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I [ Jan Pietersen ] ^[1] van [ Dockum ] skipper, next to God, of my ship named [ Speramundij ] now lying ready before [ Curaçao ] to sail with the first good wind, which God may grant to [ N. Nederlandt ] where my rightful place of unloading shall be, acknowledge and certify that I have from you [ Frans Bruyn ] received into the hold of my aforesaid ship [ five Negroes, among whom is one girl ] all dry and in good condition, and marked with this distinguishing mark. All of which I promise to deliver (if God grants me a safe voyage) with my aforesaid ship to [ N. Nederlandt ] as stated above to the [ honorable lord director-general Petrus Stuyvesant ] or to his factor or deputy, on condition of paying for the freight of the aforesaid merchandise [ according to the discretion of the aforesaid honorable director-general. ]

And in order to guarantee the above-stated, I pledge myself and all my goods, and my aforesaid ship with all its appurtenances. In acknowledgement of the truth I have signed three bills of lading with my name, all identical; when one is satisfied the others are invalid. Written in [ Curaçao ] the [ 24th ] day of [ August 1659 ].

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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.