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Cape Council of Policy

765

1685-10-05

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Minute details

Entry number
765
Date
1685-10-05
Year
1685

English translation

Addressed to the Noble Gentlemen, the Commissioners, at the meeting of the Seventeenth in their letter dated 6 April of this year, concerning the employment of the yacht Westerwijck,97 after the goods, supplies and provisions for this commandment in the homeland would be unloaded there, have kindly written to us and instructed us to send the said ship from here to the island of Madagascar for the purchase of slaves, in order to transport them directly from there to the west coast of Sumatra, without their Ede. Hoogh Agtb. It seems to have been considered that the voyage from here to there should best be undertaken in the month of May or at the latest June, which usual time has now appeared for so long, and consequently the voyage in this present season should only be made from outside or west of the island of Madagascar, following the example of that of the yacht Elisabeth 98 in the year 1678 and with the fluytie Bharen practiced in the previous year,99 and after the experience we have of the first voyage, it was reasonably successful, although in the regularity of the trade considerably more time was required than usual, but nevertheless no difficulty as one has previously feared to be there to be submitted in this present season, however, considering that from the island of Mauritius in the period of ... 100 months have not been provisioned from here, and consequently on that island there will be a shortage of various necessary materials and provisions, and the flujtie Bhaaren the previous year delegated to the slave trade on behalf of this commandment, was actually projected to bring the annual need for that counter there, and in return from there the sawn ebony plates in stock have not yet appeared, and because of one or the other unforeseen obstacle even longer, and which we do not want to hope, could come to be delayed at all, as a result of which we, like no other vessel being here, nor at first expected to To send anything there could become hidden, and the aforementioned Westerwijck is proceeding without delay on his voyage to Madagascar in order to be able to make a more secure position at his found latitude and estimated length. Mauritius must be in sight. Therefore, it was deliberated whether it was appropriate to use the aforementioned reasons for the present occasion, as they were in accordance with the most important service of the General Company, in order to keep those of Mauritius out of embarrassment. Regarding this, the written advice of the designated skippers was accepted, whose reasons and motivations were submitted to the Council, reinforced with the advice of the Noble. Lord Council Extraordinary, Slicher, having considered and ventilated both pro and contra, mature deliberation is in the greatest interest of the E.Comp. decided to send the aforementioned yacht Westerwijck with the first to Madagascar, to cross there, having negotiated a good deal of slaves, directly to the west coast of Sumatra, the chiefs of which were to be given such Spanish reals as were sent here by the Lords Majores and allocated for that trade, and in addition to that to add such cargo of merchants as was most debitable there, and we are able to disembark, being further arrested to have the aforementioned merchant ship arrive at the island of Mauritius in passing, and having disbarked the goods and merchants for that island as quickly as possible, their further journey being to To prosecute Madagascar, as the Chief and the Council there would be instructed to do; whereas, on this occasion, the former Lieutenant Jan Batist, banished to Mauritius for 25 years by the Reverend Advocaat Council of Justice,101 was also sent there.102

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

[Signed:] THO. SLICHER.

103

[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] OELOFF BERGEL.

[Signed:] A. V. BREUGEL.

[Signed:] L. v. STEL.

[Signed:] CORNLS. LINNES.

Original Dutch transcription

Aangesien96 d’ Edle. Heeren gecommitteerde Bewinthebberen ter vergaderinge van Seventhienen bij hare missive, van dato 6 April deeses jaars, nopende ‘t emploij van ‘t jagt Westerwijck ,97 na dat de goederen, coopmanschappen en provisien voor dit commandement in ‘t vaderland daar in afgeladen, daar uijt soude wesen ontlost, ons hebben gelieven aan te schrijven en te gelasten ‘t gemelte bodemptje van hier te senden naar ‘t eijland Madagascar tot den incoop van slaven om deselve vandaar directelijck na de westcust van Sumatra over te voeren, sonder dat bij haar Ede. Hoogh Agtb. schijnt reguard genomen te zijn dat de besendinge van hier na derwaarts best ondernomen dient, te weten in de maand van Maij off uijtterlijck Junij, welcke ordinarij tijd nu reets soo lange verscheenen zijnde, en gevolghlijck die voijagie in dit jegenwoordige saijsoen des jaars niet dan van buijten off bewesten ‘t eijland Madagascar om te doen wesende, na ‘t exempel van die van ‘t jagt d’ Elisabeth 98 in den jare 1678 en met ‘t fluijtie Bharen in ‘t voorgaande jaar gepractiseert,99 en na de ervarentheijt die wij van d’ eerste voijagie hebben, redelijck wel is gesuccedeert, hoewel in ‘t reguart van den handel vrij wat meerder tijd werd vereijst als anders, maar egter geen swarigheijt gelijck men voor deesen is bedugt geweest om aldaar in dit jegenwoordige saijsoen over te leggen dogh geconsidereert die van ‘t eijland Mauritius in den tijd van …100 maanden van hier niet zijn geprovideert, en oversulx op dat eijland van verscheijde nodige materialen en provisien verlegentheijt sal weesen, en ‘t fluijtie Bhaaren ‘t voorgaande jaar tot den slavenhandel ten behoeve van dit commandement afgevaardigt, wel eijgentlijck is geprojecteert om jaarlijx de behoefte voor dat comptoir derwaarts te brengen, en in retour weder van daar de in voorraad gesaagde ebbenplaten, noch niet is te voorschijn gecomen, en door ‘t een off ‘t ander onvoorsienelijck obstakul nogh langer, en ‘t geen wij niet willen hoopen, in ‘t geheel soude connen comen te tardeeren, waar door wij als geen ander vaartuijgh alhier aandehand zijnde, nogh oock in ‘t eerst te verwagten staande om een besendingh derwaarts te doen, soude connen versteecken raaken en ‘t voorn. jagt Westerwijck sonder verlet in sijne voijagie na Madagascar om op sijn bevonden breete en gegiste lenckte seeckerder staat te connen maaken, Mauritius dient in ‘t gesigt te loopen, soo is in deliberatie genomen off men sigh om de vooren g’allegeerde reedenen van de presente occasie, als met den meesten dienst van de generale Comp. overeen comende, niet behoorde te bedienen om die van Mauritius uijt verlegentheijt te houden, waar over is ingenomen ‘t schriftelijck advis van d’ aanweesende schippers welcke reedenen en motiven bij den Raad, versterct met ‘t advis van den Edle. Heer Raad Extraordinaris, Slicher, overwogen en pro et contra geventileert zijnde, soo is naar genomen rijpe deliberatie ten meesten dienste van de E.Comp. beslooten ‘t gemelte jaghtie Westerwijck met den eersten na Madagascar af te vaardigen om aldaar, goede parthij slaven genegotieert hebbende, daar meede directelijck na de westcust van Sumatra over te steecken, sullende d’ opperhoofden van dien werden meede gegeven sodanige Spaanse realen als met ‘t gemelte bodemptje door de Heeren Majores sijn herwaarts gesonden en voor dien handel geprojecteert en daar nevens van hier nogh bij te voegen sodanige cargasoen van coopmanschappen als daar meest te debiteeren, en wij magtigh zijn om te connen afsteecken, zijnde oock wijders g’arresteert ‘t gemelte bodemptie in passant ‘t eijland Mauritius te laten aangieren en op ‘t spoedigste de goederen en coopmanschappen voor dat eijland gedisbarqueert hebbende, sijnde verdere reijse na Madagascar te vervolgen, gelijck ‘t opperhooft en den Raad aldaar sal werden aanges.; sullende bij deese occasie den gewesen luijtenant Jan Batist, door den E. Agtb. Raad van Justitie voor den tijd van 25 jaren op Mauritius gebannen,101 daar meede na derwaarts werden versonden.102

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

[Signed:] THO. SLICHER.

103

[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.

[Signed:] J. CRUSE.

[Signed:] OELOFF BERGEL.

[Signed:] A. V. BREUGEL.

[Signed:] L. v. STEL.

[Signed:] CORNLS. LINNES.