Cape Council of Policy
46
1654-04-27
Minute details
- Entry number
- 46
- Date
- 1654-04-27
- Year
- 1654
English translation
Considering that we are currently, due to the far-reaching return fleet, finding ourselves, above all, quite scarce and mostly completely deprived of daily provisions, such as barley, ore, beans, rice or the like: to provide the people here with 2 or 3 times a day, and that the birds that have now been brought to the islands have also been quite taken in and made scarce, which is why it is to be feared that, according to our wishes, one will always be able to get more or make a firm stand on the same, and it will be a long time before we have any security from India of rice, cadjangh, beans or aracq to hope for, as also from the ships to be expected from the Fatherland, which generally arrive here so poor in ore or barley that we can accommodate them, that we cannot feed the chickens and geese that are breeding here. It is also considered that the wine to be brought as rations for the people from Dutch ships would be very costly for the Company, and that India would also be greatly inconvenienced by this; So it is that, after various deliberations, we, having to save ourselves in this situation, have of necessity resolved and decided, in order not to fall into the ultimate need of hunger, to send the galley the Rode Vos (returned here today from the Saldanha Bay) first of all to Madagascar: to fetch from there as much rice, beans, cadjangh, and arrack as could be transported across. And since, in order to negotiate the same, we do not want to rely on any merchant ships after the required terms, it is understood to inquire what might still be available among the people, of the leeboards, etc., provided to them last year on a requisite basis: to then repay them by cash offer on a requisite basis. to do well again, as is proper.
And because the aforementioned galley, in order to make such a voyage, will first need to be cleaned up, which cannot be done here properly or adequately, it has also been decided to send it first to the Bay of Saldanha, where it can be allowed to dry out, to be cleaned up properly and from there to return back there and collect its instructions and cargoes, etc., the aforementioned voyage, etc.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
And because the aforementioned galley, in order to make such a voyage, will first need to be cleaned up, which cannot be done here properly or adequately, it has also been decided to send it first to the Bay of Saldanha, where it can be allowed to dry out, to be cleaned up properly and from there to return back there and collect its instructions and cargoes, etc., the aforementioned voyage, etc.
Thus done and resolved at the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year as above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
Original Dutch transcription
Aengesien wij jegenwoordigh mits ‘t verbij loopen van de retourvloote boven hoope ons vrij schaers ende meest t’ eenemael gansch ontbloot bevinden van dagelijcxe victualie als namentlijck gort, erten, bonen, rijs offte diergelijcke: omme ‘t volcq hier aenlant 2 a 3 maels daegh[s] van te schaffen ende dat ‘t gevogelte ‘t welck nu gehaelt hebben op de eijlanden oock al vrij opgevangen, ende schuw gemaeckt sijn, waer door te vreesen is, dat men altijt na onsen wil qualijck meer sal cunnen crijgen offte vasten staet op de selve mogen maecken, ende noch langen tijt voorhanden is eer wij uijt India van rijs, cadjangh, bonen of aracq eenigh secours te verhope[n] hebben, gelijck mede van de uijt ‘t Patria te verwachten scheepen, die doorgaens soo sober van erten offte gort hier aencomende ons cunnen139 accommoderen dat men der qualijck ons aenteelende hoenders, ende gansen mede voeden mogen, Item geconsidereert de wijn tot rantsoen voor ‘t volcq te lighten uijtte vaderlantse schepen machtigh costelijck voor de Compe. vallen, ende India daer door oock niet min grotelix ontriefft soude worden; Soo is ‘t dat wij na verscheijden deliberatien in dese occurrentie ons selven moetende redden nootshalven hebben geresolveert, ende goetgevonden omme niet in den uijttersten noot van honger te vervallen, ‘t galjot de Rode Vos (heden uijt de Saldanhabaij hier geretourneert) ten alder eersten na Madagascar te senden: omme ons van daer sooveel rijs, bonen, cadjangh, ende aracq te halen als bequamelijck sal cunnen overvoeren, Ende alsoo wij om ‘t selve te negotieren van geene coopmanschappen na vereijsch versiensijn,is verstaen te ondersoecken offer wat onder ‘tvolcq140 noch mochte schuijlen, van de lijwaten &a. aen deselve verleden jare op reecq. verstreckt: omme hun dan per contant offte op reeck. weder goet te doen, als na behooren.
Ende dewijle ‘t gemelte galjot omme so[d]anigen reijse te doen nootsaeckelijck eerst sal dienen wat schoon gemaeckt, ‘t welck hier niet bequaemelijck nochte na behooren geschieden can, soo is oock goetgevonden ‘t selve ten dien eijnde eerst na de baij van Saldanha te senden, daer men ‘t fraij droogh can laten bevallen omme doch ter degen schoon gemaeckt te worden ende van daer weder herwaerts te laten keeren ende sijn instructie ende cargasoenen &a. voorgem. voijagie te halen &a.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jaere als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.
Ende dewijle ‘t gemelte galjot omme so[d]anigen reijse te doen nootsaeckelijck eerst sal dienen wat schoon gemaeckt, ‘t welck hier niet bequaemelijck nochte na behooren geschieden can, soo is oock goetgevonden ‘t selve ten dien eijnde eerst na de baij van Saldanha te senden, daer men ‘t fraij droogh can laten bevallen omme doch ter degen schoon gemaeckt te worden ende van daer weder herwaerts te laten keeren ende sijn instructie ende cargasoenen &a. voorgem. voijagie te halen &a.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jaere als boven.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1654.
[Signed:] JAN SIJMESEN.
[Signed:] R. DE MAN, Secrets. 1654.