compe. is too much of a concern, and we might encounter both the wrongdoers and the guilty if the latter error were worse than the former.
And to make the roads to the forest for wood and other things safer, it is understood that the people in the forest, with their ten and six wood-gatherers and wagons, should always proceed fully armed. Also, the people inside the fort should be divided into four companies and each should establish an order where they will be required to join the ramparts and points in case of any alarm or inconvenience, as well as the people for the constable and the artillery, etc., and to double the guards both outside and inside.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REYNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERCH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, secrts.
And to make the roads to the forest for wood and other things safer, it is understood that the people in the forest, with their ten and six wood-gatherers and wagons, should always proceed fully armed. Also, the people inside the fort should be divided into four companies and each should establish an order where they will be required to join the ramparts and points in case of any alarm or inconvenience, as well as the people for the constable and the artillery, etc., and to double the guards both outside and inside.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REYNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERCH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, secrts.
Original Dutch transcription
Tot groot leetweesen ende boven alle vermoeden het ongeluck Godt betert getroffen hebbende van dat ons al des Compes. koebeesten tot 44 stx. incluijs verleden Sondagh onder ‘t sermoen sijn wegh gehaelt ende ontvoert door de Stantloopers (Watermans genaempt) niet jegenstaende de selve van de uijr onses aencompste alhier onder onse hoede gewoont ende dagelijckx veele vruntschappen sijn gedaen, insonderheijt den tot tolcq aengenomen hottento Herrij, die doorgaens van onse taeffel als een groot vrunt alle dagen is gespijst, met Hollantse cleederen gecleet ende copere kettings, stocken ende platen verciert87 ) mitsgaders alle d’ andere ingelijcx oock altijt hunne magere ende hongeringe88 buijcken gevult waer door soo vlijtigh waren geworden met water ende branthout halen, mitsgaders ‘t melcken van de koijen ende waernemen der jonge calffjens &a.dat niet anders scheen of waren ons89 als eijgen lantsluijden genegen, edoch, doort90 dit schelmachtigh werck ‘t contrarie gebleecken ende buijten eenige de minste bedenckinge ons t’ eenemael in de selve bedrogen vindende ende ons gemeene volcqjen (als daer bij mede veele missende) om die hunne particuliere consideratien seer op dese lants natie verbittert ende genegen sijnde dat leet te wreecken, mitsgaders beneffens dien oock wel overleijt ende gedelibreert dat hier van wraecke te nemen offte dese natie te vervolgen groote irritatie soude baren, ende daerdoor geheel ende voor altijt wel mochten versteecken blijven van de handelinge met de Saldanhars, ‘t welcke nochtans de principale intentie onser Heeren Meesters hier ter plaetse sij, die wij duchten, echter vooreerst nochal sullen beschroomt blijven met haer vee hier aen ‘t fort te comen, apparent uijt vreese van dat sij sullen meenenwij91 onse revengie op haer souden soecken, soo hebben goetgevonden ende besloten niet jegenstaende de moort aen den jongen Davit Jansz (op de beesten hebbende gepast) boven hare roverije aen ‘t vee noch gedaen, dewijle op de heeter daet de gemelte schelmen niet hebben cunnen achterhalen, onsen volcqe bij placcate te waerschouwen ende interdiceren niemant van dese inwoonders ‘t sij Sa[l]danhars of Strantloopers die onse beesten gestoolen hebben bij ‘t fort verschijnende offte op de wegen ontmoetende, ja selffs niet den gewesen tolcq Herrij (apparent d’ eenige oorsaecke van dit schelmstuck sijnde) eenigh ‘t minste leet te doen, maer in tegen deel92 al soo veele, jaeer93 meer dan min vruntschap als voor desen te bewijsen om, mogelijck sijnde, de Saldanhars hare vreese daer door te verdrijven mitsgaders de selve in hunne genegentheijt tot ons meer ende meer te voeden ende doen aengroijen, alsoock94 om te doen blijcken dat wij emmers gaer95 niet genegen sijn eenigh leet te wreecken veel min ijmant ter weerelt sonder oorsaecke schade off hinder te doen, als ons soo veele aen de wraecke over een deel schelmse Strantlopers niet gelegen latende, dat onsen nodigen handel met de Saldanhars daer door soude moeten achter blijven, aen ‘t welcke d’ E. Compe. te veel gelegen is, ende wij soo wel den onrechten als dan rechtschuldigen souden cunnen aentreffen wanneer de laeste dwalinge erger dan d’ eerste soude sijn.
Ende omme oock te veijliger de wegen na ‘t bos om hout &a. te mogen gebruijcken, is verstaen ‘t volcq in ‘t bos met haer thienen ende ses houthaelders met de wagen altijt g’armeert te laten gaen, item oock om ‘t volcq binnen ‘t fort in vier corporaelschappen te verdelen ende elck ordre stellen waer hun bij eenigh alarm offte ongelegentheijt op de wallen ende punten sullen te vervougen hebben, als mede ‘t volcq voor de constabel ende ‘t geschut &a., mitsgaders de wachten buijten ende binnen te verdubbelen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REYNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERCH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, secrts.
Ende omme oock te veijliger de wegen na ‘t bos om hout &a. te mogen gebruijcken, is verstaen ‘t volcq in ‘t bos met haer thienen ende ses houthaelders met de wagen altijt g’armeert te laten gaen, item oock om ‘t volcq binnen ‘t fort in vier corporaelschappen te verdelen ende elck ordre stellen waer hun bij eenigh alarm offte ongelegentheijt op de wallen ende punten sullen te vervougen hebben, als mede ‘t volcq voor de constabel ende ‘t geschut &a., mitsgaders de wachten buijten ende binnen te verdubbelen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REYNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERCH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, secrts.