Cape Council of Policy
438
1671-01-17
Minute details
- Entry number
- 438
- Date
- 1671-01-17
- Year
- 1671
English translation
The Ed. Heer Rijckloff van Goens d’jonge,6 Councillor Extraordinary of India and designated Governor of the island of Ceylon, present present, was informed by the Lord Commander of this fortress in Rade that Her Honor, the Gentlemen Directors, in the same letter of the 5th of September,7 from the meeting of the Gentlemen 17and among other things, wrote to us that affairs in Europe were such that our State could easily be involved in war again, wherefore they had also approved the number of 3700 heads, that Her Honor. According to the allocation over the projected ships, we would be sending to India that year, increasing it to 4,000 guns. We were subsequently ordered and instructed that we should be on our guard everywhere and maintain proper defensive posture.
And given that the interpretation of the aforementioned order by His Eminence the Commander was so appreciated that His Eminence intends to understand that we would have to rely on the remaining 300 guns. It should be noted that this number is only slightly distributed over India, taking into account the irreducible force that His Eminence has. having everything prepared there, we could import, and we can reside here locally, without any strength upon which we could rely in case of attack, except that our total force of the E. Comp's servants here, military as well as other, does not exceed the number of 209 persons, from which are then first deducted all the ministers, both high and low, in the Government and Ecclesiastical State, as used by the pen, in the number of 20 persons, the garrisons on Robben and Dassen Island, the outposts, the vessels large and small, the corn shed, the Houtbaeij, the Comp's. gardens, cattle and sheep, the assailants with their salvage workers, with their own carpenters and the other craftsmen, as well as several sailors and the constabulary, mounting in general a number of 166 heads, thus leaving only 43 military able-bodied chiefs, who are exercised for arms and at which the guards, both at the point in the started new fortress and the old fort with its hornwork, must be observed and defended. Therefore His Eminence the Council gives serious consideration, first of all, to the interpretation of His Eminence. The order was not as well appreciated by the Council as by His Eminence,8 and therefore, in accordance with the aforementioned, our power should not be made more defensive, in order, according to Her Honor's order, to be able to defend against the threatened troubles, and to that end, to lift a good number of military personnel from the three Batavian ships present.
This proposition, both the aforementioned Mr. van Goens and the Council have deliberated upon, and having thoroughly debated and considered everything, they declare that they fully agree with the Commander's proposal, and have therefore resolved and decided to first raise a number of 36 military personnel from the ships Tulpenburgh, Nuijtsenburgh, and Büren, who are present here, in order to somewhat augment this modest deployment, and that furthermore, upon the arrival of the next Patriase ships, such a number of military personnel will be raised ashore here as will be deemed appropriate at the time, after due consideration of the matter, but everything is subject to approval by the first Commissioner expected here.
Thus done and arrested in the Fortress of Good Hope, on the day and year aforesaid.
[Signed:] R. V. GOENS DE JONGE.
[Signed:] PR. HACKIUS, 1671
[Signed:] CORN. DE CRETSER.
[Signed:] J. COON.
[Signed:] J. GRANAAT.
[Signed:] I present H. CRUDOP, Secrts.
And given that the interpretation of the aforementioned order by His Eminence the Commander was so appreciated that His Eminence intends to understand that we would have to rely on the remaining 300 guns. It should be noted that this number is only slightly distributed over India, taking into account the irreducible force that His Eminence has. having everything prepared there, we could import, and we can reside here locally, without any strength upon which we could rely in case of attack, except that our total force of the E. Comp's servants here, military as well as other, does not exceed the number of 209 persons, from which are then first deducted all the ministers, both high and low, in the Government and Ecclesiastical State, as used by the pen, in the number of 20 persons, the garrisons on Robben and Dassen Island, the outposts, the vessels large and small, the corn shed, the Houtbaeij, the Comp's. gardens, cattle and sheep, the assailants with their salvage workers, with their own carpenters and the other craftsmen, as well as several sailors and the constabulary, mounting in general a number of 166 heads, thus leaving only 43 military able-bodied chiefs, who are exercised for arms and at which the guards, both at the point in the started new fortress and the old fort with its hornwork, must be observed and defended. Therefore His Eminence the Council gives serious consideration, first of all, to the interpretation of His Eminence. The order was not as well appreciated by the Council as by His Eminence,8 and therefore, in accordance with the aforementioned, our power should not be made more defensive, in order, according to Her Honor's order, to be able to defend against the threatened troubles, and to that end, to lift a good number of military personnel from the three Batavian ships present.
This proposition, both the aforementioned Mr. van Goens and the Council have deliberated upon, and having thoroughly debated and considered everything, they declare that they fully agree with the Commander's proposal, and have therefore resolved and decided to first raise a number of 36 military personnel from the ships Tulpenburgh, Nuijtsenburgh, and Büren, who are present here, in order to somewhat augment this modest deployment, and that furthermore, upon the arrival of the next Patriase ships, such a number of military personnel will be raised ashore here as will be deemed appropriate at the time, after due consideration of the matter, but everything is subject to approval by the first Commissioner expected here.
Thus done and arrested in the Fortress of Good Hope, on the day and year aforesaid.
[Signed:] R. V. GOENS DE JONGE.
[Signed:] PR. HACKIUS, 1671
[Signed:] CORN. DE CRETSER.
[Signed:] J. COON.
[Signed:] J. GRANAAT.
[Signed:] I present H. CRUDOP, Secrts.
Original Dutch transcription
D’ Ed. Heer Rijckloff van Goens d’ jonge,6 Raadt Extraordinaris van India en gedesigneert Gouverneur van ‘t eijlant Ceijlon , tegenwoordigh present, werdt bij den Hr. Commandeur deser fortresse in Rade geproponeert, hoe dat Haer Ede. de Heeren Bewinthebberen bij der selver missive van den 5en September passado,7 uijt d’ vergaderinge van d’ Heeren 17en onder anderen ons aenschrijven dat sich d’ zaeken in Europa soodanich lieten aensien, dat onsen Staet wel lichtelick weder in een oorlogh soude cunnen comen g’involveert te werden, weshalven d’selve oock goet gevonden hadden het getall van 3700 coppen, die Haer Ede. voornt. volgens d’ repartitie over d’ geprojecteerde schepen verdeelt in dat jaer nae India souden affsenden, tot op 4000 coppen te vergroten, dienvolgende ons ordonneren en gelasten, dat wij souden hebben te maeken, allomme wel op hoede en in behoorlijcke postuijre van defensie te wesen;
Ende aangesien d’ interpretatie der voors. ordre bij Sijn E. den Commandeur sodanich werdt g’apprehendeert, dat Haer Ede. daermede soo veel willen te verstaen geven, dat wij ons van d’ overige 300 coppen souden hebben te dienen, gemerk[t] dat getall doch over Indien verdeelt weijnich in consideratie van d’ redutabele macht die d’ E. Compe. al bereets daer is hebbende, soude cunnen inporteren, ende wij hier in loco, sonder enige sterckte, daerop men sich bij attaque soude cunnen verlaten, resider[en], behalven dat onse totale macht van des E. Comps. dienaren alhier soo militaire als andere ‘t getall van 209 personen niet comt t’ excederen, waervan dan noch eerst affgetrocken alle soo hoge als lage ministers, soo in de Regeringe, Kerckelijcken Staet als aan d’ pen gebruijckt werdende, in ‘t getal van 20 personen, d’ besettingen op ‘t Robben en Dasseneijlant , d’ buijtenposten, d’ vaertuijgen groot en cleijn, d’ coornschuijr , d’ Houtbaeij , ‘s Comps. thuijnen, beest en schapen cralen, d’ assaeijeurs met haere berghwerckers met zelvers timmerluijden en ‘t ander ambachtsvolcq als mede verscheijde matrosen en ‘t constapelsvolcq in ‘t generael een getael van 166 coppen monterende zulx enelijck noch resteren 43 militai[re] weerbare hooffden, die tot d’ wapenen g’exerceert en bij d’welcke d’ wachten, soo op d’ punt in de begonnen nieuwe fortresse als ‘t oude fortje met sijn hoornwerck, moeten waer genomen ende gedefendeert werden, Soo geeft Sijn E. den Raadt in serieus bedencken, eerstelijck off d’ interpretatie van Haer Ede. ordre mede niet bij den Raadt soo danich als bij Sijn E. werdt geapprehendeert,8 en des ja off men dan ingevolge van dien d’ geseijde onse macht niet en behoorde wat defensiver te maeken, omme sulx volgens Haer Edle. ordre, tegens de gedreijgde troublen in postuijre van defensie te wesen, ende tot dien eijnde een goedt aantall van militaire personen uijt d’ presente drie Bataviase schepen te lichten.
Welcke propositie soo bij opgemelte Heer van Goens als den Raadt in deliberatie genomen, ende alles wel rijpelijck gepondereert ende overwogen hebbende, verclaren hun in allen deelen met d’ gedaene propositie van den Commandeur te confirmeren, ende hebben derhalven geresolveert ende g’arresteert omme voor eerst uijt d’ alhier present te rhede leggende schepen Tulpenburgh , Nuijtsenburgh ende Büren te lichten een getal van 36 militaire, ten eijnde daermede dese sobere besettinge enigsints soude mogen g’augmenteert werden, ende dat wijders bij d’ aencompste van d’ volgende Patriase schepen noch sodanigen aental militaire personen alhier aan landt sall gelicht werden, als in der tijdt nae exigentie van zaeken sall bevonden werden te behoren, doch alles op approbatie van den eersten Commissaris, die alhier te verwachten staet.
Aldus gedaen ende g’arresteert in de Fortresse de Goede Hoope, ten daege en jare voors.
[Signed:] R. V. GOENS DE JONGE.
[Signed:] PR. HACKIUS, 1671
[Signed:] CORN. DE CRETSER.
[Signed:] J. COON.
[Signed:] J. GRANAAT.
[Signed:] Mij present H. CRUDOP, Secrts.
Ende aangesien d’ interpretatie der voors. ordre bij Sijn E. den Commandeur sodanich werdt g’apprehendeert, dat Haer Ede. daermede soo veel willen te verstaen geven, dat wij ons van d’ overige 300 coppen souden hebben te dienen, gemerk[t] dat getall doch over Indien verdeelt weijnich in consideratie van d’ redutabele macht die d’ E. Compe. al bereets daer is hebbende, soude cunnen inporteren, ende wij hier in loco, sonder enige sterckte, daerop men sich bij attaque soude cunnen verlaten, resider[en], behalven dat onse totale macht van des E. Comps. dienaren alhier soo militaire als andere ‘t getall van 209 personen niet comt t’ excederen, waervan dan noch eerst affgetrocken alle soo hoge als lage ministers, soo in de Regeringe, Kerckelijcken Staet als aan d’ pen gebruijckt werdende, in ‘t getal van 20 personen, d’ besettingen op ‘t Robben en Dasseneijlant , d’ buijtenposten, d’ vaertuijgen groot en cleijn, d’ coornschuijr , d’ Houtbaeij , ‘s Comps. thuijnen, beest en schapen cralen, d’ assaeijeurs met haere berghwerckers met zelvers timmerluijden en ‘t ander ambachtsvolcq als mede verscheijde matrosen en ‘t constapelsvolcq in ‘t generael een getael van 166 coppen monterende zulx enelijck noch resteren 43 militai[re] weerbare hooffden, die tot d’ wapenen g’exerceert en bij d’welcke d’ wachten, soo op d’ punt in de begonnen nieuwe fortresse als ‘t oude fortje met sijn hoornwerck, moeten waer genomen ende gedefendeert werden, Soo geeft Sijn E. den Raadt in serieus bedencken, eerstelijck off d’ interpretatie van Haer Ede. ordre mede niet bij den Raadt soo danich als bij Sijn E. werdt geapprehendeert,8 en des ja off men dan ingevolge van dien d’ geseijde onse macht niet en behoorde wat defensiver te maeken, omme sulx volgens Haer Edle. ordre, tegens de gedreijgde troublen in postuijre van defensie te wesen, ende tot dien eijnde een goedt aantall van militaire personen uijt d’ presente drie Bataviase schepen te lichten.
Welcke propositie soo bij opgemelte Heer van Goens als den Raadt in deliberatie genomen, ende alles wel rijpelijck gepondereert ende overwogen hebbende, verclaren hun in allen deelen met d’ gedaene propositie van den Commandeur te confirmeren, ende hebben derhalven geresolveert ende g’arresteert omme voor eerst uijt d’ alhier present te rhede leggende schepen Tulpenburgh , Nuijtsenburgh ende Büren te lichten een getal van 36 militaire, ten eijnde daermede dese sobere besettinge enigsints soude mogen g’augmenteert werden, ende dat wijders bij d’ aencompste van d’ volgende Patriase schepen noch sodanigen aental militaire personen alhier aan landt sall gelicht werden, als in der tijdt nae exigentie van zaeken sall bevonden werden te behoren, doch alles op approbatie van den eersten Commissaris, die alhier te verwachten staet.
Aldus gedaen ende g’arresteert in de Fortresse de Goede Hoope, ten daege en jare voors.
[Signed:] R. V. GOENS DE JONGE.
[Signed:] PR. HACKIUS, 1671
[Signed:] CORN. DE CRETSER.
[Signed:] J. COON.
[Signed:] J. GRANAAT.
[Signed:] Mij present H. CRUDOP, Secrts.