Cape Council of Policy
321
1663-12-08
Minute details
- Entry number
- 321
- Date
- 1663-12-08
- Year
- 1663
English translation
After long anticipation, thank God, on the 5th of this month the flute boat 't Waterhoen with its chief, Sr. Jochum Blanck, as one of the guards sent out from here, finally returned safely to this port from the Island of Madagascar. However, according to what we have gathered from their oral reports and surviving writings, there was little or nothing to be done with this sought-after new trade in the port of St. Augustine and some other places, because the inhabitants of this country were already too badly affected and impoverished by constant wars they were waging against each other, having recently lost most of their cattle and a great deal of grain, which had been set on fire in the fields; However, from their surplus, and as proof that the aforementioned island was sufficiently fertile, they brought back an estimated five loads of rice, cadjangh, and round beans or ore, as well as a barrel full of salted meat, and seven slaves.
This first voyage from here after the aforementioned journey having turned out beyond our expectations, with such modestly achieved advantages, it was unanimously agreed and decided at this meeting to disembark the aforementioned ship with the first of its returned remaining merchandise, timber, provisions, etc., and to keep it here with us until the expected return fleet from India had arrived here, in order to then dispose of it for further shipments.
And because the said ship (according to the statement of the old skipper Pieter Willemsz as his captain)292 is in great need of having it cleaned out with a sword, the worm from which is roasted and harpooned, it has now been understood that the said skipper will meanwhile depart with it to Saldanha Bay, where there is a very good opportunity for such work, since the anchor will be dropped beforehand before the Robben Island, and will remain there until his crew have beached and collected a good portion of shells, when 8 or 10 days later Commander Wagenaer himself remembers to come to the said island, and furthermore, from there to the aforementioned harbor to depart as for his first voyage, since this can be done conveniently at present, as no ships are expected here in this or the coming month. With these in mind, we principally intend to stock up on large fish in that harbor beforehand, and on our return journey (which must take place overland) to seek out some large animals passing by, and to bring them to the fort with him, since we find ourselves extremely short of such livestock.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
This first voyage from here after the aforementioned journey having turned out beyond our expectations, with such modestly achieved advantages, it was unanimously agreed and decided at this meeting to disembark the aforementioned ship with the first of its returned remaining merchandise, timber, provisions, etc., and to keep it here with us until the expected return fleet from India had arrived here, in order to then dispose of it for further shipments.
And because the said ship (according to the statement of the old skipper Pieter Willemsz as his captain)292 is in great need of having it cleaned out with a sword, the worm from which is roasted and harpooned, it has now been understood that the said skipper will meanwhile depart with it to Saldanha Bay, where there is a very good opportunity for such work, since the anchor will be dropped beforehand before the Robben Island, and will remain there until his crew have beached and collected a good portion of shells, when 8 or 10 days later Commander Wagenaer himself remembers to come to the said island, and furthermore, from there to the aforementioned harbor to depart as for his first voyage, since this can be done conveniently at present, as no ships are expected here in this or the coming month. With these in mind, we principally intend to stock up on large fish in that harbor beforehand, and on our return journey (which must take place overland) to seek out some large animals passing by, and to bring them to the fort with him, since we find ourselves extremely short of such livestock.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
Original Dutch transcription
Na langh verwachten is eijndelijck noch wel God zij danck op 5en deser van ‘t eijlant Madagascar weder behouden in dese bhaeij comen te retourneren ‘t fluijtscheepje ‘t Waterhoen met het opperhooft sr. Jochum Blanck, als voirder uijtgesonden suppoosten van hier, maer na wij uijt derselver mondelingh rapporten als overgeleverde schriften hebben kunnen vernemen, was met dese gesochte nieuwe handel in de bhaey van St. Augustijn en eenige andere plaetsen daeromtrent weijnigh off niet te doen geweest, Ten aensien de inwoonders aen deselve lant-cant door geduerige oorlogen die met malkanderen voerden al te seer gequelt en ver-armt, wesende, kort te voren haer meeste vee, en een hoope graenen, die op ‘t velt staende in brant gesteken waren, verlooren hadden; echter bragten noch van derselver overschot en tot een bewijs dat ‘et voorn. eijlant vruchtbaer genoegh was ongevaer vijff lasten rijs, cadjangh en ronde boonen off erten, mitsgaders tot een proeff een vath vol ingesouten vleijs, en seven stucx slaven mede.
Dese eerste tocht dan van hier na gemelte bhaey buijten onser aldervermoeden met dus sobere behaelde voordeeltjes uijtgevallen zijnde, Is te deser vergaderingh eenparig verstaen en vast gestelt ‘t voorn. scheepje met den eersten van sijn weerom gebrachte overig[e] coopmanschappen, houtwercken, provisien &a. te disbarqueren, en ‘t selve hier soo lange bij ons te houden totdat de te verwachten retour-vlooth uijt India, hier sal verschenen wesen, om alsdan op desselffs voirder versenden te disponeren.
Ende omdat ‘et gemelte scheepje (volgens de verclaringe van den ouden schipper Pieter Willemsz als desselffs stierlieden)292 grotelijcx van noode heeft, dat het onder eens ter degen schoongemaeckt, de worm daeruijt gebrant en geharpuijst wiert, Is nu insgelijcx verstaen dat gemelten schipper onderentusschen daermede naer de Saldanhabaij vertrecken sal, alwaer tot sulcken werck seer goede gelegentheyt is vermits alvoren voor ‘t Robbeneijlant ‘t ancker vallen laten, en soo lange daerop leggen blijven sal, totdat sijn scheeps-volck goede parthije schulpen sullen aen strant gebracht en opgesamelt hebben, als wanneer 8 a 10 dagen daeraen den Commandeur Wagenaer selffs gedenckt na ‘t voorsz eijlant te comen, en wijders van daer mede tot in de voorn. bhaeij als voor sijn eerste reijs te vertrecken, dewyle sulcx tegenwoordigh gevoeghelijck geschied[en] kan, omdat in dese noch in de toecomende maent geen scheepen alhier te verwachte[n] hebben, principael met dese insichten om al vooren goede parthije groote vissen in die bhaeij op voorraet sien te krijgen en op sijn wederomreijs (die over lant geschieden moet) eenigh groff beestiael empassant soecken te becomen, en met hem aen ‘t fort te brengen, dewijle wij ons rechtevoort van sulcken vee uyttermaten sober versien bevinden.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
Dese eerste tocht dan van hier na gemelte bhaey buijten onser aldervermoeden met dus sobere behaelde voordeeltjes uijtgevallen zijnde, Is te deser vergaderingh eenparig verstaen en vast gestelt ‘t voorn. scheepje met den eersten van sijn weerom gebrachte overig[e] coopmanschappen, houtwercken, provisien &a. te disbarqueren, en ‘t selve hier soo lange bij ons te houden totdat de te verwachten retour-vlooth uijt India, hier sal verschenen wesen, om alsdan op desselffs voirder versenden te disponeren.
Ende omdat ‘et gemelte scheepje (volgens de verclaringe van den ouden schipper Pieter Willemsz als desselffs stierlieden)292 grotelijcx van noode heeft, dat het onder eens ter degen schoongemaeckt, de worm daeruijt gebrant en geharpuijst wiert, Is nu insgelijcx verstaen dat gemelten schipper onderentusschen daermede naer de Saldanhabaij vertrecken sal, alwaer tot sulcken werck seer goede gelegentheyt is vermits alvoren voor ‘t Robbeneijlant ‘t ancker vallen laten, en soo lange daerop leggen blijven sal, totdat sijn scheeps-volck goede parthije schulpen sullen aen strant gebracht en opgesamelt hebben, als wanneer 8 a 10 dagen daeraen den Commandeur Wagenaer selffs gedenckt na ‘t voorsz eijlant te comen, en wijders van daer mede tot in de voorn. bhaeij als voor sijn eerste reijs te vertrecken, dewyle sulcx tegenwoordigh gevoeghelijck geschied[en] kan, omdat in dese noch in de toecomende maent geen scheepen alhier te verwachte[n] hebben, principael met dese insichten om al vooren goede parthije groote vissen in die bhaeij op voorraet sien te krijgen en op sijn wederomreijs (die over lant geschieden moet) eenigh groff beestiael empassant soecken te becomen, en met hem aen ‘t fort te brengen, dewijle wij ons rechtevoort van sulcken vee uyttermaten sober versien bevinden.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1663.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.