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L.S. Schaef:.^[1]

In the name of the Lord, amen. In the year of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 1659 the 25th of January appeared in person before me, Henrick Schaeff, notary public, appointed by the court of Holland, residing in Amsterdam, the underwritten witnesses, Messrs. Eduard Man and Abraham Wilmerdoncx, directors of the Chartered West India Company at the chamber here in Amsterdam, hereto authorized by the board of their associates as charterers on the one part and on the other part skipper Jan Janssen Eyckenboom from Hoorn, master (under God) of his ship named Den Eyckenboom: length 122, width 25½, hold IP/2, above 5 l / 2 and 6 feet with a forecastle and half deck on either side; and the aforesaid deponents declared, as they hereby do declare, to have made and concluded together a certain contract for a charter of the aforesaid ship, in the form and manner herein described to wit: that the aforesaid skipper shall be bound immediately to deliver his aforesaid ship here in the city fitted out, tight, well-caulked and provided with good and sufficient anchors, cordage, tackle, sails, running and standing rigging and all other necessities and appurtenances belonging thereto; and the same mounted with ten good pieces of cannon, with the powder and shot required thereto, and other ammunition in proportion, but that the necessary consumption of powder and shot aforesaid shall be made good by the Company, which shall also put on board the aforesaid ship, in addition to the aforesaid ten pieces, as many other guns as they please and can be properly mounted, and shall itself provide and pay the expense of the powder and shot therefor, on the condition that, in the necessary consumption thereof, the aforesaid skipper shall also assume the share of his aforesaid ship; furthermore, the aforesaid Company shall man the aforesaid ship with such and as many hands and provide them with such provisions as the aforesaid Company shall be pleased to decide upon. When this is done on both parts, the aforesaid ship shall, on behalf of the aforesaid Company, be loaded with a full and suitable cargo, or to such extent with such goods, commodities and merchandise as the aforesaid Company shall be pleased to decide upon. After the aforesaid ship is loaded, it shall, with the first favorable wind and weather that God many grant, be dispatched and sail from this country directly to the coast of Africa, running along the coast from above downwards, or from Cape Verde downwards, and to put in, trade, anchor and remain at all trading points and ports, according to the pleasure of the aforesaid Company and its commissary, until the castle St. George d’el Mina, where they shall receive or find orders from the Company’s director-general^[2] and council, or also be given to them from here; and to sail to the bay of Guinea, putting in and trading at all other places situated therein, according to the order which shall be given him by the director-general or here; from there to proceed further to the islands of Curaçao, Bonairo and Aruba in the West Indies and also to Nieuw Nederlandt or anywhere else the Company or its officials deem advisable or shall order, and also at all these quarters and places to trade and traffic goods, commodities and merchandise, take on personnel, load and unload at the pleasure of the aforesaid Company or its officials; and for which purpose to sail to and from, running back and forth, to anchor, lie, load and unload at the aforesaid coasts, quarters and places as often and as frequently and as long as the service of the Company shall decide to require the same; furthermore, to return and come here to this city of Amsterdam or the destined place of discharge, and upon its safe return and arrival, to discharge and deliver there to the aforesaid Company its return cargo and goods. When done, there shall be paid for the contracted freight to him, the skipper upon appearing , the sum of 800 guilders, at 20 stivers a piece, for each month, on the condition that the Company is obligated for the term of six successive months or longer, to be calculated according to the length of time all months run in the almanac; to run and commence when the ship shall, in the prosecution of the voyage, reach the sea beyond the last buoy of Texel, and to expire when it shall arrive and cast anchor before this city of Amsterdam or its destined place of discharge, payable 14 days to three weeks after the aforesaid is unloaded here, together with average and pilotage according to the custom of the sea, in addition to primage for the aforesaid skipper at the discretion of the Company. And the aforesaid skipper shall, together with the Company’s crew, also make the voyage with the aforesaid ship in order to oversee the aforesaid ship, its appurtenances etc., making use of the Company’s stores; however, the monthly wages or salaries are not under his charge; and in addition he shall be subject to the orders, instructions, articles and other regulations of the Company during the voyage, neither more nor less than if he had been sworn to obey the same, which are to be considered as being inserted herein; and also especially in regard to the forbidden private or personal trade in shipping or transshipping of private or personal goods, merchandise or money, on pain according to the aforesaid articles, orders and instructions of the aforesaid Company. The aforesaid directors, deponents hereto, pledging for the payment of the aforesaid contracted monthly or freight charges, average and pilotage, their private persons and property; and the aforesaid skipper, in particular, also his person, ship, appurtenances and contracted freight charges, and in general all his other property, moveable and immoveable, present and in the future without any exception, subject to the court of Holland and all laws and justices in proper manner. Done at Amsterdam in the presence of Crijn van Seventer and Marten Hegervelt, freemen here as witnesses hereto requested.

Collation

Submitted as a copy this 5th of|
April 1659, by me

[ Endorsed: ] Charter party of the ship Den Eyckenboom

Notes

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., Curaçao Papers, 1640-1665 (New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute: 2011).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.