Cape Council of Policy
754
1685-04-05
Minute details
- Entry number
- 754
- Date
- 1685-04-05
- Year
- 1685
English translation
Likewise, considering the vicarious nature of the Judicial Council of this Castle, and the fact that the general body is also lacking a suitable person, the following has been nominated and appointed: Joan Blesius, who has also been delegated, until further notice, to the office of Secretary of the general body. Since no proper method has yet been followed or put into practice here regarding the opening and inspecting of medicines sent from the homeland to this residence, also with regard to the provision of medicines to the medicinal shop, in order to counteract any abuse that has crept in, it has been approved and understood that in the future, on receipt of the medicine chests, they will be opened in the presence of the committee, inspected and sent with the catalogue alongside, confronted in the presence and attendance of the administrator, if no supply will be made to the medicinal shop as per written order the qt. and quality of each, meaning that the true cost of that person can be written off annually in the business books.
Noting that the Comp's hospital here is quite small and far from large enough or adequate to accommodate the impotent patients from passing ships, it has often happened that, upon the arrival of many ships laden with large numbers of impotent patients, the sick were often placed in unsuitable places, without these miserable people being provided with the necessary comfort, which is nevertheless one of the most essential interests of the Ed. Comp. in this place, that the people of the passing ships were quickly reconvalesced and preserved as much as possible in their health, so as not to detain the ships in their further journey to India and the Fatherland at excessive expense to the Company, for which it was then very necessary to be provided, especially as regards the greater part with the soldering of the aforementioned hospital and some minor alterations at small expense to the Company. could be remedied and made suitable for housing 200 people, and over half as many as presently could be accommodated there, after the project was drawn up and today displayed and inspected in Rade. Therefore, with unanimous advice, it was decided to change the hospital according to the said project, as well as to solder it generally with the 1 1/2 inch planks that are in stock; likewise, the floor, up to the bedding, should be laid with the custom floor stones that are in stock here; The space, currently serving as a storage area for some of the equipment, would also be allocated to the hospital, so that the space for the impotent patients would be more easily accessible. The crew chief would be assigned another space on the west side of the common hospital, next to the existing shelter. Furthermore, Captain Jeronimus Cruse, the fiscal Albert van Breugel, and the present regents were appointed as co-regents to help, along with the chief surgeon, ensure that the impotent patients were well treated and that their order was properly observed.
Whereas we have received several complaints from the freemen, who from time to time, with the communication and consent of the Commander, to appease their families by going into the country to shoot manatees and other animals, about the unsafe roads and passages in the country of the Soeswaese nation or Hottentots, by actually attacking us Dutchmen, as well as by taking animals, wagons, and even lives, under the pretext that it was committed by a nation, Obiquas Gent. While it is not without reason that the aforementioned Soeswaese nation of 's-Hertogenbosch... Allies were expected to mingle with them and carry out such robberies and acts of violence, or at least the aforementioned Obiquas would assist in this, as has been experienced recently by some of our freemen, although in previous times the said Soeswa country was completely safe. and has been passed without the slightest hesitation. Therefore, to prevent all further misfortunes and acts of violence, it has been approved and arrested, with common advice, the captain or chief of the aforementioned Soeswaese nation, who is present here or at the Castle, to be arrested and ordered to declare that from now on, this order must be established in the district of his country, that none of our Europeans will be treated in this way there or treated in any way improperly, or that if the contrary is found, the captain will be obliged to give us satisfaction and fulfillment in this regard.
Fourthly, 57 by the Honorable Commissioner, considering that the free inhabitants here, and especially the most indigent, who are the Comp. with animal equipment to be able to continue agriculture with greater vigor, without bothering them for the first time about its satisfaction, not sparing them the animal equipment that is provided to them by the Comp. in the aforementioned manner, without consent and on private authority, is sold again to others far below its value, to the prejudice and detriment of the Comp. in order to obtain their guarantee, whenever such freemen should take the opportunity to reach the fatherland with the return ships from here, just as some such have recently left the fleet in vain, it has been deemed good to strictly interdicate and prohibit by placca58 that henceforth no one of these free inhabitants shall be able to sell any coarse livestock or sheep to each other, with the aforementioned communication and the expressed consent of the authorities here, on penalty of the seller's payment of the livestock sold, for the profit of the Company. and confiscation of the purchase funds, which will be approved for this purpose, to be applied to the buyer at uso, as the decree for that purpose will be drafted and withheld more broadly.
Having carefully reflected59 how completely inappropriately and to prejudice the office of the fiscal, a strange maxim was introduced a few years ago, appointing a sentry on the head of the usual arrival point of the chaloupes and boats of ships moored at sea, for the inspection and detention of all goods, exempt from anything brought ashore, unless the Company. if anyone else is in favor of it or not, and since it is not at all convenient with the respect and authority of the fiscal, because of which his required attention is taken away, and the posting of such a guard might give rise to strange ideas, it is understood that the aforementioned guard will be withdrawn from there, remaining from the fiscal's office to keep a close eye on the delivery and entry of all private goods, at the discretion of the Company, and to have this watched over, as well as against counter-venteurs according to the order of the Company. wealthy mandates to proceed, the patrol by a corporal with 6 soldiers would be continued at night on the sea beaches when ships were indicated here on the road, even if no ships were allowed to be here to assist the fiscal at night in his office on any occasion, where he might deem this necessary.
Original Dutch transcription
Insgelijx in consideratie genomen zijnde de swacheijt van den Justitieelen Raet deeses Casteels, en dat ‘t gem. collegie van een bequaem persoon Secs. meede onvo[o]rsien is, waer toe tot een meede lit is voorgedragen en aengestelt den dispencier, Joan Blesius, die meede tot nader occagie is gedefereert ‘t ampt van Secretaris van opgem. collegie.
Aengesien alhier tot noch toe niet is gevolgt off in practijcq gebragt een regte methode omtrent ‘t openen en nasien der medicamenten, die uijt ‘t vaderland voor deese residentie werden gesonden, Soo meede in ‘t reguard van de verstreckingh aen de medicinale winckel, om welck ingecroopen misbruijck te redresseeren, is goet gevonden en verstaen, dat vo[o]rtaen op den ontfangh van de medicamentkisten deselve ten overstaen van gecommitteerdens zullen werden geopent, naergesien en met de catalogus daer nevens overgesonden, geconfronteert in presentie en bijweesen van den administrateur, wanneer daer van aen de medicinale winckel geen verstreckingh sal werden gedaen als op schriftelijcke ordonnantie de qt. en qualiteijt van ijder inhoudende om ‘t ware costende van dien bij de negotieboecken jaerlijx te connen afschrijven.
In aenmerckinge genoomen dat ‘s Comps. hospitael alhier vrij cleen en tot het vereijste accommodemt. van de impotenten van de passeerende scheepen in verre na niet groot genoegh noch bequaem is, waer door dan dickmalen is comen te gebeuren bij aencomst van veel scheepen, die met groot getal impotenten zijn beladen, dat men genootsaeckt is geweest de siecken hier en daer op afgeleegen en daertoe onbequaeme plaetsen te logieren, sonder dat die miserabile menschen ‘t vereijste gemack heefft connen aengedaen werden, zijnde nochtans een van de essentieelste belangens van d’ Ed. Comp. te deesen plaetse, dat ‘t volck van de passeerende scheepen spoedich gereconvalisceert en bij haer gesontheijt soo veel als doenelijck geconserveert werden, om de scheepen in hare verdere reijse na Indien en ‘t Patria daer na tot excessive lasten van d’ Comp. niet op te houden, daer dan hoog nodich in diende te werden versien, te meer zulx voor ‘t meerder gedeelte met ‘t besolderen van ‘t voorn. hospitael en eenige weijnige veranderinge met geringe costen voor d’ Comp. soude connen werden geremedieert en bequaem gemaekt tot berginge van 200 menschen, en oversulx de helft meerder als jegenwoordich daer in te connen werden gelogieert, na ‘t project daer van opgemackt en heeden in Rade verthoont en nagesien, Weshalven met eenparige advijsen is g’arresteert ‘t hospitael na ‘t opgemelte project te veranderen, mitsgaders doorgaens te besolderen met de in voorra[e]t zijnde plancken van 1 1/2 duijm; soo meede onder off beneeden de vloer tot aen de beddingen te beleggen met de hier meede in v[o]orraet zijnde cust vloersteenen; de plaets, nu tot berginge van eenige equipagie goederen dienende, meede aen ‘t hospitael zullende werden getrocken, om dat de plaets der impotenten tot te meerder gemack aen malcanderen sal weesen, zullende de equipagiemeester werden aen de westzijde van ‘t gem. hospitael een andere plaets nevens het daerbij staende afdack werden ingeruijmt, zijnde wijders nevens de presenten regenten den capn. Jeronimus Cruse, den fiscael Albert van Breugel, tot meede regent aengestelt om benevens den opperchirurgijn te helpen besorgen dat de impotenten wel getracteert en d’ ordres aldaer in goede observatie werden gehouden.
Dewijle ons door de vrijluijden, die nu en dan met communicatie en consent van den Heer Commandeur gelicentieert werden tot sustentatie harer familien in ‘t land zeekoeijen en ander wilt te gaen schieten, verscheide clagten te vooren komen over de onveijligheijt der wegen en passagien in ‘t land der Soeswase natie off Hottentots met ons Neederlanders feijtelijck aen te tasten, mitsgaeders van beesten, wagens, ja selfs van ‘t leeven te berooven, onder voorwendingh dat ‘t selve door een natie, Obiquas gent., wert gepleegt, daer nochtans niet sonder reedenen de voornt. Soeswase natie ‘s Comps. g’allieerden werden gesuspecteert haer daer onder te vermengen, en zodanige roverijen en geweltpleegingen uijtvoeren, off ten minsten de voornoemde Obiquas daer in komen te assisteeren, gelijck noch jongst door eenige onser vrijluijden is ervaren, daer nochtans in voorige tijden ‘t gemelde Soeswase lant gantsch veijligh en sonder de minste schroom is te passeeren geweest, Soo is tot weeringe van alle vordere onheijlen en geweltpleegingen met gemeen advijs goetgevonden en g’arresteert den capn. off hooft der voorn. Soeswase natie, die sigh present alhier noch aen ‘t Casteel bevint, te doen injungeeren en aenseggen dat vo[o]rtaen die ordre in het district van zijn land sal moeten stellen, dat niemand van onse Europianen vo[o]rtaen zodanigh aldaer werden gejegnet off in eeniger maniere qualijck gehandelt, off dat bij contrarie bevindinge hij capn. gehouden sal weesen ons dien aengaende satisfactie en voldoeninge te geeven.
Veerder57 door d’ Edle. Heer Commissaris gelet zijnde dat de vrije ingeseetenen alhier, en in sonderheijt de onvermogenste die de Comp. met beestiael assisteert om den lantbouw met te meerder vigeur te connen voortsetten, sonder haer om de voldoeningh van dien noch voor eerst lastigh te vallen, haer niet ontsien het beestiael dat haer door de Comp. in maniere voors. wert verstreckt, sonder consent en op prive authoriteijt aen anderen verre beneden de waerde weeder vercoopen, tot prejuditie en nadeel van de Comp. om aen haer guarant te comen, wanneer zodanige vrijluijden maer naer occagie wagten om met de retourscheepen van hier naer ‘t vaderland te geraken, gelijck noch jongst met de vloot eenige zodanige haer fugatieff hebben begeeven, soo is goet gevonden bij placcaet58 strictelijck te interdiceeren en verbieden dat vo[o]rtaen niemand deeser vrij ingeseetenen sal vermoogen eenigh groff beestiael off schapen aen malcanderen te vercoopen als met voorgaende communicatie en gedragen consent van de ovrigheijt alhier, op verbeurte van ‘t verkogte beestiael voor den vercooper, ten proffijte van d’ Comp. en confiscatie van de coop penningen, die daer voor zullen weesen g’accordeert voor den cooper te appliceeren a uso, gelijck ‘t placcaet ten dien eijnde te concipieeren breeder sal tracteeren en inhouden.
Met aendagt gereeflecteert59 zijnde hoe gantsch oneijgentlijck en tot prejuditie van ‘t ampt van den fiscael voor eenige jaren is ingevoert een vreemde maxime van ‘t stellen van een schiltwagt op ‘t hooft off d’ ordinarij aencomstpla[e]ts van de chialoupen en boots van de ter rheede leggende scheepen tot de visite en aenhoudingh van alle goederen, niets exempt, datter aen lant wert gebragt ‘t zij dat de Comp. off ijemant anders daer bij prejuditie leijt off niet, en aengesien ‘t selve gants niet is convenieerende met ‘t respect en d’ authoriteijt van den fiscael daer door zijn vereijste gesach benomen wert, en ‘t stellen van zodanigen schiltwagt vreemde gedachten soude connen geeven, soo is verstaen den voornoemden schiltwagt van daer in te trecken, blijvende van ‘t officie van den fiscael op den aen en inbrengh van alle particuliere goederen, tot prejuditie van d’ Comp. scherpelijck te letten, en doen letten, mitsgaders tegens contraventeurs na de ordre van ‘s Comps. welgestelde mandaten te procedeeren, zullende ‘t doen van de patrolje door een corporael met 6 soldaten bij nagt de zeestranden bij ‘t aenweesen van scheepen hier ter rheede werden gecontinueert, oock selfs wanneer geen scheepen hier soude mogen weesen om den fiscael bij nagt in voorvallende occagie in zijn ampt te adsisteeren, waer den selven zulx soude mogen noodigh oordeelen.