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Cape Council of Policy

544

1677-03-23

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Minute details

Entry number
544
Date
1677-03-23
Year
1677

English translation

Presentibus omnibus.

Since their Honor, the Honorable Lords of Batavia, in their letter dated November 27th, 158, have previously informed us, for our own information, how scarce and dubious the situation in the Eastern Netherlands has become today due to the recent unrest and great discord between these landowners, and that it is their Honorable Lord. for that reason it might not be of much use, yes, it would very easily happen to supplement this first thing after this with rice, and therefore we seriously recommend that we remain out of danger in this time, to be on the alert, and to the best of our ability to encourage and animate all these residents to plow so that we can quickly generate ourselves from our own grain, as did her Honorable Majesty the Major from her homeland in her Honorable last general letter dated October 21st, 159, in which she also not a little recommends to us the necessary agriculture for the aforementioned reasons. to manage and advance as much as possible, saying eloquently that it cannot be called a colony that cannot produce its own bread, and that we may learn to feed ourselves; demand that Her Honorable H. finds that agriculture should be increasing more, but on the contrary, to Her Honorable H.'s great displeasure, is being neglected by many lazy and indolent people and falling into ruin, despite its sufficiently fertile land and all possible assistance having been given and proven time and again. Thus, Her Honorable H. has stated. letters and warnings from both homeland and Batavia were largely taken note of and it was considered good not to let any of these free residents remain ignorant of this latest news, but to let all know and notify that by publishing a placard in public that any of these residents sorting through our territory may well be suspected of taking up the plough, to aim for more harvesting of agriculture and at the same time to ensure sufficient grain in stock for the coming year, so that no more needs to be prepared to return for the coming year for the reasons mentioned above with a request from the E. Compa. will be able to be supported, taken into account, also taking into account the many complaints of the free farmers brought in daily because of the great damage that they successively suffer in their sown lands, and that so principally of the cattle, horses, sheep, etc. which, as in this case, more than any other, as we have recently experienced, have been let loose and driven out, without allowing anyone to herd them, or to let the herders take proper care of them. Therefore, it has been seen fit by the Governor and Council to provide for this and therefore expressly insinuate to all and everyone that from now on they will take due care that of their livestock in other people their sown or To ensure that the gardens do not suffer any damage, on penalty of being obliged to promptly compensate for all such damage, as far as the animal's resources may be affected, and to prevent such complaints from becoming less serious, everyone is seriously ordered to dig ditches around their land, or to insure it, and to plant sprigs of wood around it, as has already been done by some good residents, so that no more damage will be suffered by the animal's resources and we will be freed from such complaints and difficulties, and so that this can be better followed by our regulated order, those who come to counter them will fall into the same financial losses as in the previous edicts are established and further deliberated, and that the fiscal authorities will be instructed to have this order properly observed and this edict is to be signed in the presence of the mayors present. As was further expressed in the edict, it is to be issued for the month of January. 78 may be effected and accomplished, and that it may be of greater value and power, has also been approved.160

Furthermore, for the reasons mentioned above, it is very necessary that our thoughts increasingly incline and henceforth depend on the meagerness of rice and the daily large consumption, as much as can be led to that end in time; soo have been considered especially necessary and mostly found it good in the service of the E. Company (insert that the garrison stationed here was suspected of mangling, wasting or otherwise alienating part of the rice allocated to them161 to reduce it somewhat first and instead of 20 lbs. to allow them 10 lbs. above their ration for cours let come.

It has also been approved and decided upon, and the Mayors of this residence are also seriously recommended to the Reguard to compile a complete list of all those in need at the aldermenagiusste and to present this list to the meeting before the next trip, so that this can be specifically addressed. Those who have their own grain and have been judged unable to live with their families without the benefit of this food, are absolutely excused.

Finally, in order to ensure that the necessary agriculture (according to the earnest recommendation from our homeland that has been bestowed upon us from time to time and most recently) is maintained and continued as much as possible on a daily basis, it has also been approved to grant Willem Schalck and Pieter van de Westhuijsen, both industrious and capable farmers, as a loan for 12 years, as much land in Hout Bay as they consider capable of adequately tending, with the understanding that they remain obliged to sow the said land annually and to give a tenth of the harvest or profit to the E. Comp.; and in so far as possible, land lost through indolence or negligence on their part. The continued submission of the matter to no avail, so far. This will in no way excuse us from complying with this agreement, but constrain us, as if it were a bore, to satisfy the Company, provided that 30 ps. of the Company's own animals may graze there and that any surplus of the Company's livestock that falls there will be contained.

Thus resolved and ordered on the day and year of the aforementioned.

[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS.

[Signed:] H. CRUDOP.

[Signed:] DIRCQ JANSZ SMIENDT.J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] M. VAN BANCHEM, Rt. and Sets.

Original Dutch transcription

Presentibus omnibus.

Vermits haer EEd. d’ EE. Heeren van Batavia bij derselver missive dato 27en November ao. passo.158 ons hebben voor af tot onse naerichtinge bekent gemaeckt hoe schaers en dubieus den rijs in ‘d Oosterlanden door d’ ontroeringe en grote tweespalt tussen die landtgrooten nu jongst geresen, voor jegenwoordigh te becomen is, en dat het haer E.Ed. uijt die oorsake niet veel gelegen soude kunnen komen, Ja seer lichtelijck souwde ontschieten om desen oirt t’elckens na desen wederom met rijs te secundeeren en dierhalven ons serieus recommanderen in der tijt om buijten verlegentheijt te blijven, op hoeden te wesen en na vermoogen dese ingesetenen alle aan te porren en te animeeren tot de ploeg om bij non secours uijt eijgen graan ons te cunnen generen, gelijck oock haar Edel. Ho.agtb. de Hre.Maijores uijt vaderland bij haar Edl. jongste generaele missive dato 21en October ao. passado159 ten dien reguarde mede ons niet weijnigh sij gerecommandeert den nootsakelijcken lantbouw om de redenen voors. soo veel doenlijck te behertigen en voor[t] te setten, seggende met deugdelijcke woorden dat het geen colonie magh genaamt werden, die sijn eijgen broot niet voort kan brengen en des wij mogen leeren ons selven te voeden; vorder dat haer Edle. H. agtb. bevinden in plaatse van dat den landtbouw meerder behoorde toe te neemen, integendeel tot haer Edl. groot misnoegen door veele luije en onarbeijtsame menschen comt te verachteren, en in verval te geraecken ongeacht haerl. genoegsaem bequaem vruchtbaer landt en alle mogentlijcke adsistentie daertoe meermael gegeven is en bewesen wordt, Soo hebben opgemelt haer Edle. schrijven en waarschouwingen soo uijt vaderlandt als van Batavia grotelijcx in goede opmerckinge genoomen en goet gevonden niemandt deser vrije ingesetenen van dit nu jongst gekregene bericht onkundigh te laten blijven, maer deselve alle te laten weten en notificeeren dat bij ‘t afkundigen van een placcaet in ‘t openbaer dat ijder deser ingesetenen onder ons gebiet sorterende wel verdacht mogen wesen om de handt aen de ploegh te slaan den landtbouw voorstaen meerder te amplecteeren en tevens toekom. jaer genoegsaem graen in voorraet te besorgen, alsoo geen staat meer hoeven te maken om tegens ‘t aanstaande jaer om de redenen voors. met rijs van d’ E. Compa. sullen kunnen ondersteunt werden, ten quaesten genomen, Insgelijcx oock in consideratie genomen sijnde de menigvuldige klachten van de vrije lantbouwers dagelijcx ingebragt wegens de groote schade die sij successivelijck in haare gesaaijde landen comen te lijden, en dat soo principalijck van de coebeesten, paerden, schapen &a dewelck soo bij dese als geene, gelijck nu jongst noch ervaren hebben, los gelaten en uijtgejaegt sijn, sonder van ijmant te laten hoeden, ofte de hoeders daar terdegen op te laten passen, Soo is ‘t dat bij den Gouverneur en Raadt goet gevonden is daerinne te versien ende mitsdien aan alle ende een ijder wel expresselijcken te insinueeren dat voortaen sal behoorlijcke sorgh dragen dat van hun beestiael in andere luijden haer gesaij off thuijnen geen schade lijden op poene van gehouden te wesen alle dieselve schade en soo verre het beestiael strecken can, promptelijck te vergoeden, tot welcken eijnde en om het selve te bequamer voor te komen en soodanige klachten niet meer onderwaardigh te sijn, wert een ijgelijcken wel serieus gelast rontsomme haar lant soodanige slooten te graven, ofte ‘t selve te versekeren en is het mogelijck rontsom met speeckhout te beplanten, gelijck door eenige goede ingesetenen reets geschiet is, dat geen schade meer van ‘t beestiael comen te lijden en wij van diergelijcke aanklachten en moeijelijckheden bevrijd blijven, ende op dat dese onse gereguleerde ordre te beter mach werden achtervolgt, soo sal die geene die deselve sal comen te contravenieeren vervallen in soodanige pecunieelen amende als bij voorige placcaten sij gestatueert en verder te beraemen en dat voorts den fiscaal sal werden gelast dit ons beveel wel en na behoren te doen komen t’ observeren, dit placcaet af te kundigen in tegenwoordigheijt van de hier sijnde burgermeesters. Gelijck wijders bij placcaet werden uijtgedruckt op dat ‘t selve voor pmo. Januarie ao. 78 mach wesen geeffectueert en voltrocken ende op dat het selve van meerder valeur ende kracht mochte sijn, is mede goetgevonden.160

Wijders ten opsigte om bovenaangeroerde redenen seer nootsakelijck zij dat onse gedagten meer en meer nijgen en voortaen laten gaen op de mesnuagie van de ryst en de dagelijckse groote consumptie, soo veel immers leyden can ten dien eynde in tyts doen aff nemen en besnoeyen; soo hebben vooral hoognodig geagt en ten meesten dienste der E. Compagnie goet gevonden (invoegen ‘t hier leggende guarnisoen suspect gehouden wert wegens een gedeelte van haer toegeleyde rijst nog te vermangelen, te vermorssen off anders te veralieneren161 ‘t selve voor eerst wat te verminderen en in plaats van 20 lb. haarl. 10 lb. boven hun rantsoen voor cours toe te laten comen.

Gelyck mede goetgevonden en g’arresteert is de Burgermeesters deser residentie ten dien reguarde mede ernstigh aan te bevelen op ‘t aldermenagieuste een perfecte rolle van alle de behoeftige te formeren en deselve tegens aanstaande reyse in vergadering te leveren om daer over expres te besoigneren en diegene die eygen granen hebben en geoordeelt werden buijten genot van dien cost te connen met hare familien bestaan, absoluut t’ excuseren.

Ten laatsten om den nootsakelycken lantbouw (volgens de ernstige recommandatie uijt ‘t vaderlant van onse Heere Majores ons van tyt tot tijt en nu jongst nog bejegent) soo veel immers mogelijc dagelijcks te doen behertigen en voort te setten, is mede goetgevonden Willem Schalck en Pieter van de Westhuijsen, beyde neerstige en bequame lantbouwers, in leening voor 12 jaaren soo veel lant in de Houtbaaij te geven als oordeelen bequamelijck te cunnen bemannen, met dien verstande nogtans dat gehouden blijven voors. lant jaarlijcx perforce te moeten besaaijen en van den ougst off winst een tiende aen d’ E. Comp. te geven; en bij soo verre vo[o]rs. lant door traegheijt of onagtsaemheijt van haarl. vrugteloos quamen over te blijven leggen, sijl. in geenen deele daarom sullen g’excuseert blijven dit veraccordeerde te voldoen, maer geconstringeert als off het besaaijt ware geweest, d’ Comp. te contenteren, mits dat aldaar 30 ps. eygen beesten mogen weijden en de mist van ‘s Comp. vee daar vallende, comen te gauderen.

Aldus geresolveert en g’arresteert ten dage en jaare voors.

[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS.

[Signed:] H. CRUDOP.

[Signed:] DIRCQ JANSZ SMIENDT.J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] M.VAN BANCHEM, Rt. en Sets.