Document: Order granting a petition of Augustyn Heerman

26 December 1658 in Fort Amsterdam.[i]

Present at the meeting the honorable lord director general Petrus Stuyvesant, the lords councilors Nicasius de Sille and Pieter Tonneman.

Having read the above request, it is resolved that whereas the director general and councilors understand that the request is reasonable, the petitioner will be granted authorization, a permit, and also a proper recommendation; but regarding the clause, added in between in parentheses, to call at the South River during the return voyage at lord Alrichs’ wish, about which, although it was promised to lord Alrichs by the petitioner when he rented the galliot, and thus it was stipulated by charter party, now, because of the shortness and inconvenience of time said lord Alrichs cannot be informed and a change cannot be made; therefore it will be connived at for this time. The aforesaid director general and councilors, however, decide that no further consequences should be drawn from this, but that all skippers, merchants, and traders who afterwards might be inclined to sail from this province to the islands specified herein, and especially the Curaçao islands, properly belonging under the government of the chamber of Amsterdam and this administration, shall be required to obtain both their authorization and permit here, and on their return they shall also first call again at this capital city and report their experiences and bring the brought return cargo to the director general and councilors. For that purpose (if the director general and councilors might deem such necessary) they will be and remain held to take along in the master’s cabin[ii] a supercargo on the monthly wages of the Company and contract with the skipper.

Done in fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 26th of December 1658.

P Stuyvesant Nicasius de Sille Pieter Tonneman