Document: Charter-party between Govert Loockermans and Hendrick Teissen and Jurgen Schroeder to ship sugar and cotton to Holland

This day, date underwritten, before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Govert Loockmans, of the first part, and Hendrick Tyssen and Jeuriaen Schrooder, of the second part, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses declared that in all friendship they had mutually made and concluded the following charter-party, on the conditions and terms hereinafter written: First, the said Loockmans binds and obligates himself to send next summer to the fatherland, to the anchorage[1] of Amsterdam, the sugar and cotton now delivered to him, belonging to the said Hendrick Tyssen and Jeurgen Schrooder, by the ship De Valckenier, which he, Loockmans, is expecting, or by some other vessel that may be sent to him by his principals in the place of the Valckenier, if God vouchsafe her a safe arrival here in New Netherland; in which ship Loockmans is bound safely to deliver at the anchorage of Amsterdam, according to the bills of lading thereof now signed, the cotton and sugar now delivered to him in shipping order, as they are brought here on shore from the ship De Jonge Prins van Deenmarcken into the public store, and from the store delivered to him, Loockmans, the receipt of which he now acknowledges; and when said merchandise shall have been delivered to those whom the above mentioned Jeurgen Schrooder and Hendrick Tysz shall direct, then one stiver per pound shall be paid for freight of the cotton and sugar, without counting the weight of the sugar casks or of the sacks containing the cotton. If it happen, which God Almighty forbid, that the above mentioned ship, or the ships which Loockmans' principals may this year fit out for New Netherland, should through stress of wind and weather or other mishap at sea not arrive here safely, then Loockmans and Marten Crigier, attorney of the above named Schroder and Hendrick Tysz, are authorized to ship the cotton and sugar this year as freight, to their best advantage, by any ships going from here to the fatherland, without their having to run in such case any risk or hazard at sea. In testimony whereof two copies of the same tenor are made hereof and the original is signed in the record by the parties the 12th of April A° 1649, at New Amsterdam, New Netherland.

Govert Loockermans
Hinrich Teissen
Jurgen Schroder