Cape Council of Policy
45
1654-04-06
Minute details
- Entry number
- 45
- Date
- 1654-04-06
- Year
- 1654
English translation
Having surveyed our victuals today and found that136 rice, barley, beans, and cadjangh had been consumed in one go due to the long delay of the return fleet,137 except for bread that we had about 2 months ago, along with meat and bacon for 7 or 8 months, and were therefore completely stripped of it, in order to allow the people, who were still doing their heavy daily labor, to fill their hungry bellies with some daily necessities. On that date, it was decided to send the galley alongside the moored boat to the bay of Saldanha, in order to fetch some birds, peguins, and fish from the islands and salt them for their food, as well as to begin to starve to death; because we couldn't live on the bread and meat rations, and therefore, in order to fill our bellies, we were forced to give them what we could find to eat, namely peguins or other birds, which we wouldn't normally want to eat, and in order to have something to eat first, to wait for the time of the galey's journey, the skipper was ordered to take the first opportunity to make a hasty trip with the aforementioned boat to Robben Island, along with 4 or 5 barrels to fetch the ones full of peguins from there, as we had plenty, but because of the long continuation, too much was consumed, and thus too little would be left for the return fleet, which would also be Meat and speck to be procured two or three times a day to feed the people: but since that is too expensive for the E. Compe, because of the large consumption it causes in the lasting victuals, we have rather resolved as aforesaid to have Peguins brought in as the daily fare or side dish: to be procured three times a day, and to keep the people from going hungry, so that they do not need to be excused from the necessary work and let go of idleness.
The aforementioned skipper was also ordered to leave the five sheep in the aforementioned Bay of Saldanha on a certain island, with one to be fetched from there and, on his way there or back, to place the same passenger on Robben Island with the other sheep.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope, date above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
The aforementioned skipper was also ordered to leave the five sheep in the aforementioned Bay of Saldanha on a certain island, with one to be fetched from there and, on his way there or back, to place the same passenger on Robben Island with the other sheep.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope, date above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
Original Dutch transcription
Hedenal onse victualienader oversien ende bevonden hebbende136 namentlijck rijs gort, boonen, ende cadjangh t’ eenemael door ‘t lange achterblijven van de retourvlote geconsumeertte137 sijn behalven broot dat noch omtrent voor 2 maenden, nevens vleijs ende speck voor 7 a 8 maenden hebben, ende dierhalven gansch ontbloot sijn: omme de luijden in haren noch dagelix doende swaren arbeijt den hongerigen buijck met eenige dagelixe toespijs te vullen, Is op dato goetgevonden ‘t galijot nevens de opgeboeijde boot na de baije van Saldanha te senden: omme aldaer van de eijlanden eenige vogels, peguijns ende vis te halen ende in te souten tot spijsinge van de selve, alsoo al seer beginnen te verhongeren; want op ‘t rantsoen broot ende vleijs niet cunnen leven ende dierhalven om den buijck te vullen genootdruckt sijn haer te eeten te geven wat wij becomen cunnen namentlijck peguijns off andere vogels, daer anders qualijck de mont aensetten willen, ende op dat wij vooreerst vast wat mochten hebben om den tijt van ‘t galijots daer toe te doene reijse te mogen inwachten, is den schipper gelast d’ eerste gelegentheijt waer te nemen om in der haest met de gemelte boot eerst een tochjen na ‘t Robbeneijlant te doen nevens 4 a 5 vaten omme die van daer vol peguijns te halen, alsoo wel cool genoegh hebben, maer door de lange continuatie te veel geconsumeert wort, ende soodoende wel te weijnich voor de retourvloote overblijven mochte, souden oock wel met vleijs ende speck 2 a 3 mael daeghs te schaffen de luijden cunnen voeden: maer alsoo dat voor d’ E. Compe. te costelijck valt, vermits de groote consumtie daer door in die durable victualie te veroorsaecken, hebben liever als voorseijt geresolveert tot de dagelijcxe cost offte toespijs peguijns te laten halen: om driemael daeghs van te schaffen, ende den honger wat uijt ‘t volcq te houden, op dat men se dienthalven niet en behoefft van ‘t nodige werck te excuseren ende ledigh te laten gaen.
Soo is den schipper voormelt oock g’ordonneert de 5 schapen in de gemelte baij van Saldanha op seecker eijlant gelaten, met eenen van daer te haelen ende in sijn herwaerts offte wederom reijse, de selve empassant mede op ‘t Robbeneijlant bij d’ andere schaepen te stellen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope datum ut supra.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
Soo is den schipper voormelt oock g’ordonneert de 5 schapen in de gemelte baij van Saldanha op seecker eijlant gelaten, met eenen van daer te haelen ende in sijn herwaerts offte wederom reijse, de selve empassant mede op ‘t Robbeneijlant bij d’ andere schaepen te stellen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope datum ut supra.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.