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Cape Council of Policy

718

1682-12-13

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Minute details

Entry number
718
Date
1682-12-13
Year
1682

English translation

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.

Original Dutch transcription

Den coopman66 van het gisterige g’arriveerde Engels scheepie d’ Philip , genaemt Jenis Barre, aen den Commandeur van der Stell in ‘t brede hebbende gerelateert, hoe dat sij op ‘t eijlandt Maddagascar , aen de westsijde op seeker plaets genaemt … geleegen op de Zuijder breete van … graden en … m.,67 dit saijsoen hadde genegotieert ongevaer 130 slaven, eenelijck voor een weijnigh boscruijt, haegelgeweer en eenige Neurenburger snuijstereijen, in voegen dat ijder slaeff uijterlijck niet boven de … reaelen68 komen te staan, doch wel het considirabelste dat den voorn. coopman, wegens de cituatie en uijt leveringh dier plaatse bedeelen, was dat sij aldaer in hun aenwesen eenige daege te landewaert ‘t gantsche landt hadden bevonden met rijstvelden vervult, waardoor dat graan aldaer soo opulent toevloeijde, dat sij nae haer desier geduijrende hun aenwesen daer meede waeren g’accommodeert, oock selfs provisien voor de genegotieerde slaaven voor de reijs hadden opgedaen, in trocque van boscruijt nae ruijge calculatie ijder last van 3000 lb. niet meer te coste comende als … lb.69 van die specie met bij gevoeghde assurante verseekeringh, dat wanneer men in het laeste van de maent Meij, off uijterlijk medio Junij, van hier derwaerts vertrock, in den tijt van 14 daegen off drij weeken aenwesens aldaer, een capitaelen boodem van 300 lasten soude connen vollaeden krijgen, en daer meede het zuijder saijsoen herwaerts keeren, hebbende van ‘t een en ‘t ander accuraate aenteekeningh gehouden in sijn journael, soo meede van de gelegentheijt, cituatie en verdre constitutie dier plaets, met aenbiedingh ons sijn dagelijcxe aenteekeningh te wille laeten copieeren, mits dat de Comp. hem met eenige weijnige benoodigheden van eenige watervaaten, zeijlgaeren, pompspijckers &a., om ‘t welcke hij voor gaff seer benoodight te wesen, geliefde te accommodeeren, sulcx den Hr. Commandeur den Raadt tot dien eijnde geconvoceert, voordraaght off dese saeke van soodaenige inportantie soude connen werden geoordeelt, dat men in dit reguart van de ordre van onse Hren. Principaelen ontrent de verboden accommodatie aen die en andre Uropiaensche 70 Naatie eenigermaate soude connen dispenseeren, Soo ten ops[i]chte dat de Comp. den slaavenhandel op Maddagascar als noch comt te volgen, ten behoeven van de Westkust van Sumatra en oock voornaementlijck dat men ter voors. plaats voor soo een geringe waerdij soo een groote quantiteijt ryst kan becomen, omme ‘t welcke te ontdecken de Comp. voormaels verscheijde besendinghs derwaerts heeft gedaen, en soo veel oncosten gesuporteert, sonder dat noch echter ‘t rechte ooghmerck voor dese residentie aldaer rijst te negotieeren heeft connen becomen.

Sulcx71 ‘t selve in rijpe deliberatie genoomen sijnde, is goet gevonden en verstaan voorn. Engels vrinden met de weijnige versochte benoodigheeden te assisteeren, mits ons ter handt stellende haar gehoude journael van de voagie72 en den handel op Madagascar en twee van de aldaer genegotieerde slaaven, om wanneer de Comp. in der tijt mochte comen te resolveeren een besendigh na derwaerts te doen, voor tolcken ontrent den handel te dienen.

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

[Signed:] S. VAN DER STEL.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] ANDRIES DE MAN Raat en Sectrs.

[Signed:] PHILIP THEODOOR WELCKER.