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Cape Council of Policy

305

1663-01-22

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Minute details

Entry number
305
Date
1663-01-22
Year
1663

English translation

With the flute ship called 't Velthoen (which Mr. Commander Huijbert de Lairesse sent back here on the 8th of this month from his fleet, sailing about 27 degrees south of this line, east of this Cape, and they appeared here safely on the 19th of Thursday) we have finally received the long-awaited advice of such tenor, namely that the said E. Commander has been passing with his fleet since the 26th of September. that from here he had departed until the said date and had subsequently managed to get no further than a few miles above the Cape of Corinth, with great danger and the loss of 10 anchors and 3 boats, because the strong headwinds and currents in his previous voyage had generally prevented him from entering this African east coast, making it impossible to sail upwards through a southern monsoon. Therefore, his E. intended to divide the fleet shortly thereafter and to send the ships that had cargoes for India to Batavia. But his E. himself would depart with the remaining ships to the coast of India and otherwise work according to the orders he had brought with him. So that the precious equipment of nine warships for the intended attack on our Portuguese enemies in Mosambique has now failed for the third time.

And since the E.E. The Lords Masters in our country have recently kindly ordered that the aforementioned Velthoentje or the Waterhoentje, should either return here from the aforementioned voyage, should then be used for the Madagascar trade, but because the aforementioned ship will not be able to depart from there before the beginning of the upcoming northern monsoon, when a suitable time of wind and weather is to be expected for this, and will therefore have to remain here for another two or three months, it has been understood and determined by this meeting that the much-mentioned flute should be properly furnished with some necessities on the new site, and in the meantime send it to Robben Island for a good supply of shells for burning lime. the common works of the E. Comp. to be obtained from there.

Since the ship "de Bruijdegom" (which has been under construction for about six months) has also been completed and properly repaired, it has also been agreed that the aforementioned vessel, properly manned and provisioned, will be sent to sea around mid-February, in order to sail outside Leeuwenbergh or in the vicinity to catch up with the expected upcoming Batavian return fleet. Meanwhile, it will also be sent to Robben Island to test its sailing ability and its rake.

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

[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.

[Signed:] H. LACUS, Secrets. 1663.

Original Dutch transcription

Met het fluijtscheepje genaempt ‘t Velthoen (dat de heer Commandeur Huijbert de Lairesse op den 8en deser uijt sijn vlooth zeijlende omtrent de 27 graden besuijden dese linie beoosten dese Caap, weder te rugh herwaerts aangesonden heeft, en hier op den 19en do. daeraen behouden verscheenen zij) hebben wij eijndeling de langh verwachte advijsen van al sulcken teneur becomen, dat namentlijck gemelten E. Commandeur met sijn vlooth zedert 26 September ao. passo. dat van hier vertrocken was tot gemelten 8en deser toe niet verder als maer eenige mijlen boven de Caep de Corinthas , met groot gevaer en verlies van 10 anckers en 3 boots hadde connen comen, ten aensien hem doorgaens de kraghtighe tegenwinden en stroomen in sijn voirdere op reijs hierin alleen weder houden hadden invoegen dese Africaensche oost cust248 in soo een zuijder mousson onmogelyck opwaert uijt te bevaren was, dierhalven bleeff sijn E. voornemens de vlooth cort daeraen te verdeelen, en de scheepen die de cargazoenen voor India in hadden na Batavia te senden, Maer sijn E. selffs soude met de resteerende scheepen naer de cust van India vetrecken, en wijders naer sijn medegebrachte order te werck gaen, Soo dat die kostelijcke uijtrustingh van negen oorlogsscheepen tot ‘et voorhebbend’ exploict op onse vijanden de Portugesen in Mosambique , nu voor de derdemael vruchteloos uijtgevallen is.

Ende dewijle d’ E.E. Heeren Meesters in het vaderlant ons jongst hebben gelieven t’ ordonneeren dat ‘et voornoemde Velthoentje off het Waterhoentje , wanneer een van beijden van gemelten tocht hier geretourneert souw weesen ‘t selve als dan tot den Madagascarsen handel soude gebruijcken, maer om dat het gemelte scheepje niet voor ‘t begin van het aanstaande noorder mousson, als wanneer bequame tijt van wint en weer hiertoe eerst te verwachten hebben, sal derwaert uijt cunnen vertrecken, en daerom wel licht noch twee off drie maanden hier sal moeten blijven leggen, Is te deser vergaderinge verstaen, en vastgestelt dat het veelgemelte fluijtje weder met eenige behoeften op het nieuw behoorelijck versien, en ‘t selve onderentusschen na ‘t Robbeneijlandt senden sullen om goede parthije schelpen tot ‘et branden van calck tot des E. Comps. gemeene wercken, daervandaen te halen.

Dewijle oock de chaloup de Bruijdegom (die wel een half jaer onderhanden geweest is) nu eens voltrocken en behorelijck toegetakelt zij, Is insgelijcx verstaen dat ‘et gemelte navet, behoorelijck gemant, en geprovideert tegens medio Februarij, aenstaende, in zee senden sullen, om buijten de Leeuwenbergh off daeromtrent op de te verwachte aenstaende Batavische retourvloot te cruijssen, middelerwijle sal ‘t selve mede ten eijnde voorsz na ‘t Robbeneijlandt gesonden werden om een proeff, van desselfs zeilagie off ranckheijt, daervan te moogen hebben.

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

[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.

[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN.

[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.

[Signed:] H. LACUS, Secrets. 1663.