Cape Council of Policy
78
1655-10-27
Minute details
- Entry number
- 78
- Date
- 1655-10-27
- Year
- 1655
English translation
Around noon, arriving here in the harbour, a certain English ship arrived, and no one of the same appeared on land that day. Therefore, not knowing what this might mean, we kept a close watch (even along the beach) to prevent it from being a Portuguese ship under English flags, preventing it from landing at night, so that we wouldn't be caught unawares.
On which matter, having also taken a closer look, and in addition to that, taking into account the letter from our Lords and Masters dated January 18th, which also included their Ed. advise us that in the spring, 4 galleons, 2 krakens, and 2 pataches with about 3,000 men are about to depart from Portugal for Goa under a new viceroy named Francisco Barette Demeneres, who has captured Recifo de Pharnambucquo,228 and that we should therefore be on our guard to position ourselves against this in a position of defense, and note that here at the fort we are quite sluggish, since 23 people have recently been sent to the Bay of Saldanha for the seal fishery, which was first caught there and is being restarted at Dasseneijlant like at the pass. almost 10 to 12 more people will have to be sent to be able to assemble a large party, which must be observed at this time of year, besides another 14 to 15 men for the sawmill etc. in the forest and those on Robben Island to keep Comp's sheep. As we are not able here to withstand any considerable thrust from Europeans, the Commander has been reinforced with the skipper of the galley Nachtglas and the military officers of this fortress (others being lacking him) after consultation with all, most of which are in the service of the E. Compe. and the safety of this place means to further strengthen the garrison here with 20 heads of the weakest ship Arnhem, which is moored here, especially since the aforementioned Portuguese ships (having sailed in the spring after the letter of our Lord Masters) would now be expected here every day, etc., and so the E. Meanwhile, Kemp and Herpers are being stormed, the aforementioned persons, having achieved a somewhat better recovery, will be able to be reunited with those on their ships, who will apparently be ill and will therefore have to remain here.230
Furthermore, in view of the request of the skippers of the ship Arnhem and the galley Nightglas that they be allowed to exchange their chief captains for the others, they were granted this and therefore approved to do so by written order of the aforementioned Commander.
Thus done and resolved at Fort De Goede Hoope. Date above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
On which matter, having also taken a closer look, and in addition to that, taking into account the letter from our Lords and Masters dated January 18th, which also included their Ed. advise us that in the spring, 4 galleons, 2 krakens, and 2 pataches with about 3,000 men are about to depart from Portugal for Goa under a new viceroy named Francisco Barette Demeneres, who has captured Recifo de Pharnambucquo,228 and that we should therefore be on our guard to position ourselves against this in a position of defense, and note that here at the fort we are quite sluggish, since 23 people have recently been sent to the Bay of Saldanha for the seal fishery, which was first caught there and is being restarted at Dasseneijlant like at the pass. almost 10 to 12 more people will have to be sent to be able to assemble a large party, which must be observed at this time of year, besides another 14 to 15 men for the sawmill etc. in the forest and those on Robben Island to keep Comp's sheep. As we are not able here to withstand any considerable thrust from Europeans, the Commander has been reinforced with the skipper of the galley Nachtglas and the military officers of this fortress (others being lacking him) after consultation with all, most of which are in the service of the E. Compe. and the safety of this place means to further strengthen the garrison here with 20 heads of the weakest ship Arnhem, which is moored here, especially since the aforementioned Portuguese ships (having sailed in the spring after the letter of our Lord Masters) would now be expected here every day, etc., and so the E. Meanwhile, Kemp and Herpers are being stormed, the aforementioned persons, having achieved a somewhat better recovery, will be able to be reunited with those on their ships, who will apparently be ill and will therefore have to remain here.230
Furthermore, in view of the request of the skippers of the ship Arnhem and the galley Nightglas that they be allowed to exchange their chief captains for the others, they were granted this and therefore approved to do so by written order of the aforementioned Commander.
Thus done and resolved at Fort De Goede Hoope. Date above.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Tegen den middagh hier ter rheede comende t’ arriveren seecker Engels schip, ende van denselven niemant desen dage aen lant verschijnende, derhalven niet wetende wat sulcx mochte beduijden waer door (selffs oock langhs de strant) wat naeuwe wacht lieten houden om off ‘t misschien een Portugees onder Engelse vlaggen was, denselven ‘t landen bij nacht mogelijck wesende te beletten, ten eijnde wij niet onversiens mochten worden overvallen
Op welcke saecke dan oock genomen hebbende wat nader insicht227 ende beneffens dien gelet op ‘t schrijven onser Heeren Meesters dato 18 Januarij passo., waer bij deselve haer Ed. ons adviseren dat in ‘t voorjaer uijt Portugael na Goa stonde te vertrecken 4 galjoenen, 2 kraken ende 2 pataches met omtrent 3000 coppen onder eenen nieuwen Viceroij genaempt Francisco Barette Demeneres welcke ‘t Recifo de Pharnambucquo heefft verovert,228 ende dat wy dierhalven souden maecken wat op hoede te wesen, om ons daer tegens te stellen in postuijre van deffentie, ende gemerckt wij hier aen ‘t fort vrij swack van volcq sijn, vermits 23 persoonen verleden hebben affgesonden na de baij van Saldanha tot de robbenvanghst dewelcke daer eerst opgevangen sijnde ende weder begonnen wordende op ‘t Dasseneijlant gelijck ao. passo. haest 10 a 12 personen meer sullen moeten worden nagesonden om groote partije op te mogen samelen, dat dees tijt van ‘t jaer moet worden waergenomen, behalven noch 14 a 15 man tot de houtsagerije &a. in ‘t bos ende die op ‘t Robbeneijlant tot bewaringe van Comps. schapen leggen, Ingevolge wij alhier niet bestandt sijn eenigen merckelijcke stoot van Europianen af te staen, Soo is bij den Commandeur versterckt metden schipper van‘t galijot Nachtglas ende229 de crijghsofficieren deser fortresse (andren hem mancquerende) na overlegh van allen ‘t welcke ten meesten dienste van d’ E. Compe. ende behoudenisse deser plaetse verstaen ‘t guarnisoen alhier noch te verstercken met 20 coppen van de swackste uijt ‘t hi[er] ter rheede leggende schip Arnhem , te meer dewijle voorhaelde Portugeese scheepen (na ‘t schrijven onser Heeren Meesters uijtgevaren wesende in ‘t voorjaer) nu alle dagen hier souden te verwachten wesen &a.,ende soo d’E. Kemp ende Herpers ondertusschen comen op te donderen sal men voorhaelde personen wat meer tot reconvalisatie geraeckt wesende weder cunnen largeren tegen die van haer schepen apparent sieck sullen wesen ende daarom wel moeten hier blijven.230
Wijders gesien ‘t versoeck van de schippers van ‘t schip Arnhem ende ‘t galjot Naghtglas van dat deselve haer opperstuijrluijden tegen den anderen souden mogen verreuijlen, soo is hun ‘t selve toegestaen ende derhalven goetgevonden sulcx door schriftelijcke ordonnantie van den Commandeur voors. te laten geschieden.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort De Goede Hoope. Datum ut supra.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.
Op welcke saecke dan oock genomen hebbende wat nader insicht227 ende beneffens dien gelet op ‘t schrijven onser Heeren Meesters dato 18 Januarij passo., waer bij deselve haer Ed. ons adviseren dat in ‘t voorjaer uijt Portugael na Goa stonde te vertrecken 4 galjoenen, 2 kraken ende 2 pataches met omtrent 3000 coppen onder eenen nieuwen Viceroij genaempt Francisco Barette Demeneres welcke ‘t Recifo de Pharnambucquo heefft verovert,228 ende dat wy dierhalven souden maecken wat op hoede te wesen, om ons daer tegens te stellen in postuijre van deffentie, ende gemerckt wij hier aen ‘t fort vrij swack van volcq sijn, vermits 23 persoonen verleden hebben affgesonden na de baij van Saldanha tot de robbenvanghst dewelcke daer eerst opgevangen sijnde ende weder begonnen wordende op ‘t Dasseneijlant gelijck ao. passo. haest 10 a 12 personen meer sullen moeten worden nagesonden om groote partije op te mogen samelen, dat dees tijt van ‘t jaer moet worden waergenomen, behalven noch 14 a 15 man tot de houtsagerije &a. in ‘t bos ende die op ‘t Robbeneijlant tot bewaringe van Comps. schapen leggen, Ingevolge wij alhier niet bestandt sijn eenigen merckelijcke stoot van Europianen af te staen, Soo is bij den Commandeur versterckt metden schipper van‘t galijot Nachtglas ende229 de crijghsofficieren deser fortresse (andren hem mancquerende) na overlegh van allen ‘t welcke ten meesten dienste van d’ E. Compe. ende behoudenisse deser plaetse verstaen ‘t guarnisoen alhier noch te verstercken met 20 coppen van de swackste uijt ‘t hi[er] ter rheede leggende schip Arnhem , te meer dewijle voorhaelde Portugeese scheepen (na ‘t schrijven onser Heeren Meesters uijtgevaren wesende in ‘t voorjaer) nu alle dagen hier souden te verwachten wesen &a.,ende soo d’E. Kemp ende Herpers ondertusschen comen op te donderen sal men voorhaelde personen wat meer tot reconvalisatie geraeckt wesende weder cunnen largeren tegen die van haer schepen apparent sieck sullen wesen ende daarom wel moeten hier blijven.230
Wijders gesien ‘t versoeck van de schippers van ‘t schip Arnhem ende ‘t galjot Naghtglas van dat deselve haer opperstuijrluijden tegen den anderen souden mogen verreuijlen, soo is hun ‘t selve toegestaen ende derhalven goetgevonden sulcx door schriftelijcke ordonnantie van den Commandeur voors. te laten geschieden.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert in ‘t Fort De Goede Hoope. Datum ut supra.
[Signed:] JAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1655.
[Signed:] JAN JACOBSZ.
[Signed:] JAN VAN HARWARDEN. 1655.
[Signed:] ROELOFF DE MAN, Secrets.