Document: RESOLUTION concerning repairs to a yacht, search for seals and inspection of the saltpans on Bonaire

Resolution made the 13th of February 1643 at Fort Amsterdam on Curacao.

According to a previous resolution made on 15 July 1642,[i] the unfit state of the yacht Cemphaen is indicated together with its age and other deficiencies, which are recorded there in detail. Since then, the aforesaid yacht, because of a most severe famine, was dispatched with a large part of the garrison to other islands in order to find provisions or passage to the fatherland; it was driven to shore on the French Tortugas[ii] by contrary winds and currents [ ] returned here in the company of the yachts De Catt. This voyage gave us the idea that there might still be some usefulness and service in the yacht, at least to serve as a watch on the island Bonairo. Therefore we careened the aforesaid yacht in order to repair the hull. In the meantime we were not able to keep it above water by pumping and bailing so that it sank down on its bilge-keels, and before it was brought upright again a piece of the keel toward the stern broke; in addition, we found that the yacht was completely unfit and that any repairs would have been a useless expense. In order to avoid this, we consider it most advisable for the service of the Company that the yacht be dismantled down to the decks and used here as a pram.[iii]

Furthermore, because the island and the yachts are unprovided with train-oil, without which one can hardly put to sea, we have approved sending the yacht, De Paroquiet, up to Clein Curacao[iv] in order to fetch some seals from there and at the time to inspect the salt pans of Bonnairo; moreover, the present state of the island requires that the yachts Catt and De Paroquiet [ remain ] here until the return here of the yachts Neptunus and De Seevenstarre from Aruba, which we expect daily, barring misfortune (having sent them there three and five weeks ago).

Thus done and decided at Fort Amsterdam on Curacao, on the day and year as above, and in acknowledgment of the truth signed with our own hands.

P Stuyvesant
Jacob Lopper
Brian Newton
L. Rodenborch
Claes Martensz
Jan Klaessen Smal
Jacob Tijssen Pal

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