Cape Council of Policy
327
1664-05-14
Minute details
- Entry number
- 327
- Date
- 1664-05-14
- Year
- 1664
English translation
In accordance with the express order and instruction sent to us last March by our E.E. Lords Superiors by the ship Parl in their missive dated September 22nd, we had the flute vessel Waterhoen (which returned here last December with a very small amount of rice and slaves from Madagascar) made ready again this month and provisioned it de novo for ten months and 43 heads of everything, in order to proceed from here via the island of Mauritius and some of the Comoros Islands to Madagascar again at the first opportunity, and to carry out the following in those quarters.
First of all, the aforementioned A small ship departing from here will have to stop at the aforementioned island of Mauritius to that end, and then reoccupy the same Compton roads with the same 12 people under the command of Assistant Sr. Jacobus van Nieuwlant, as their aforementioned E.E. has agreed to give up and will now proceed there as well.
Having arranged this on Mauritius, the aforementioned ship will have to continue on to the Comoros Islands to conduct a further and more diligent investigation there after the three valuable return ships from the departed Indian fleet of 1661, which are still missing.
And since we are also being urged to take further steps to trade in Madagascar due to the lack of rice, the aforementioned Moorhen will have to call at Antongil's Bhaeij on his return and drop anchor there, in order to bring us from there as much rice and slaves as the accompanying chief, Sr. Jochem Blanck, will be able to acquire and send back, or bring back himself, with the former.
But because we (namely those who are here inland) do not have complete knowledge of the annual changes in winds and currents that one hears in those regions, we have summoned the two skippers of 't Sloth van Honingen and Waterhoen, with their two chief officers, to our shore this morning and have asked each one for his opinion and advice on the matter. They then finally, after careful deliberation and consultation of matters with us, unanimously understood and deemed it good that the much-mentioned ship should undertake the aforementioned voyage in the following and most regular manner, namely, as soon as we are separated from Mauritius, to set a course northeastward, and to sail so high as to reach the islands lying in the passage up to approximately the Aquinoctial Line, and to examine any of them that might be able to arrive at or depart from it in all directions, but not to go any further than the large island of Mascarene, so that on the return journey the Antongil Bay, situated on the east coast of Madagascar, could be sailed to. And if with that first northeasterly course we crossed the fore-going islands and searched in vain, and found no recognizable sign of any people or ships remaining, this also includes all or any of the islands lying between the two. Mascarenhas and the aforementioned Bhaeij van Antongil are located, to do so with due caution and to make use of all possible resources as far as seamanship is appropriate in such an occasion.
Thus done and resolved in 't Fort de Goede Hope on the day and last year.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1664.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
[Signed:] HARMEN RUIJTER.
[Signed:] PIETER WILLEMSZ.
[Signed:] R. PADT-BRUGGE.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBZ.
First of all, the aforementioned A small ship departing from here will have to stop at the aforementioned island of Mauritius to that end, and then reoccupy the same Compton roads with the same 12 people under the command of Assistant Sr. Jacobus van Nieuwlant, as their aforementioned E.E. has agreed to give up and will now proceed there as well.
Having arranged this on Mauritius, the aforementioned ship will have to continue on to the Comoros Islands to conduct a further and more diligent investigation there after the three valuable return ships from the departed Indian fleet of 1661, which are still missing.
And since we are also being urged to take further steps to trade in Madagascar due to the lack of rice, the aforementioned Moorhen will have to call at Antongil's Bhaeij on his return and drop anchor there, in order to bring us from there as much rice and slaves as the accompanying chief, Sr. Jochem Blanck, will be able to acquire and send back, or bring back himself, with the former.
But because we (namely those who are here inland) do not have complete knowledge of the annual changes in winds and currents that one hears in those regions, we have summoned the two skippers of 't Sloth van Honingen and Waterhoen, with their two chief officers, to our shore this morning and have asked each one for his opinion and advice on the matter. They then finally, after careful deliberation and consultation of matters with us, unanimously understood and deemed it good that the much-mentioned ship should undertake the aforementioned voyage in the following and most regular manner, namely, as soon as we are separated from Mauritius, to set a course northeastward, and to sail so high as to reach the islands lying in the passage up to approximately the Aquinoctial Line, and to examine any of them that might be able to arrive at or depart from it in all directions, but not to go any further than the large island of Mascarene, so that on the return journey the Antongil Bay, situated on the east coast of Madagascar, could be sailed to. And if with that first northeasterly course we crossed the fore-going islands and searched in vain, and found no recognizable sign of any people or ships remaining, this also includes all or any of the islands lying between the two. Mascarenhas and the aforementioned Bhaeij van Antongil are located, to do so with due caution and to make use of all possible resources as far as seamanship is appropriate in such an occasion.
Thus done and resolved in 't Fort de Goede Hope on the day and last year.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1664.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
[Signed:] HARMEN RUIJTER.
[Signed:] PIETER WILLEMSZ.
[Signed:] R. PADT-BRUGGE.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBZ.
Original Dutch transcription
Altervolgens(sic)de expresse last en order die ons in Meert jongstleden van onse E.E. Heeren Supperioren per ‘t schip de Parl bij derselver Missive sub dato 22 September ao. passo. toegesonden zij, hebben wij ‘t fluijtscheepje ‘t Waterhoen (dat verleden jaer in December met gants weijnigh rijs en slaven van Madagascar hier is comen te retourneren) dese maent weder doen vaerdigh maken en ‘t selve de novo voor thien maenden en 43 coppen van alles behorelijck geprovideert, omme met de allereerste gelegentheijt van hier over ‘t eijlant Mauritius en eenige van de Comorische Eijlanden andermael na Madagascar te gaen, en in die quartieren te verrichten sulcx hier naer volght.
Eerstelijck sal ‘et voorn. scheepje van hier vertreckende ‘t voorsz eijlant Mauritius tot dien eijnde moeten aenlopen om ‘t selve Comps. wegen nu weder te besetten met alsulcke 12 perzonen onder ‘t Commando van den adsistent sr. Jacobus van Nieuwlant, als haer voorn. E.E. hebben gelieven op te geven, en nu mede derwaerts gaen.
Dit alsoo op Mauritius beschickt hebbende sal ‘t gemelte scheepje moeten verder en tot in de Comorische Eijlanden gaen om aldaer na de als noch vermiste drie costelijcke retourschepen uijt de vertrocken Indische vlooth van Ao. 1661 andermael en neerstiger ondersoeck te doen.
Ende dewijle wij tegenwoordigh oock bij gebreck van rijs genootdruckt zijn nader preuf van handel op Madagascar te nemen, sal ‘t dickmaels genoemde Waterhoentje op sijn wederom comste de Bhaeij van Antongil moeten aensoecken en in de selve ten ancker comen, om ons met den eersten soo veel rijs en slaven van daer toe te brengen als ‘t medegaende opperhooft sr. Jochem Blanck sal vermogens zijn met handel te cunnen crijgen en herwaerts senden, off selffs mede brengen.
Maer om dat wij (te weten die hier aen lant bescheijden zijn) geen volckomen kennisse hebben, van de veranderingen der winden en stroomen die men jaerlijcx in die gewesten verneemt, hebben wij de beijde schippers van ‘t Sloth van Honingen , en Waterhoen , met derselve beijde opperstierluijden, desen voormiddagh bij ons aen lant ontboden, en een ijder sijn gevoelen en advijs hierover affgevraeght, die dan eijndelingh na goet beraet en overlegh van saken met ons eenpaerigh verstaen en goet geacht hebben, dat het veelgeseijde scheepje de voorsz voijagie op dese navolgende ende segourste wijs soude moeten ondernemen, te weeten, soo drae van Mauritius sullen gescheijden wesen, de cours noortoostwaerts aen te stellen, ende daermede soo hoogh te zeijlen, omme de eijlanden die daer in de passagie leggen tot omtrent de Linie Aquinoctiael toe te bestevenen, en eenige derselver daer best aen en aff connen comen rontom wel te besightigen, maer verder niet te gaen als tot aen ‘t groot eijlant Mascarenhas , ten eijnde dat op de wedercomst de Bhaeij van Antongil gelegen op de Oostcuste van Madagascar , beseijlen souden konnen. Ende wanneer met die eerste Noortooste gangh in de voorsz eijlanden gekruijst en tevergeeffs souden mogen gesocht, en geen kenbaer teken van gebleven volck off scheepen gevonden hebben, is mede verstaen alle off eenige van de eijlanden die tusschen gemte. Mascarenhas ende voornoemde Bhaeij van Antongil gelegen zijn, tot dien eijnde mede voorsichtigh aen te doen, ende alle mogelijcke debvoiren aen te wenden als naer zeemanschap in sulcken gelegentheijt bruijckbaer is.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare voorsz.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1664.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
[Signed:] HARMEN RUIJTER.
[Signed:] PIETER WILLEMSZ.
[Signed:] R. PADT-BRUGGE.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBZ.
Eerstelijck sal ‘et voorn. scheepje van hier vertreckende ‘t voorsz eijlant Mauritius tot dien eijnde moeten aenlopen om ‘t selve Comps. wegen nu weder te besetten met alsulcke 12 perzonen onder ‘t Commando van den adsistent sr. Jacobus van Nieuwlant, als haer voorn. E.E. hebben gelieven op te geven, en nu mede derwaerts gaen.
Dit alsoo op Mauritius beschickt hebbende sal ‘t gemelte scheepje moeten verder en tot in de Comorische Eijlanden gaen om aldaer na de als noch vermiste drie costelijcke retourschepen uijt de vertrocken Indische vlooth van Ao. 1661 andermael en neerstiger ondersoeck te doen.
Ende dewijle wij tegenwoordigh oock bij gebreck van rijs genootdruckt zijn nader preuf van handel op Madagascar te nemen, sal ‘t dickmaels genoemde Waterhoentje op sijn wederom comste de Bhaeij van Antongil moeten aensoecken en in de selve ten ancker comen, om ons met den eersten soo veel rijs en slaven van daer toe te brengen als ‘t medegaende opperhooft sr. Jochem Blanck sal vermogens zijn met handel te cunnen crijgen en herwaerts senden, off selffs mede brengen.
Maer om dat wij (te weten die hier aen lant bescheijden zijn) geen volckomen kennisse hebben, van de veranderingen der winden en stroomen die men jaerlijcx in die gewesten verneemt, hebben wij de beijde schippers van ‘t Sloth van Honingen , en Waterhoen , met derselve beijde opperstierluijden, desen voormiddagh bij ons aen lant ontboden, en een ijder sijn gevoelen en advijs hierover affgevraeght, die dan eijndelingh na goet beraet en overlegh van saken met ons eenpaerigh verstaen en goet geacht hebben, dat het veelgeseijde scheepje de voorsz voijagie op dese navolgende ende segourste wijs soude moeten ondernemen, te weeten, soo drae van Mauritius sullen gescheijden wesen, de cours noortoostwaerts aen te stellen, ende daermede soo hoogh te zeijlen, omme de eijlanden die daer in de passagie leggen tot omtrent de Linie Aquinoctiael toe te bestevenen, en eenige derselver daer best aen en aff connen comen rontom wel te besightigen, maer verder niet te gaen als tot aen ‘t groot eijlant Mascarenhas , ten eijnde dat op de wedercomst de Bhaeij van Antongil gelegen op de Oostcuste van Madagascar , beseijlen souden konnen. Ende wanneer met die eerste Noortooste gangh in de voorsz eijlanden gekruijst en tevergeeffs souden mogen gesocht, en geen kenbaer teken van gebleven volck off scheepen gevonden hebben, is mede verstaen alle off eenige van de eijlanden die tusschen gemte. Mascarenhas ende voornoemde Bhaeij van Antongil gelegen zijn, tot dien eijnde mede voorsichtigh aen te doen, ende alle mogelijcke debvoiren aen te wenden als naer zeemanschap in sulcken gelegentheijt bruijckbaer is.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hope ten dage ende jare voorsz.
[Signed:] Z. WAGENAER.
[Signed:] ABRAHAM GABBEMA. 1664.
[Signed:] HENDR. LACUS.
[Signed:] HARMEN RUIJTER.
[Signed:] PIETER WILLEMSZ.
[Signed:] R. PADT-BRUGGE.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBZ.