Cape Council of Policy
75
1655-10-16
Minute details
- Entry number
- 75
- Date
- 1655-10-16
- Year
- 1655
English translation
Since the dry season is now beginning to return, suitable for the seal skins to dry properly, and our Lord Masters, according to their latest letter of April 16th, last arrived on August 24th, 1655, 222, with the ship Nieuw Rotterdam, are of the opinion that these are apparently more likely to yield in the Fatherland than before, therefore we order to collect as much as possible; and since we, on the order of our Lords. The General and Council of India have now and then sent many people to Batavia to circumcise this garrison, etc., so that we are currently somewhat less well-supplied to properly handle the catch (at least 30 men being necessary), and also to keep other work going with one of us, for which reason we have all the time waited for the ships to be able to procure anything from them, especially since nowadays, with the aforementioned dry days, we will also have to fall back on the stoneworks, which will require 20 or more men, all of which, in addition to cultivation, masonry, carpentry, blacksmithing, sawing in the forest, as well as traveling and waiting, etc. for the reasons mentioned above, it is impossible to keep going all at once with our few people, although none of us should suffer any inconvenience or be forced to stand still, since brick forming, masonry, carpentry and similar matters must mainly be carried out during the dry monsoon (now beginning), while especially taking to heart the matters from which the E. Compe. may find the costs thereof heavy (mainly the seal catch). Therefore, after everything has been considered and deliberated by the Commander and Council, it has been approved to set the matter in order to start, in particular, the seal catch with the shaloups Robbejaght and Peguijn on the islands in the Bay of Saldanha with 23 heads, both for the catch and for the preservation of the aforementioned shaloups, as well as with the stone-making (regardless of whether the dry season must also be observed) to be superimposed on the compass of the first ships from the homeland, in order to equip ourselves from there with a few people and boys (necessary for the stone-making), and also To send some more to the seal catch at Dasseneijlant, by which time the seals will be caught in Saldanha Bay, until the catch is complete; in order to then send these people back to Batavia, as we have already begun to observe.
Thus done and resolved at Fort de Goede Hoope on the day and year of the present.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] TYMEN EGBERTSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
Thus done and resolved at Fort de Goede Hoope on the day and year of the present.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] TYMEN EGBERTSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Dewijle jegenwoordigh de drooge tijt weder begint aen te comen bequaem om de robbenvellen na behoren te sullen cunnen droogen ende dat onse Hrn. Meesters per derselver jonghste schrijvens van den 16en April verleden op24 Augustij 1655222 met ‘t schip Nieuw Rotterdam becomen, van opinie sijn dat deselve in ‘t Patria apparent meer als voor desen staen te renderen, dierhalven ordonneren om soo veele op te samelen als mogelijck sij; ende nademael wij op d’ ordre van de Hren. Generael ende Raden van India nu en dan veel volcx hebben na Batavia gesonden tot besnijdinge deses guarnisoens &a., sulcx dat wij jegenwoordigh wat soober versien sijn om die vanghst (30 man ten minsten alleen toe van noden wesende) na behoren bijder hant te vatten, ende oock met eenen ons ander werck gaende te houden, waer door al wijltijts hebben gewacht na de schepen om ons daeruijt noch wat te mogen versien, te meer dewijle jegenwoordigh mits de drooge dagen voormelt oock weder sullen dienen te vallen aen de steenbackerije daermeede wel 20 off meer man toe vereijsschen welcke alles neffens de culture, metselen, timmeren, smeen, houtsagerij in ‘t bos, mitsgaders tochten en wachten &a. om redenen voorsz onvermogen sijn, met ons weijnige volcq al teffens gaende te houden, hoewel geen van allen qualijck hinder lijden off stil blijven staen magh, vermits ‘t steenvormen, metselen, timmeren ende diergelijcke saken principalijck in ‘t drooge mouson (nu beginnende) meede moet worden waergenomen, nochtans bijsonderlijck ter herten nemende de saecken waeruijt d’ E. Compe. derselver swaer dragende oncosten mogen vinden (sijnde voornamentlijck de robbenvanghst), Soo is ‘t dat bij den Commandeur ende Raadt alles overwogen ende in deliberatie genomen sijnde, goetgevonden is de saecken daer na te stellen omme vooral de robbenvanghst met de chaloupen Robbejaght ende Peguijn vooreerst te beginnen op de eijlanden in de baij van Saldanha met 23 coppen soo tot de vanghst als bewaringe van de voorsz chaloupen, mitsgaders met de steenbackerije (onaengesien223 oock staende de drooge tijt moet waergenomen worden) te supercederen tot de compste van d’ eerste schepen uijt ‘t vaderlant omme ons daer uijt dan met noch weynigh volcq ende jongens (tot de steenbackerij nodigh) te versien, ende daer van oock eenige meer tot de robbenvanghst van ‘t Dasseneijlant te senden, tegen dat de robben in de Saldanhabaij sullen opgevangen wesen tot soolange dat deselve vanghst sal gedaen hebben: omme die luijden dan weder na Batavia te largeren, gelijck voor desen oock al begonnen hebben te observeren.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare uts.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] TYMEN EGBERTSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare uts.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] TYMEN EGBERTSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.