The merchant66 of the yesterday arrived English ship d' Philip, named Jenis Barre, having related at length to the Commander of the Star how that on the island of Maddagascar, on the west side at a certain place called ... situated in the southern latitude of ... degrees and ... m.,67 had negotiated this season approximately 130 slaves, each for a little brushwood, a shotgun and some Nuremburg trinkets, with the aim that each slave would not outwardly come to stand above the ... reals68, but the most considerable that the aforementioned. merchant, because of the situation and from which they provided supplies from that place, was that during their stay there for a few days inland they had found the entire country filled with rice fields, through which the grain flowed in so opulently, that according to their intention during their stay they had also acquired provisions for the negotiated slaves for the journey, in a torc of forestry, according to a rough calculation, each burden of 3000 lb. no longer coming to an expense as … lb.69 of that species with the enclosed assurance that when one leaves from here there at the end of the month of May, or at the latest in the middle of June, within a period of 14 days or three weeks of being there, a capital boat of 300 lasts could be fully loaded, and with it one could return hither in the southern season, having kept accurate notes of the one and other in his journal, as well as of the occasion, situation and further constitution of that place, with the offer to let us have a copy of his daily note, provided that the Comp. to accommodate him with a few meager supplies of some water-barrels, sail-ropes, pump-nails, etc., which he admitted to be very much in need of, so that Mr. Commander den Raad, summoned for that purpose, presented him with the suggestion that this matter could be deemed of such importance that, within the regulations of the Order of Our Lords, the prohibited accommodation of these and other European nations could be granted some dispensation. In view of this, that the Company continues to monitor the slave trade in Maddagascar, for the benefit of the West Coast of Sumatra, and also primarily that, for the aforementioned purpose, A large quantity of rice can be obtained for such a small quantity of rice, to discover which the Company has previously made various shipments there and incurred so many expenses, without yet being able to find the right purpose for this residence to trade rice there.
This having been carefully considered, it has been agreed and understood to assist the aforementioned English friends with the few supplies requested, provided that they provide us with their journal of the voyage and trade to Madagascar and two of the slaves negotiated there, in order to ensure that the Company... Should any time arise, it might be decided to send a letter there to act as interpreters for trade.
Thus arrested at the Castle of Good Hope, date of the above.
[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.
[Signed:] J. CRUSE.
[Signed:] ANDRIES DE MAN, Council and Sectrs.
[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.