Skip to content
GenDatabase
Sign in

Cape Council of Policy

691

1682-04-08

Back

Minute details

Entry number
691
Date
1682-04-08
Year
1682

English translation

Present are His Eminence, Governor General Rijckloff van Goens, Commander Simon van der Stel, Vice-Commander Adriaen Sleutel, Lieutenant Jeronimus Cruse, Rear Admiral Maurits Jacobsz Eijck, Skipper Pieter van de Woestijne, and Secretary Andries de Man.

In addition, the successive Commissioners of this residence have released several former male and female slaves, both male and female, who earned their freedom through long years of service, from their servitude, in order to sanctify them. Several of these have now appeared again at this meeting and similarly requested to be released from their servitude, but since it has been discovered that some of them will subsequently be at the expense of the Company. If they come and are unable to earn their keep, it is agreed and understood that henceforth no such slaves may be granted freedom, and that all those who have previously obtained their freedom and who in the future come to bother the Company for support will be accepted as servants of the Company again and will also be held as such, it being fair that if the Company comes to their aid,85 they will again be subject to their previous servitude.

The English ship named the Philip, which arrived here yesterday, according to the report of the chiefs of New York, arrived here partly because of a need for water and also with the intention of navigating to the island of Madagascar for the slave trade, and upon its arrival in this bay, outside of usual custom, not only did it remain outside the range of the castle canon, but also of the ships moored there, which seems to us somewhat suspect in this conjuncture of times, and does not give the best suspicion. It has been unanimously decided that the Commander of the Stel, Rear Admiral Maurits Jacobsz Eijck, and the skipper Pieter van de Woestijne, Committed to sail aboard the said Englishman this afternoon and to thoroughly inspect the ship, to discover whether it was also a spy who could easily betray us before our departure, and to warn anyone who might be interested in this return fleet, and furthermore to inspect its constitution and equipment in such a way as to reassure us in this regard.

Considering and considering the necessity of appointing a prominent captain over the militia of this castle in these dubious times and the appearance of war, in order to keep it in proper discipline, with the necessary provisions. Considering the good and long-standing services of Lieutenant Jeronimus Cruse, but also his knowledge of the land, through many years of continuous work here, such a person is particularly required here, it has been understood at his request, in order to encourage his good zeal, to add from now on the quality of captain lieutenant with 80 guilders per month and a captain's salary without bond. However, if the Lords do not expressly send a captain here for this place before the end of this current year, in which case it is understood that he will then be deferred the absolute quality of captain with the same eighty guilders per month under a five-year bond from today. Incoming, but a captain being sent from the homeland, to continue as lieutenant captain with 65 guilders for the month of the coming January 1683.

At the request of the aforementioned captain, Lieutenant Croese, it was agreed that he would send some cash, at his own risk, with the ships sailing from here to Batavia, to be deposited there at the Compe., in addition to which this government would pay to its Highness Ede. until Batavia was requested in his favor, that he be allowed to receive the accrued interest payments here annually, as well as, upon his departure from here to the homeland, or otherwise, the payments counted in cash in Batavia, to be remitted here by bill of exchange.

The sick patient Gerrit Victor86 requested in Raade that during his stay here his wages be written off and transferred until such time as he had sold his real estate and was willing to depart for India in his aforementioned capacity, which fair request was granted by his Ed. and the Raad. Thus done and arrested in the Castle of Good Hope, on the day, month, and year aforesaid.

[Signed:] VAN GOENS.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] MOURIS JACOBSZ.

[Signed:] PIETER VAN WOESTIJN.

[Signed:] A. DE MAN.

Original Dutch transcription

Present84 sijn Edt. den Gouverneur Generael Rijckloff van Goens, den Commandeur Simon van der Stel, den vice Commandeur Adriaen Sleutel, den luijtenandt Jeronimus Cruse, den schout bij nacht Maurits Jacobsz Eijck, schipper Pieter van de Woestijne en Secretaris Andries de Man.

Aangesien bij de successive Heeren Commissarissen deser residentie eenige oude E.Comps. slaven en slavinnen die door lange jaarige diensten haer vrijdom verdient hebben van tijt tot tijt van haer dienstbaerheijt zijn ontslagen om hun in vrijdom te erneeren, hoedanige nu wederom eenige te deser vergaderingh zijn verscheenen en insgelijckx van haere dienstbaerheijt versochten ontslagen te wesen, maer aengesien men ondervindt dat eenige derselve naderhandt weder tot laste van de Compe. comen en haer kost niet weeten te winnen, soo is goetgevonden en verstaen dat voortaen geen soodanige slaven in vrijdom sullen mogen gelargeert werden, en dat alle de geene, die haer vrijdom voordesen hebben vercreegen, en de Compe. in toekomende om onderhout komen lastigh te vallen, de soodanige weder als dienstbaare bij d’ Compe. sullen aengenoomen en oock daervoor gehouden werden, sijnde billijck soo de Compe. haer komt te sustenteeren,85 dat sij in sulken geval hare voorige dienstbaerheijt weder subject sijn.

Het Engels scheepje genaemt d’ Philip , gisteren hier ter rheede gekomen, volgens ‘t voorgeven der opperhooffden van nieuwjorck hier aengekomen, eenelijck uijt benodichtheijt van water en verders van intentie wesende naer ‘t eijlandt Madagascar tot den handel van slaven te navigeeren, en op sijn aencomst in dese baaij, buijten ordinarie gewoonte, niet alleen buijten ‘t bereijck van ‘t canon van ‘t Casteel, maer oock selffs van de ter rheede leggende scheepen, sijnde blijven leggen, dat ons al eeniger maaten suspect schijnt in dese conjuncture van tijden, en ‘t beste vermoeden niet en geeft, Soo is met eenparigheijt van stemmen verstaen den Commandeur van der Stel, den schout bij nacht Maurits Jacobsz Eijck, en de schipper Pieter van de Woestijne, te committeeren om dese namiddagh aan boort van gemelten Engelsman te vaaren en het scheepie behendigh te visiteeren, om te ontdecken off het oock een spion was, die voor ons vertreck ons lichtelijck konde verraden, ende die geene welcke op deese retourvlooth mochten toeleggen te waerschouwen, en verders soodanige inspectie van desselffs constitutie en uijtrustingh te neemen om ons daer ontrent gerust te konnen stellen.

Geconsidereert en overwogen de nootsaekelijkheijt dat over de militie van dit Casteel bij deese dubieuse tijden en apparentie van oorlogh een voornaem hooft tot capiteijn wert gestelt om deselve alsoo met het vereijschte gesagh in behoorlijcke discipline te houden, mitsgrs. geleth wesende op de goede en langhjarige diensten van den luijtenant, Jeronimus Cruse, maer oock daerenboven desselffs landkundigheijt, door lange jaaren continuatie hier ter plaatse, hoedanigen persoon bijsonderlijck hier is vereijschende, soo is op sijn versoeck verstaen, om hem in sijn goeden ijver te animeeren, van nu af aen toe te voegen de qualiteijt van capiteijn luijtenandt met ƒ80 ter maendt en capiteijns tractement sonder verbandt, dogh bij aldien de Heeren Meesters voor ‘t expireeren van dit loopende jaer geen expres capiteijn voor deese plaats komen herwaerts te zenden, in welcken geval is verstaan, dat hem alsdan sal werden gedefereert de absoluijte qualiteijt van capiteijn met deselve tachtigh guldens ter maendt onder een vijffjarigh verbandt van heden aff ingaande, maer een capiteijn uijt ‘t vaderlandt gesonden werdende, als capiteijn luijtenant met 65 gls. ter maendt van toecomende pro. Januarij 1683 blijven continueeren.

Op ‘t versoeck van den gemelten capiteijn luijtenandt Croese, is hem g’accordeert mette van hier na Batavia gaende scheepen, op sijn eijgen risico, eenige contanten te versenden om aldaer bij d’ Compe. â deposito te werden aengenoomen, waer nevens van deese regeeringh aen haer hoogh Ede. tot Batavia in sijn faveur sal werden versocht, dat hij de verloopen intrestpenningen jaerlijckx alhier sal mogen ontfangen, mitsgaders bij sijn vertreck van hier naa ‘t vaderlandt, off andersints, de in cassa getelde penningen op Batavia, alhier per wissel weder geremitteert te werden.

Den kranckbesoecker Gerrit Victor86 in Raade versocht hebbende dat geduerende sijn verblijff alhier sijn gagie mochte werden affgeschreven en cesseeren tot der tijt en wijle, dat hij sijn vaste goederen hadde verkocht, en genegen was in sijn voors. qualiteijt na India te vertrecken, welck billijck versoeck hem door sijn Edt. en den Raadt is geconsenteert en toegestaen.

Aldus gedaan ende g’arresteert in ‘t Casteel d’ Goede Hoop, ten dage, maand ende jaare voors.

[Signed:] VAN GOENS.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] MOURIS JACOBSZ.

[Signed:] PIETER VAN WOESTIJN.

[Signed:] A. DE MAN.