Cape Council of Policy
30
1653-10-23
Minute details
- Entry number
- 30
- Date
- 1653-10-23
- Year
- 1653
English translation
Just now, three of the musketeer97 who were following the carpenters and woodcutters in the forest, came very hastily to the fort with news that some Saldanhars had come to tell them (under a certain captain, with whom we had exchanged many animals last year, who had also shown us the same loyalty at one time, that one of our animals had run away from us and gotten under his own, and had brought it back after two days) that our former token Herrij was lying with the stolen animals in the Baie Falsa and had asked to be allowed to stay with their Saldanhars, which they had refused, not wanting to have anything to do with him, as well as knowing that those animals had been stolen from the Hollanders and carried off treacherously. like the aforementioned Saldanhas captain, Captain Sadeghay had been with us last evening and, having been well treated, had not even seen the animals himself, indicating to our carpenters that they should fetch more people with firearms; he wanted to bring them along, and was as willing as he could to help get the animals back, hearing all this news and considering that ours had always suffered the worst in the past from the stratloopers Herrijs consorts (called Watermans), and in contrast to the Saldanhas, had generally enjoyed nothing but complete friendship; they had never sought anything other than to trade with us in friendship, as they had experienced satisfactory results with us last year. Also that the Saldanhars (as could be noticed) would rather act alone than with Herrij, and Herrij would never act as if in compe. of us has lost confidence among the Saldanhars, except for a group who seemed to be somewhat friends of Herrij, but not so much that Herrij and much less his associates dared to go there quite fearlessly, always fleeing as soon as a few Saldanhars came near here, except for Herrij who remained among our Safe Guard at the fort. The same is sufficiently conveyed to all, or always to notice and perceive at least in some way, as is also the feeling of all those who have ever been at the Cape, and who have lain here with the unfortunate ships Mauritius and Haerlem (as some of them living here with us know and affirm) that the Saldanhars and Watermans have always been hostile to each other, and the Watermans have often been the very agents of the dealings between us and the Saldanhars. Consequently, it should not be strange that we would show the Saldanhars great kindness by pursuing Herrij and his associates, as they also used to point out to us daily that they should kill Herrij and Waterman: in order to be able to deal with us more peacefully, as this (the aforementioned captain had also managed to indicate to our carpenters) did not have to do so for Saldanhar's sake alone: but Herrij and his own had now given us good cause for their murder and the robbery of us. to ruin animals etc. It was finally decided, after various deliberations and considerations on many matters, to send a group of 17 strong soldiers victualled there this evening for 4 or 5 days, under Corporal Jan van Haerwaerden, a person of good, prudent, and diligent conduct, with orders to go with our carpenters into the forest this evening and spend the night there until daybreak: in order to then, if the matter were then found safe, with the said Saldanhas captains. or, indeed, without himself, to set out for the Baie de Falsa, or where Herrij might lie down with our cattle, and upon encountering them, to see the cattle appear; as well as to bring Herrij and his people to heel as best they could, with love or displeasure; always remaining on the alert to avoid being seduced, deceived, or killed by one or the other.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope, date ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REIJNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERGH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, Secrts.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope, date ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REIJNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERGH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, Secrts.
Original Dutch transcription
Soo even drie van de musquettiers97 die op de timmerluijden ende houthackers in ‘t bospassen, seer haastigh aen ‘t fort comende met tijdinge dat haer eenige Saldanhars hadden comen seggen (daer onder seecker capiteijn van den welcken wij vergangen jaer veele beesten hebben geruijlt, die ons doen ter tijt oock de trouwicheijt eens had gedaen dat hij een van onse beesten van ons weghgelopen ende onder de sijne geraeckt, na twee dagen had wederom gebracht) dat onsen gewesen tolcq Herrij met de weghgestolen beesten in de Baij Falsa lagh ende versocht had om bij haer Saldanhars te mogen bij wonen, ‘t welcke sijluijden hadden geweijgert niet willende met hem te doen hebben als wel wetende die beesten van de Hollanders gestolen ende trouwlooslijck weghgevoert hadden, gelijck voorschreven Saldanhasen capiteijn Saterdagh ‘s avonts verleden bij ons geweest ende wel getracteert sijnde de beesten noch selffs gesien had, beduijdende aen onse timmerluijden dat meer volcq met schietgeweer souden halen; hij wilde haer daer bij brengen, ende soo veel in hem was de beesten helpen wederom crijgen, alle welcke tijdinge aenhoorende ende considererende dat d’onse in voortijden ‘t quaet haer toegecomen altijt door de Strantloopers Herrijs consoorten (Watermans genaempt) is aengedaen, ende ter contrarie van de Saldanhars doorgaens niet dan alle vruntschap genoten: welcke noijt anders gesocht hebben als met ons in vruntschap te handelen, soo verleden jaere mede genoeghsaem ervaren hebben. Item oock dat de Saldanhars (soo bemercken conden) liever sonder als met Herrij, wilden handelen, ende Herrij sigh oock noijt als in compe. van ons heefft onder de Saldanhars derven vertrouwen, excepto eenen trop die wel eenighsints Herrijs vrunden schenen te weesen, echter soodanigh noch niet, dat hem Herrij ende veel min sijn consoorten haer heel onbeschroomt daeronder dorsten begeven, vluchtende altijt wegh alsser maer eenige Saldanhars hier omtrent quamen behalven Herrij die onder onse Save Guarde bij ‘t fort bleeff woonen, Invougen aen allen ‘t selve genoegsaem, offte altoos ten minsten eenighsints te mercken ende bespeuren sij gelijck oock t’ eenemael ‘t gevoelen is van alle de geene die oijt aen de Caep geweest sijn, ende hier met de verongelucte scheepen Mauritius ende Haerlem gelegen hebben (soo ons eenige daervan hier bij ons wonende mede weten t’ affirmeren) dat de Saldanhars ende Watermans altijt vijandigh tegen den anderen ende de Watermans de beletters van de handelinge tusschen ons ende de Saldanhars dickwils sijn geweest, dienvolgens wel niet vrempt mochte wesen dat wij de Saldanhars groote vruntschap souden doen met ‘t vervolgen van Herrij en consoorten,98 soo sij oock dagelix aen ons wel plachten te wijsen, dat men Herrij ende Waterman maer souden dootslaen: om te gerustiger met ons temogen99 handelen, gelijck desen (voorgemelten capiteijn aen onse timmerluijden oock hadde weten te beduijden) sulx nu niet hoeffden om haer Saldanhar[s] wil alleen te doen: maer Herrij met den sijnen ons nu selffs wel oorsaecke genoegh gegeven hadden haer om derselver moort ende ‘t roven onser beesten te ruijneren &a. Is eijntelijck na verscheijden deliberatien ende op vele saecken genomen consideratien verstaen, een trop van 17 cloecke soldaten noch desen avont voor 4 a 5 dagen gevictualieert derwaerts aff te senden, onder den corporael Jan van Haerwaerden, een persoon van goet ende voorsichtich beleijt ende naersticheijt, met ordre noch desen avont bij onse timmerluijden in ‘t bos te gaen ende aldaer tot tegen den dagh te vernachten: omme als dan de saecken veijligh bevindende, met gemelten Saldanhasen captn. off wel sonder den selven sigh op wegh te begeven na de Baij Falsa offte daer Herrij met onse beesten mochte leggen, ende bij ontmoetinge van deselve de koebeesten sien te becomen: mitsgaders Herrij ende sijn volcq mogelijck werdende op te brengen met minne offte onminne soo best cunnen; altijt op hoede blijvende om soo weijnich van d’ een als d’ ander verleijt, bedrogen offte om den hals gebracht te worden.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope datum ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REIJNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERGH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, Secrts.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope datum ut ante.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1653.
[Signed:] JACOB REIJNIERSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARDENBERGH. 1653.
[Signed:] FR. V.BURGH, Secrts.