Cape Council of Policy
933
1691-06-16
Minute details
- Entry number
- 933
- Date
- 1691-06-16
- Year
- 1691
English translation
In the presence of all the members, the Reverend Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, Jan Six, and Gerhard Klink, chief merchants, were summoned.
Having deliberated upon what should be done or omitted regarding the detention or departure of the arriving return ships, and considering how far the season has passed and that winter is approaching, and the great dangers and inconveniences the Company's ships face so late in the year, in the North and elsewhere, and the heavy costs to which our Lordships are subjected here; furthermore, the long delay of the Batavian return ships being considered, and that their Reverend, Great Achtb. In their most recent letters, dated December 10th last year, addressed to us and accompanied by the inland yacht, the Schaapharder, they stated nothing other than that they could not yet say when they would be able to make their main expedition to the homeland, and with how many ships. Furthermore, given that several ships from Batavia had already been moored across the Caab on their way back to the homeland, it could very well happen that they would not have been able to cross the Caab, and that they would have been forced by storms or other disasters to winter in the Majottes or elsewhere, or that they might (God forbid) have fallen into enemy hands, waiting for them would be very uncertain and a perilous undertaking. Thus, after due consultation and discussion of matters, it has been unanimously decided, and understood largely in the interest of the Honorable Company, that the sealed letter from their Noble High Command, plenipotentiary for the secret affairs, be brought to us successively with their outgoing ships, with orders to deliver the same to the Commander of their return fleet, however sealed it may be, and to detain the ships arriving from Batavia as well as from Ceylon and those regions on the Cape and have them remain there for as long as the Commander has the aforesaid permission. The return fleet will come to order this, to be handed over to E. Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, captain of the three Ceylon return ships present, as his E. provided that this is handed over, with authorization to open the enclosed letter, to read it, and in accordance with the order contained therein, to arrange accordingly and to record everything.
Thus arrested and confined in the Castle of Good Hope on the date and year as mentioned above.
[Signed:] S. v. STEL.
[Signed:] D. RUHE.
[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.
[Signed:] JAN SIX.
[Signed:] C. J. SIMONS.
[Signed:] G. CLINCK.
[Signed:] W. PADT.
[Signed:] N. DE JONGE VAN SIRJANSLANDT.
[Signed:] L. v. STEL.
[Signed:] J. H. BLUM.
[Signed:] Presently, J. G. DE GREVENBROEK, Secrts.
Having deliberated upon what should be done or omitted regarding the detention or departure of the arriving return ships, and considering how far the season has passed and that winter is approaching, and the great dangers and inconveniences the Company's ships face so late in the year, in the North and elsewhere, and the heavy costs to which our Lordships are subjected here; furthermore, the long delay of the Batavian return ships being considered, and that their Reverend, Great Achtb. In their most recent letters, dated December 10th last year, addressed to us and accompanied by the inland yacht, the Schaapharder, they stated nothing other than that they could not yet say when they would be able to make their main expedition to the homeland, and with how many ships. Furthermore, given that several ships from Batavia had already been moored across the Caab on their way back to the homeland, it could very well happen that they would not have been able to cross the Caab, and that they would have been forced by storms or other disasters to winter in the Majottes or elsewhere, or that they might (God forbid) have fallen into enemy hands, waiting for them would be very uncertain and a perilous undertaking. Thus, after due consultation and discussion of matters, it has been unanimously decided, and understood largely in the interest of the Honorable Company, that the sealed letter from their Noble High Command, plenipotentiary for the secret affairs, be brought to us successively with their outgoing ships, with orders to deliver the same to the Commander of their return fleet, however sealed it may be, and to detain the ships arriving from Batavia as well as from Ceylon and those regions on the Cape and have them remain there for as long as the Commander has the aforesaid permission. The return fleet will come to order this, to be handed over to E. Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, captain of the three Ceylon return ships present, as his E. provided that this is handed over, with authorization to open the enclosed letter, to read it, and in accordance with the order contained therein, to arrange accordingly and to record everything.
Thus arrested and confined in the Castle of Good Hope on the date and year as mentioned above.
[Signed:] S. v. STEL.
[Signed:] D. RUHE.
[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.
[Signed:] JAN SIX.
[Signed:] C. J. SIMONS.
[Signed:] G. CLINCK.
[Signed:] W. PADT.
[Signed:] N. DE JONGE VAN SIRJANSLANDT.
[Signed:] L. v. STEL.
[Signed:] J. H. BLUM.
[Signed:] Presently, J. G. DE GREVENBROEK, Secrts.
Original Dutch transcription
In iegenwoordigheid van alle de leden, daar bij geroepen d’ E.E.Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, Jan Six en Gerhard Klink, opperkoopluijden.
Bij resumptie gedelibereerd zijnde wat best gedaan of gelaten diende omtrent ‘t anhouden of afvairdigen der anwesende retour-schepen en gelet hoe verre bereids ‘t saison verstreken en dat de winter op handen is, en wat groot gevâren en ongemakken ‘s Comps. schepen so laat in ‘t jaar en om de Noord en elders te lopen hebben, en tot hoe sware kosten van ons Heeren Meesteren deselve hier leggen: daar en boven overwogen zijnde het lang agterblijven der Bataviase retour-schepen, en dat haar Ed. Groot Achtb. in haar jongste schrijvens van den 10 Decembris lestleden20 an ons gerigt en met ‘t inlands jagte, de Schaapharder , angebragt, niet anders melden als dat sy voor als nog niet konnen seggen wanneer sij haar principale besending na ‘t vaderland sullen konnen doen, en met hoeveel schepen. En genomen dat-er al enige schepen van Batavia in retour over de Caab na ‘t vaderland angelegt waren, dat ‘t egter wel soude konnen gebeuren dat deselve de Caab niet souden hebben konnen te boven komen, en dat door onweer of andere rampen genood-drukt souden zyn geworden in de Majottes of elders winterlaag te houden, of ook wel dat-se (‘t gunt God verhoede) in vijandlijke handen mogten vervallen zijn, sulx dat ‘t wagten na deselve seer onseker en een al te hachelijken saak soude zijn. So is na rijpe raadspleging en overleg van saaken eenpariger stemme besloten, en ten meesten dienste van d’ E.Comp. verstaan, dat men den gesloten briev van haar Edle. Ho. Achtb. gevolmagtigde tot de geheime saaken ons successivelijk met haar uijtkomende schepen toegebragt, met ordre om denselven an den Commandeur van haar retour-vloot so gesloten als die is, te over-reiken, en de schepen die so van Batavia als van Ceijlon en die gewesten an de Caab staan t’ arriveren op te houden en hier te doen verblijven solang als ‘t de Commandeur over de voors. retourvloot sulx sal komen t’ ordonneren, an den E. Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, vlag-voerder der drie anwesende Ceijlonse retour-schepen, ter hand te stellen, gelijk deselve sijn E. mits desen ter hand gesteld word, met auctorisatie om den geseiden briev t’ openen, te lesen en in gevolge der ordres daar in vervat, sig daar na te schikken en alles te secreteren.
Aldus geärresteerd en besloten in ‘t Casteel de Goede Hoop ten dage en jaare als voorn.
[Signed:] S. v. STEL.
[Signed:] D. RUHE.
[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.
[Signed:] JAN SIX.
[Signed:] C. J. SIMONS.
[Signed:] G. CLINCK.
[Signed:] W. PADT.
[Signed:] N. DE JONGE VAN SIRJANSLANDT.
[Signed:] L. v. STEL.
[Signed:] J. H. BLUM.
[Signed:] Me praesente J. G. DE GREVENBROEK, Secrts.
Bij resumptie gedelibereerd zijnde wat best gedaan of gelaten diende omtrent ‘t anhouden of afvairdigen der anwesende retour-schepen en gelet hoe verre bereids ‘t saison verstreken en dat de winter op handen is, en wat groot gevâren en ongemakken ‘s Comps. schepen so laat in ‘t jaar en om de Noord en elders te lopen hebben, en tot hoe sware kosten van ons Heeren Meesteren deselve hier leggen: daar en boven overwogen zijnde het lang agterblijven der Bataviase retour-schepen, en dat haar Ed. Groot Achtb. in haar jongste schrijvens van den 10 Decembris lestleden20 an ons gerigt en met ‘t inlands jagte, de Schaapharder , angebragt, niet anders melden als dat sy voor als nog niet konnen seggen wanneer sij haar principale besending na ‘t vaderland sullen konnen doen, en met hoeveel schepen. En genomen dat-er al enige schepen van Batavia in retour over de Caab na ‘t vaderland angelegt waren, dat ‘t egter wel soude konnen gebeuren dat deselve de Caab niet souden hebben konnen te boven komen, en dat door onweer of andere rampen genood-drukt souden zyn geworden in de Majottes of elders winterlaag te houden, of ook wel dat-se (‘t gunt God verhoede) in vijandlijke handen mogten vervallen zijn, sulx dat ‘t wagten na deselve seer onseker en een al te hachelijken saak soude zijn. So is na rijpe raadspleging en overleg van saaken eenpariger stemme besloten, en ten meesten dienste van d’ E.Comp. verstaan, dat men den gesloten briev van haar Edle. Ho. Achtb. gevolmagtigde tot de geheime saaken ons successivelijk met haar uijtkomende schepen toegebragt, met ordre om denselven an den Commandeur van haar retour-vloot so gesloten als die is, te over-reiken, en de schepen die so van Batavia als van Ceijlon en die gewesten an de Caab staan t’ arriveren op te houden en hier te doen verblijven solang als ‘t de Commandeur over de voors. retourvloot sulx sal komen t’ ordonneren, an den E. Jan Bernhard de Ruhe, vlag-voerder der drie anwesende Ceijlonse retour-schepen, ter hand te stellen, gelijk deselve sijn E. mits desen ter hand gesteld word, met auctorisatie om den geseiden briev t’ openen, te lesen en in gevolge der ordres daar in vervat, sig daar na te schikken en alles te secreteren.
Aldus geärresteerd en besloten in ‘t Casteel de Goede Hoop ten dage en jaare als voorn.
[Signed:] S. v. STEL.
[Signed:] D. RUHE.
[Signed:] ANDS. DE MAN.
[Signed:] JAN SIX.
[Signed:] C. J. SIMONS.
[Signed:] G. CLINCK.
[Signed:] W. PADT.
[Signed:] N. DE JONGE VAN SIRJANSLANDT.
[Signed:] L. v. STEL.
[Signed:] J. H. BLUM.
[Signed:] Me praesente J. G. DE GREVENBROEK, Secrts.