Cape Council of Policy
574
1678-04-18
Minute details
- Entry number
- 574
- Date
- 1678-04-18
- Year
- 1678
English translation
The Council, having been summoned by the Governor to take another look at the matter concerning the arrest of Danish Captain Anthoni van Doorn here on the coast, pursuant to a resolution issued on the 15th of this month, was informed by his E.E. the aforementioned Council that the Danish Captain had been charged to his E.E. had immediately requested to be allowed to have a small cellar with drink from his ship brought ashore for his daily use, since the drink here was quite expensive and the expenses and gastronomy that His Majesty incurred were quite high. Therefore, this was permitted by the Governor for this time for reasons on the grounds that such a thing could not well take consequence, none other than the E. Compe. Only such a quantity of liquor was being distributed to the free innkeepers, and consequently, permitting it would not otherwise cause significant damage, as well as a certain resolution dated March 7th stipulating a toll on all wines, which ours (bringing such liquor to the country with permission) was required to pay first, which he would similarly be obligated to pay in the event of further continuation (so as not to undermine the Company's justice), and which he would then regulate. And in accordance with our previous resolution, dated as mentioned above, the Danish ship's council continued to object just as vigorously, both verbally and in writing, protesting that, to the great detriment and interest of His Royal Majesty, they would have to consult with him and cut him ashore in order to keep his unruly crew, being (as they say) a mutinous band of various nations banded together,154 in good security, as the chief captain had already been deported from their captain over bad commissaries, and the sole charge of ship and goods to His Majesty's captain, Antoni van Doorn, was standing, and therefore were neither able nor qualified to act without him. depart, and continuing daily in such substantial words, finally the bullman Knued Vederman155 appeared again in council, handing over a certain document in the form of protest on behalf of its captain, enclosed with a request from the aforementioned ship's council with oral request from the said bullman in the name mentioned above. that the Governor and Council wished to dispose of it favorably, as time was running out and they were all ready to sail and otherwise saw no chance of getting the ship through the sea, whereupon the Governor and Council themselves replied that after noon his captain would communicate to us his decision and intention, on which basis we departed.)156 After reading the Governor and Council157 and summarizing with great diligence, after many previous debates (for very important reasons) they have for the first time not come to the slightest decision for papers brought forward by the bullman in the manner mentioned above. having been extradited, to compel the dismissal of the said Danish captain, but arrested at the last moment after consultation, because on the one hand, in the well-given order of our Lords Majors, we did not like to have to use connivance and on the other hand, we did not like to stir up unrest between the Danish crown and our state)158 to strengthen our Council with the E. Fiscal Mr. Tobias Vlasvath and the159 skippers of the ships moored here. Jan Wittebol van Rommerswael, Cornelis Cornelisz van de hoecker de Quartel, Manuel Jaspersen van de hoecker de Vlieger 160 and the persons Johannes Ravensbergh with the vendor Jacob Croon, both members from the Judicial Council to jointly discuss this important matter with good seriousness, largely in the service of the E.Compe., our Lords Majors and to the best of their satisfaction, to direct placcas for that purpose)161 to our best knowledge in order to come to a final decision. So again the commissioners, Lieutenant Jeronimus Cruse, together with the sub-merchant Mr. van Banchem, were appointed by the aforementioned Council. sent to the Danish captain and his captain-in-chief to amicably demand his license, which the same was authorized by the Honourable General Joan Maetsuijcker to assist the Danish ship Oldenburg as chief captain to sail to the homeland, in addition to his free pass or instructions given to him on the voyage, as well as what he was supposed to understand from the sidelines (since we have found in our experience that one or two Dutch captains have served in the aforementioned Danish service) that it would not be strange for the Lord Governor to be admitted in his own favor, because he would allow his entire ship's crew to come ashore before the meeting. ring at three o'clock in the afternoon, to come and request his release from arrest together, as well as that the Council should be strengthened with more qualified persons to inform themselves sharply regarding his affairs, and after examination, the exact intention and the corresponding decision would be conveyed to him, and after decision regarding his affairs, not much more could be done afterwards; that therefore he must now reconsider, as well as whether he would be willing to pass an act of such a thing in India, beyond all suspicion, it was requested that he would be willing to present himself at some summons to the Comps. ruling heads there to surrender at any time, as well as to enter service. The aforementioned commissioners have therefore received from the Danish captain in response and informed the Governor and Council in the following manner that on the latter subject of passing such an act he would very much like to resolve, but because of having the entire Council come ashore to speak on his behalf, he dared not even think of supporting it in the least, much less give his command to do so, that such a thing would be a serious responsibility for His Royal Majesty, in view of him already being a Dutchman, and also being arrested for that, he would also assist the other Dutchmen who might be on his soil, and that not unknown to him, he would undoubtedly (doing so) confirm the same in strong words, the blue toom, believing that this would result in an eternal prison sentence at the very least for his wages. The meeting was separated and postponed until after noon.
Thus resolved and arrested in the Fort of Good Hope, date above.
[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS.
[Signed:] CRUDOP.
[Signed:] J. CRUSE.
[Signed:] Ms. VAN BANCHEM, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Den Raat door den Gouverneur bij een geconvoceert sijnde omme wederom te besoigneeren over de sake wegens de Deenschen capitain Anthoni van Doorn alhier aan lant gearresteert volgens resolutie in dato 15en deser genoomen, is door sijn E.E. voormelt den Raat voorgehouden dat den Deenschen capitain aan sijn E.E. instantigh hadde laten versoecken om een keldertje met dranck van sijn schip aan lant te mogen laten comen tot sijn dagelijcx gebruijck, vermits den dranck alhier vrij costelijck was vallende en de oncosten en gastos die was makende op sijn Maijesteijt vrij hoogh waren loopende, Soo is het selve door den Gouverneur voor dese mael om redenen toegestaen met die aansegginge dat sulcx niet wel souwde cunnen consequentie nemen, invoegen niemandt anders als d’ E. Compe. alleen soodanige vocht aan de vrijherbergiers was omsettende en gevolghlijck ‘t selve permitteerende anders niet als merckelijcke schade was bijbrengende, als mede dat seeckere resolutie in dato 7 Maart genoomen, op alle wijnen een tol was beraemt die d’ onse (diergelijcke vocht met permissie aan lant brengende) gehouwden bleven eerst te voldoen, ‘t geene hij bij verdere continuatie (om ‘s Comps. gerechtigheijt niet te verkorten) insgelijcx souwde sijn verobligeert en waarna sich geliefde te reguleeren.
Ende ingevolge van onse voorgaande resolutie in dato als boven genoomen, bleeff efter den Deenschen scheepsraet soo mondelingh als per geschrifte even hardt doleeren, protesteerende tot groote schade en intreste van sijn conincklijcke Majesteijt met desselffs bodem te sullen moeten overleggen en deselve nader aan de wal korten, om sijn tomeloos volcq, sijnde (soo men segt) een gemutineerde hoop van diverse natien t’ samen gerot)154 in goede verseeckeringh te cunnen houwden, alsoo den opperstierman over quade comportementen reets van haaren capitain gedeporteert was, en de verantwoordige van schip en goet aan sijn Majesteijts capitain Antoni van Doorn alleen was staende, ende dierhalven niet bequaem noch oocq gequalificeert waren om sonder hem te vertrecken, ende in diergelijcke substantieele woorden dagelijcx blijvende continueeren, is eijndelijck wederom in vergaderingh verscheenen den stierman Knued Vederman155 in Raade overleverende seecker geschrift in forma van protest wegens haeren capitain, bijgevoeght met een versoeckschrift van den voorseijden scheepsraet met mondelinge beede van gemelden stierman uijt de naem voors. dat den Gouverneur en Raat doch daerop geliefde favorabel te disponeeren, alsoo de tijt quame te verloopen en al zeijlvaardigh waren en anders geen kans sagen om ‘t schip door zee te krijgen, waarop door den Gouverneur en Raat denselven is in andtwoort gedient dat na de middagh sijnen capitain ons besluijt en intentie souwde werden gecommuniceert waar op is vertrocken.)156 Den Gouverneur en Raat nagelesende157 en met groote diligentie geresumeert hebbende, hebben na voorgaende veele debatten (om seer hoogwichtige redenen) voor eerst tot geen het minste besluijt voor aangetoogen papieren door den stierman in maniere voors. overgelevert sijnde, nopende het ontslaan van den voorseijden Deenschen capitain cunnen komen, maar op het laast na gedaen overlegh gearresteert, om aan d’ eene zijde in d’ welgegeven ordres van onse Heeren Maijores niet geerne conniventie te moeten gebruijcken en aan de andere zijde tussen den Deenschen croon en onsen staat oocq niet geerne onlusten te verwecken)158 onsen Raat te verstercken met den E. Fiscaal Mr. Tobias Vlasvath en de159 schippers van de hier ter rheede leggende bodems. Jan Wittebol van Rommerswael , Cornelis Cornelisz van de hoecker de Quartel , Manuel Jaspersen van de hoecker de Vlieger 160 en de persoonen Johannes Ravensbergh met den vendrigh Jacob Croon, beijde leden uijt den Justittuelen Raat omme gesamentlijck over dese wichtige sake met goeden ernst ten meesten dienste der E.Compe. onse Hren. Majoren en tot beste genoegen in voldoeningh van haer Edl.Ho.Mo. placcaten ten dien eijnde gedirigeert)161 naer onse beste kennisse te besoigneeren om tot een finael besluijt te comen, Soo sijn nochmael de gecommitteerdens den leutenant Jeronimus Cruse, nevens den ondercoopman Mr. van Banchem, door den Raat voors. na den Deenschen capitain en desselffs stierman gesonden omme den capitain in minnelijckheijt af te vorderen sijn licentiebriefje, waerbij denselven is toegestaan door den Edle.Hr. Generael Joan Maetsuijcker om het Deensche schip Oldenburg te moogen als opperstierman helpen na ‘t vaderlant voeren, nevens sijn vrij pas of instructie, hem op de reijse tot naerichtingh mede gegeven, als mede dat hem van ter zijden souwde te verstaan geven (vermits wij in ervaringe sijn gekomen dat noch een a twee Nederlantse stuirluijden op heeft in gemelden Deenschen dienst) dat het niet vreemt bij den Heere Gouverneur tot sijn eijgen faveur mogelijck souwde opgenomen werden, wegens sijn ganschen scheepsraat aan lant te laten comen tegens de vergaderingh op namiddagh ten drie uijren gestelt, om voor sijn persoon de ontslaginge uijt arrest gesamentlijck te comen versoecken, als mede dat de Raat met noch meer gequalificeerde persoonen souwde wesen gesterckt, omme sich scherpelijck aangaande sijne saacken te informeeren en na gedane examinatie hem de rechte intentie en desselffs besluijt souwde werden aangeseijt, en na genomen besluijt omtrent sijne saacken naderhant niet veel meer souwde kunnen werden gedaan; dat daarom nu sijne bedencken most nemen, Alsmede off wel souwde genegen sijn een acte te passeeren van soo in India buijten alle vermoeden mocht werden aangesocht sijn persoon te willen stellen op eenige op ontbiedinge ten bedwangh van ‘s Comps. regeerende hoofden aldaer om t’ allen tijden sich over te geven, als mede in dienst te comen. Des hebben de gecommitteerdens voors. van den Deenschen capitain in response becomen en den Gouverneur en Raat in de volgende maniere aangedient als dat op ‘t laeste subject van wegens een soodanigen acte te passeeren seer geerne wilde resolveeren, maer wegens den ganschen Raat aan lant te laten comen, om voor sijn persoon te spreecken, ‘t selve met geen gedachten op ‘t alderminste dorste onderstaan, veel min sijne commande daertoe geven, dat sulcx een sware verantwoordige voor sijn Conincklijcke Maijestejt souwde wesen, ten opsichte hij reets een Nederlander sijnde, en oocq daerover in arrest genomen, de andere Nederlanders die op sijn bodem mochte wesen, en sulcx niet onbekent mede in arrest souwde helpen en dat gewisselijck (dat doende) confirmerende ‘t selve met groote woorden, den blaeuwen toom menende daermede een eeuwige gevanckenisse op ‘t alderminste voor sijn loon souwde becomen. Des is de vergaderinge gescheijden en uijtgestelt tot na de middagh.
Aldus geresolveert ende gearresteert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoop, datum ut supra.
[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS.
[Signed:] CRUDOP.
[Signed:] J. CRUSE.
[Signed:] Ms. VAN BANCHEM, Secrets.