Cape Council of Policy
8
1652-08-13
Minute details
- Entry number
- 8
- Date
- 1652-08-13
- Year
- 1652
English translation
Since the ships on behalf of the E. Compe. left the Fatherland in the spring, we hope that by God's help they will now apparently be passing here every day (always some of them), and since we will moor here for the time being, we can receive a great deal of help from their people without hindrance from their designated voyage passing by, in completing this fortress, to the great service of the E. Compe. and support for our few healthy people, who are present in the continuous work, and are already quite tired from it, It has been decided by our Council, after mature deliberation, to propose this to the chiefs of those upon their arrival in the first instance and to seriously admonish them to do the same, during their stay here, to immediately allow as many people to come and stay on land as they can or may afford to fetch water etc. without delay, in order to achieve the sooner completion of the Comp's fortress, as well as the whale hunt and many other necessary matters for the benefit of the E. Compe. and to the benefit of their supporting troops, it could be taken sooner and earlier, which would otherwise have required long and tedious work with this small number of people, unless they had taken up land here for a while that was not necessary, and had sufficiently excused the embassy as could be brought in, and all necessary matters brought to order just as quickly, as well as keeping a smaller garrison here, but still allowing some of our present people to be missed from here and sent to Batavia, as the E. Compe. also finds good and has resolved to do at the first opportunity, as well as for the sake of the aforementioned. nor to claim any goods from us here to effectuate the one and the other at the most necessary, and from the front of the ships without their loss enough money will become available, in any case some rope or driving for the yacht (laying out rather dangreux here), and the little victualie for the people, here continuously strong and forced to work, therefore also having to fill the bag, and in case of restitution or refusal of the company chiefs, to protest against this legal right, of all costs, damages, nuisance and inconvenience to the E. Compe. to suffer their unwillingness or travesty in this matter, and as may be deemed more necessary for the service of our Lord Principals.
Thus done and resolved at Cape Boa Esperance in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] JOOST VAN DER LAECK.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Thus done and resolved at Cape Boa Esperance in the Fort of Good Hope on the date and year as above.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] JOOST VAN DER LAECK.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Original Dutch transcription
Nademael de schepen van wegen d’ E. Compe. in ‘t voorjaer uijt ‘t Patria vertrocken, nae onse hope door Godes hulpe nu alle dagen apparent (altoos eenighe van dien) hier te paresseren staen, ende wij van ‘t volck derselver dewijle hier ter rheede sullen leggen, sonder verhinderinge hunner gedestineerde voijagie empassandt vrij veel cunnen geholpen worden, in ‘t vorder volmaecken deser fortresse, tot groten dienst van d’ E. Compe. ende ondersteuninge onser weijnige gesonde menschen, jegenwoordigh in den continueelen arbeijt hebbende, ende daervan al vrij vermoijt sijnde, Soo is bij onsen Raedt nae rijpe deliberatie verstaen, d’ opperhooffden van dien op hare aencomste, ter eerster instantie sulcx voor te stellen ende ernstich te vermanen daeromme tot ‘t selve staende haer verblijf alhie[r] sooveel volckx terstont aen lant te laten comen ende blijven, als sonder verleth van hun water halen &a. bequamelijck sullen cunnen ofte mogen missen, ten eijnde door sulck middel Comps. fortresse &a. te eerder voltrocken, mitsgaders de walvis vangst ende meer andere nodige saecken tot profijt van d’ E. Compe. ende soulaes haerder supporterende gastos streckende, te spoediger ende vroeger bijderhandt mochte genomen worden, waer toe ander[s] met dit luttel volck noch langh ende verdrietigh werck souden hebben, ten ware meerder voor eenigen tijt hier aen lant namen dat niet nodigh is, ende genoeghsaem door middel van sodanige hulpe empassant als aengevoert can g’excuseert ende18 even spoedigh alle nodige saecken in esse gebracht, mitsgaders te minder guarnisoen hier gehouden maer noch wel eenige van ons jegenwoordige volck van hier gemist ende naer Batavia gelargeert worden, gelijck sulckx tot dienst ende proffijt van de E. Compe. bij desen oock goet vinden ende geresolveert sijn met d’ eerste gelegentheijt te doen, als mede omme van de voorn. schepen noch te vorderen enige saecken ons alhier tot effectueringh van ‘t een ende ‘t ander ten hoogsten nodigh, ende uijt de voorsz schepen sonder hun verleth genoeghsaem becomelijck, insgelijckx wat touwerck ofte rijtuijgh voor ‘t jacht (hier vrij dangreux ter reede leggende), ende weijnige victualie voor ‘t volck, hier continuelijck swaer ende lastich arbeijdende daerom oock te meerder dienende den buijck gevult, ende in cas van refuijs ofte weijgeringe der gemelte opperhooffden tegen deselve billicq te protesteren, van alle costen, schaden, hinder ende ongerieff bij d’ E. Compe. door hunne onwillicheijt ofte traecheijt in desen consequentelijck te lijden, ende wes meer tot dienst onser Heeren Principaelen nodigh vinden mogen.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert aen Cabo de Boa Esperance in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] JOOST VAN DER LAECK.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.
Aldus gedaen ende geresolveert aen Cabo de Boa Esperance in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoope ten dage ende jare als boven.
[Signed:] JOHAN VAN RIEBEECK. 1652.
[Signed:] SYMEN TURVER.
[Signed:] GERRIT ABELSEN.
[Signed:] JOOST VAN DER LAECK.
[Signed:] P. v. HELM, Secrets.