The Hoecker Poelsnip having returned here from the Island of Mauritius on the 25th of October 1505 with a thousand pieces of ebony and a consignment of black amber, we were of the opinion to send him back there a second time and immediately upon his discharge, not only to fetch us and a cargo of such wood for the arrival of the homeward-bound voyagers; but also to allow a pertinent speculation to be made about the exact situation and constitution of the species. island, as being quite high in the name of the former chief Juriaen Wrede, and in the most recently received letter from the merchant Dirck Smient, on the contrary, very little of that island is mentioned, especially regarding the animals, which previously roamed in numerous groups near and around the lodge, and now, within 16 miles of it, nothing more is heard. Also, that there is no more ebony in stock, but everything that was recently sent to us, except for a few hewn beams and sawn planks, which, due to their excessive length, cannot be taken by the aforementioned captain, besides that the skipper himself pretended that the right monsoon having passed, at this time of year great danger was running from an orca, and that this angler felt burdened to endure the arduous journeys to be made, besides that, despite this, the return journey would not be able to cover the expenses by a long way, as a futile and perilous undertaking, from all which reasons and insights the angler then decided (as there was nothing for him to do here to send to the East Coast of Africa, and we with our other small vessels could see the rest of the way here) to depart for Batavia, in the hope that towards the near future another similar or somewhat more suitable ship will appear here and the garrison will have the necessary circumstances as the weather improves. ebony will be brought to each other, however, with its departure, in view of the repairs that the woodworker necessarily requires, a further 10 days will have to be postponed.
Thus done and resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year aforesaid.
[Signed:] JACOB BORGHORST.
[Signed:] CORN. DE CRETSER.
[Signed:] JOHANNES COON.
[Signed:] J. GRANAAT.
[Signed:] CORNELIS PHILIPSZ.