Research

Series:

Scanned Document:

Whereas Simon Cornelissen Gilde, skipper on the ship Den Vogelstruys, on behalf of the Company and the honorable directors of the chamber of Amsterdam, has brought over with the aforesaid ship, by way of the Caribbean islands, for ordinary and conditional freight, some provisions and other goods for the island of Curaçao, and after safe arrival and disposal thereof at Curaçao by the vice-director he has acquired a return cargo of dyewood for the account of the aforesaid honorable lords-directors, on the condition that after taking on the cargo he be allowed to make the return voyage by way of the Caribbean islands and in passing dispose of his masters’ goods [ some of ] which he not only left there while coming here but also still has [ some ] in his ship, and whereas he has no opportunity to sell the same on Curaçao by leaving it there in the hands of one or another good friend or even to trade as the opportunity might present itself, because he is not permitted to stay more than fourteen days at the islands on pain of forfeiting his contracted freight, and whereas a small Company boat has come from the aforesaid islands, bringing news that Dutch ships have been seized in France, and also was warned everywhere in the islands to depart soon out of fear of war between France and Holland, which was at hand; for which reason and others stated above, not only does the aforesaid skipper find himself concerned about making a voyage there to the islands but also the vice-director himself finds it unadvisable, because of such reports, to risk by that course such an important cargo of dyewood on behalf of and for the account of his aforesaid honorable lords-superiors. Therefore he preferred to grant and permit, as he hereby does allow, that the aforesaid skipper, with his aforesaid ship and cargo of dyewood, be able to pursue his voyage by the safest routes and passages to Amsterdam as soon as possible by way of N. Nederlandt, in order safely to bring there in passing his unsold goods, and for this purpose to present himself to the honorable lord director-general Petrus Stuyvesant in order to insure that, with his consent, the same goods are brought ashore, all according to the customs and practices at the place there, on the condition that he be allowed to stay there no longer than dictated by the discretion and pleasure of the aforesaid honorable lord director-general Petrus Stuyvesant. Thus done and confirmed on the island of Curaçao in Fort Amsterdam, the 28th of July 1657.

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.