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Cape Council of Policy

371

1668-02-25

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Minute details

Entry number
371
Date
1668-02-25
Year
1668

English translation

Also with the ship Duijnvliet on the 2nd the Vliegende Swaen and the hooker d’ Kokmeeu both on the 23rd of this current month the Hon. Hr. Commander Cornelis van Quaelberg have received 3 pieces miscellaneous letters dated the 27th of September, 17th of October and 12th of November, all a passo written here by the Hon. Hr. our reputable Mrs. from the Patria, the content of which is concerning the peace concluded between the Crown of England and our state, as well as the order for the landing of the costly return fleet from India to sail to the port of our dear fatherland, so it is that Hon. Hr. Commander thought the aforementioned writings to the Hon. Hr. Joan van der Laan, Commissioner over the commotion69 of these places, which, in the Tafelbhaij newspaper of the 23rd of November, 70, showed a number of six large return ships named the "Hollantsen Thuijn," "Het Wapen van Middelburg," "Dordrecht," "Outhoorn," "Cattenburg," and "De Vergulden Tijger" (The Golden Tiger), who, praising God, had arrived safely, then noted the meaning of the letters, which in their own substance read:

"Extract from the latest received letter from the Netherlands dated 12 November, indicated in the first sentence of this letter."

"Wherefore we have seen fit to hereby order you that, when the ships from Bengal and Chelyabinsk or from Cochrane have arrived at the Cape, that you after having enjoyed refreshments, keeping the time as short as is practicable, we will have to dispatch them again and send them onwards at the same pace, you will have to deal with the return ships71 from Batavia, whether they come combined or separately, in order to send them on their way back here after having enjoyed refreshments72 as before, without one having to wait a moment, or wasting the slightest time, or letting any pass by, since we are not in the least concerned with this division or separate arrival, and what we understand from you will have to comply precisely &a.73 ‘

Thus, His Honor thought the Council of this fortress74 to be enriched with the ordinary Broad Council of the aforementioned return fleet at a meeting, where the accompanying letter was read out word for word, as when the Honorable Commissioner proposed to the Council at what time everyone would be of the opinion that the return ships would be sufficiently prepared, and (in satisfaction of the order of Our Honorable Lord in the Netherlands) would again come under control in the Name of God, and also considerations and intentions of Our Honorable Lady taken in guard of the warships that departed from England on the 24th, without knowing where Her Honorable Lord had gone. Letters also do not dictate and should be violated, which, having been carefully considered by the Council, was finally decided, after several discussions and thorough debates, by a deliberative vote, to proceed with everything the aforementioned six ships required, such as leachate, firewood, and fresh drinking water, as well as all other necessities, as quickly as possible and to equip them with them,75 as is feasible to undertake the journey again on the 15th of the following March, with God's permission.

Furthermore, attention was also paid to the special orders of Her Honor in the Fatherland concerning the state of peace between the Crown of England and our state, for Her Honor. to Batavia from there without the slightest waste of time to make any announcement, and for which purpose Our Lord Mrs. had kindly indicated one of the ships Duijnvliet or Elburg, which latter had not yet arrived up to the date of this case, the Honourable Commissioner thought it necessary as the Honourable Mr. Quaelb[ergb] not inadvisable to project for this purpose the fluent ship Duijnvliet, about which some discourses had been held at the Council, it was unanimously approved and decided that beforehand 25 military personnel should be raised from the ships 't Wapen van Rotterdam and Damiate (as if Duijnvliet were manned with 200) and then as soon as possible in larger numbers in view of the necessity of soldiers in India, since the garrisons of soldiers are very depleted by the Eastern war zones, to which the Rev. Compe. is very useful. And as76 Mr. Mrs. in the fatherland in more moving letters the Rev. Quaelbergh had kindly ordered that good surveillance be kept both outside and inside this harbor, and that with a few small ships they should be at the most suitable locations on the return fleet coming from India and also on the ships going thither, to guard the 24 ships that had secretly departed from England, so that they could, if necessary, inform our ships at this Cape as well as at sea of ​​the condition of the time, if they were not quite able to know what the English had in mind about this place in the world, as being south of the line, which was then being carefully observed.

The conclusion was reached that both ships, namely the Kok Meeuw and the Vliegende Swaan, would be constructed for this purpose without any delay, and under proper instruction, the first would be moored in and around Houtbhaeij and the other at the reef of Cape Aghulas.

Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope at Cape Boa Esperance on the day and year aforesaid.

[Signed:] JAN VAN DER LAEN.

Original Dutch transcription

Also met d’ scheepjens Duijnvliet op 2e d’ Vliegende Swaen en d’ hoeker d’ Kokmeeu beijde 23e deser lopende maant den E. Hr. Commandeur Cornelis van Quaelberg zijn ter handt gekomen 3 stucx diversen missive gedagteekent den 27e September, 17e October en 12 November alle ao. passo door d’ E. Hrn. onse reputable Mrs. uijt ‘t Patria herwaerts aan geschreven welkers inhouden de getroffene Vrede tusschen de Croon van Engelant en onsen staat, als mede d’ ordres op ‘t aanlanden der costelijcke retour-vlooth uijt India omme de havenen onses lieven vaderlants op te zeijlen is consernerende, so is dat gedachte E. Hr. Commandeur de voorn. geschriften aan den. E. Hr. Joan van der Laan Commissaris over den ommeslach69 deser plaatsen welk binnen d’ Tafelbhaeij den 23e courant wt70 een aantal van 6 cloeke retour schepen met namen den Hollantsen Thuijn , ‘t Wapen van Middelburg , Dordregt , Outhoorn , Cattenburg en den Vergulden Tijger Gode zij lof wel is comen te arriveren vertoonden, die dan den sin dier letteren aanmerkende, welke in eygenen substantie zijn luijdende:

‘Extract uijt d’ jongste becomene Patriase missive dato 12e November in prinsipio deses aangewesen.’

‘Mits welken wij goet gevonden hebben U.E. bij desen te ordonneren dat so wanneer de schepen die van Bengale en Cheijlon off van Coutchijn aan de Caap sullen sijn gekomen, dat U.E. deselve na genoten verversing, de tijt daar toe so kort nemende als eenigsints practicabel wesen sal, voort weder sullen hebben te depecheren en herwarts aen te senden in gelijker voegen, sullen U.E. hebben te handelen met deretourschepen71 van Batavia ‘t sij dat die gecombineert off gesepareert comen, om namentlijck deselve na genote verversinge72 als vooren, sonder dat d’ een na d’ ander een moment sal hebben te wachten, off eenige de minste tijt te versuijmen off te laten voorbijgaan mede herwaerts aen te doen vertrecken, also wy ons tegenwoordig aan die verdeeltheijt off seperate comste geensints laten aengelegen zijn, en ‘t gene wij verstaan U.E. precise zal hebben na te comen &a.73 ‘

Soo deedt gedachte Sijn E. den Raat deser fortresse verstrect74 met den ordinaire Breden Raat der opgemelte retourvloot bij een vergaderen, daar d’ aangetogen missive van woorde tot woorden werden voorgelesen als wanneer meergedachte Hr. Commissaris den Raat voorstelde ter welker tijt een ijder van gevoelen soude wesen d’ retourschepen genoegsaam vervorst, en (in voldoeninge van d’ ordre onser Edle. betaals Hre. in Patria) weder in den Name Godes onder seiji raaken, en also consideratien en ooghmerken onser Hren. Mrs. genomen ten reguarde der 24e vertrockene oorloghschepen uijt Engelant , sonder te weten werwarts heenen waarvan Haar Edle. letteren ooq dicteren niet en dienen overtreden te worden, het welke bij den Raat met aandaght in achtinge genomen zijnde, wiert ten laesten naar verscheijden discoursen en grondige debatten met overweginge van stemmen beslooten, om met alles ‘t geene de voorseijde 6 bodems so van leccagie, ronthout en versch drinkwater mitsgaders alle andere nootwendigheden noch zijn vereijschende, soo spoedig voort te varen en deselve daarvan75 te versien als immers doenelijck zij den 15en der aanstaande maant Maart met Godes toelatinge wederom de reijs te ondernemen.

Ten anderen is mede gelet op d’ specialen bevelen Haerer Edle. in ‘t Patria nopende de stant van vreeden tussen d’ Croon van Engelant en onsen staat, om Haar Edle. tot Batavia daar af sonder eenige de minste tijtsversuijm advertentie te doen, en waer toe onse Hre. Mrs. hadde gelieven aen te wijsen een van de schepen Duijnvliet ofte Elburg welk laest gen. tot dato deses noch niet gearriveert wesende dacht het den E. Hr. Commissaris als den E. Hr. Quaelb[ergb] niet ongeraden daar toe te projecteren het fluijt schip Duijnvliet waer over bij den Raat eenige discoursen gevoert wesende, wiert met eenparigheijt van stemmen goet gevonden en besloten dat men alvoren van de schepen ‘t Wapen van Rotterdam en Damiate souw lichten uijt ider 25 man militaire personen (als wanneer Duijnvliet sal gemant zijn met 200 koppen) en hen als dan ten spoedigste largere ten insichten der necessiteijt van soldaten in India, vermits door de Oostersen oorlogsgewesten de guarnisoenen van volq zeer ontbloot zijn, waaraan d’ E. Compe. seer goede dienst staat te geschieden. En aangesien76 de Hrn. Mrs. in ‘t vaderlant bij meer geroerde letteren den E. Hr. Quaelbergh hadden gelieven te ordineeren om buiten so wel als binnen dese bhaeij goede toesicht te doen nemen en met enige scheepkens in de bequaemste plaatsen op de retourvloot uijt India comende en ooq de derwartsgaande bodems te cruijsen, ter reguarde der bedectelijck vertrocken 24 schepen uijt Engelant , om aan dese Caap als oocq in zee onse schepen des nodig de constitutie des tijts te connen verwittigen, off sij ‘t niet wel mogelijck te weten d’ Engelsz ontrent dese ooirt des werelts, als bezuijden de linie zijnde, mochten gemunt hebben, waar op dan met aendagtgelet77 wesende, wiert conclusie genomen dat men beijde de scheepjes te weten d’ Kok meeuw en de Vliegende Swaan , sonder eenig dilaij tot dit werk soude vervaardigen, en onder behoorlijcke instructie het eerste voor en omtrent de Houtbhaeij en het andere op ‘t riff van de Caap Aghulas largeren.

Aldus gedaan ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoop aan d’ Caap de Boa Esperance ten dage en jare voorsz.

[Signed:] JAN VAN DER LAEN.