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Cape Council of Policy

716

1682-12-08

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Minute details

Entry number
716
Date
1682-12-08
Year
1682

English translation

Considering that one of the nearest Hottentoot commanders or captains, named Schacher, has come into conflict with his subordinate Hottentoots and is daily at odds with each other, to the point that they have separated from his negro for some time now and are opposing the obedience they legally owe him, threatening that they wanted to make war on him, and in this respect were much stronger in number than those who continued to adhere to his party, though all young and nimble fellows, in contrast to the number that the aforementioned captain nor has kept with him, mostly consist of decrepit men, who due to great age, not in courage but through lack of required strength, would not be able to compel the aforementioned rebellious to their guilty obedience, wherefore he finds it convenient to address to the authorities here with a request that the aforementioned. His subjects, through our mediation, might be constrained, amicably or otherwise by force, to their due obedience, so that they were summoned here in our name, and both parties were heard in council about it, and on the other hand, they introduced their objections.55 But finally, through our mediation, the departed were so well disposed that they promised by hand to henceforth obey their aforementioned colonel or captain in everything,56 and to rejoin them at his command within a few days, with which both sides were fully satisfied.

It has been considered57 that the water pump, located in the center of the castle on the square, has never been properly installed and has been completely unsuitable for daily use for some time now. This is primarily due58 to the lack of adequate pump builders, as well as the lead pipes through which the water must be drawn, which has greatly inconvenienced the garrison within the castle. Therefore, it has been decided and understood that the aforementioned pump should be converted into a suitable water well, especially since this can be done without expense within a few days.

Given the frequent consumption of the recently designated native cattle, we are at least equipped with sufficient slaughter animals and sheep for the upcoming return ships from India. Therefore, following previous deliberation, it was deemed appropriate to first initiate an exchange with the Hesse nation (the richest of the cattle being the nearest), in order to have them here before the arrival of the return fleet from India. Sergeant Otto Cruse,59 along with 15 men to assist him with the necessary merchandise, will be used for this purpose.

Thus arrested at the Castle of Good Hope, date above.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE

[Signed:] A. DE MAN, Rt. and Sects.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.

Original Dutch transcription

Aengesien een der na bij gelegenste Hottentootsoverste off capitijns, Schacher genaemt, met sijne onderhoorige Hottentoots in contentie is geraekt en dagelijcx met malkanderen overhoop leggen, soo verre dat sij al voor eenige tijt van sijn negerij haer hebben gesepareert en tegens de gehoorsaemheijt, die sij hem wettelijck schuldigh sijn, g’opposeert onder bedreijginge dat sij hem den oorlogh wilde aen doen, en ten opsichte deselve in getal veel stercker waeren dan de geene die sijn partij bleven aenhangen, mitsgrs. allegaer jonge en rappe gasten, daer in tegens ‘t getal dat den voorn. capt. noch bij hem heeft gehouden, meest bestaan uijt affgeleefde mannen, die door hoogen ouderdom niet in couragie maer door gebreck van vereijste crachten, de voorn. wederspannige niet soude connen dwingen tot haer schuldige gehoorsaemheijt, weshalven hij hem genootsaeckt vindt aen de overigheijt alhier te addresseeren met versoeck, dat de voorn. sijn onderdaenen door onse mediatie in der minne off andersints met gewelt mochte wierden geconstringeert tot haere schuldige obidientie[sic], sulcx deselve uijt onse naem herwaerts ontbooden, en beijde partijen in Raaden daer over sijn gehoort, en ter weder seijde haere dolianten55 hebben ingebracht, doch eijndelijck door onse mediatie d’ affgevallen soo verre gedisponeert dat sij bij handttastinge hebben belooft haeren voorn. overste ofte capt. voortaen in alles te gehoorsamheijt56 mitsgaders haer weder binnen corte daegen bij sijn corael haer te vervoegen, waermede aan weder sijde ten vollen waeren gecontenteert.

Geconsidireert57 dat de waterpomp, in ‘t midden van ‘t Casteel op ‘t pleijn staende, noch nooijt recht en nu geruijmen tijt herwaerts tot ‘t nootwendigh gebruijck gants onbequaem is geraeckt, ten principaelen ontstaenden58 dat van geen goede pompmaakers sijn voorsien, mitsgaeders dat de loode pijpen waerdoor ‘t water moet werden op gehaelt, t’ eenemael onbequaem sijn geraeckt, waer door men tot gerieff van ‘t guarnisoens volcq binnen ‘t Casteel grootelijcx verleegen is, weshalven goet gevonden en verstaan is, de voorn. pomp tot een waaterput bequaem te maeken, te meer alsoo sulcx sonder oncosten binnen corte daegen can geschieden.

Aengesien door de veelvuldige consumptie van de jonghst aengewesen vaderlants scheepen wij ons althans van genoeghsame slachtbeesten en schaapen voor de aenstaende verwacht werdende retourscheepen uijt India destituijt bevinden, Soo is naer voorgaende deliberaetie goet gevonden een ruijlingh nae de Hessequeas -natie (van de vee rijckste wel de nae bij gelegentste sijnde) ten eersten te doen onderneemen, om deselve noch voor de komst van de retourvlooth uijt India alhier te hebben, sullen daertoe werden gebruijckt als hoofden den sargeant Otto Cruse59 nevens 15 mannen t’ sijnder assistentie met de vereyste coopmanschappen daer toe noodigh.

Aldus g’arresteert in ‘t Casteel de Goede Hoop, datum ut supra.

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE

[Signed:] A. DE MAN, Rt. en Sects.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.