Resolution drawn up the 26th of May 1644 in Fort Amsterdam on Curacao.
We find the supplementary proposal, which was submitted today by the honorable director concerning changes brought about by the arrival of De Melckmeit, advisable on the first point; because it is fitting that the provisions which were recently sent from Brazil aboard De Melckmeyt and arrived in this harbor, are to be unloaded here in the warehouses for augmenting the provisions of this island, because those from the Marnahon are stronger than the servants who belong to this region, having already been fed for two months from the warehouses here[i] and would have been maintained longer still even though these [ provisions ] had not come, which would have then caused considerable inconvenience for those who belong on the island. Also, the entire fluyt has been consigned to the honorable director by his excellency and the gentlemen of the high council, if the Marnahon should be abandoned, as can be seen by the captains instructions, as well as its cargo of provisions.
Second, we find it advisable that after the fluyt is unloaded it be sent out to cruise in the area around Moena[ii] until a cargo of salt on Bonnairo is collected for it; that is to say, to send it out cruising in order to carry out the last resolution for sending the soldiers from the Marnahon to relieve Nieuw Nederlandt; otherwise they would request to go to the fatherland with the aforesaid fluyt, because most of their time has expired.
On the third and last point, the council decides that the last resolution be executed in order to send some soldiers who came from the Marnahon and the discharged servants from this region to Nieuw Nederlandt with De Blouwen Haen. The reasons for approval are: first, the soldiers from the Marnahon have already been informed of this and the soldiers from here have been approved who have already received most of their accounts and passports for it and have been allowed to depart at the first opportunity, because our ships or yachts now here are ready for such use; also, most of the soldiers time has expired and most were given permission by the high council to leave the Maranhaon for the fatherland. These and other reasons have induced us to draft the aforesaid resolution with the advice and consent of 1st Commander Wiltschut, Captain Jan de Vries, and 3rd Abel Oudens, skipper of the dogger, [iii] as can be seen by their signatures.
Concerning the second proposal we have resolved to accept the advice of Commander Wiltschut, Captain de Vries and Skipper Abel in the council in order to give their advice and judgment regarding their own affairs as well as the actions of the skippers against us. They gave their feelings on the first point; on the last one they refused to participate, except for Abel Oedens.
Concerning the latest news of the Spanish fleet and the overrunning of the island of St. Cruis: whereas we have no definite news about it, the sending off of the soldiers has been called into question; therefore, it is decided for the greatest benefit of the Company to expedite the cruising of the ships and yachts in order to determine, according to our intention, whether this fleet has any designs on these possessions of Curacao. All of which is to happen before our ships can be ready or at least we receive some definite news in the meanwhile.
Concerning the fourth: we find it not only advisable but necessary to continue the loaded fluyt St. Jacob in service and to send it towards the Caribbean islands as soon as possible with some horses in order to acquire some provision for them, because ours have been greatly depleted by the expedition to St. Martin and depleted more and more each day by the soldiers from the Marnahon who number more than those who belong to this region. We shall also be mindful of the necessity to ship the horses from here and not from Aruba.
Concerning the fifth point regarding the information from the captured Spaniard that an English ship with 32 guns is riding at Comnagotta:[iv] with regard to his statement, there being only one ship to send there, we consider it a disservice to send a ship there to investigate this at this time upon such uncertain information based on only his testimony, because there is reason to believe that the time can be better spent cruising before Cartagenua.
Concerning the sixth: it is answered in the second point, namely, the dispatching of Den Blouwen Haen to Nieuw Nederlandt.
Concerning the seventh: after Jan Symonsen was appropriately deported according to the information of his office, we have, upon the good reports and information regarding Paulus Leendersen, chief pilot of the ship Swoll, made him captain and commander of De Neptunus in place of the aforesaid Jan Symonsen.
Concerning the eighth: upon the personal request of some new servants, who were employed on St. Martin, to be allowed to depart with the fluyt St. Jacob to the Caribos,[v] offering to leave their outstanding wages, we find it advisable to grant their request in order to be discharged from the wages which they claim, and not only from those but also others whose time has expired and also request permission thereto; provided these seek their own passage, after arrival in the islands, and release themselves from the Companys payroll.
Concerning the information from the 3 to 4 captured Negroes and Mulattoes who had begun to build a raft near the east point while we were on a cruise, and had almost completed it in order to go to the mainland to reveal our departure and the weakness of the fort: although there was sufficient proof, we did not sentence them to death, which they well deserved, but found it most profitable for the Company, after whipping them severely, to send them off to St. Cruis or other Caribbean islands to be traded for provisions. We know that there is nothing profitable for the Company to be had here in the area, and we have no intelligence of the places to the leeward and therefore we are uncertain whether anything profitable can be accomplished.
Finally, it is to be hoped that the soldiers can be used against the rebelling Indians in Nieuw Nederlandt and the country pacified and returned to its previous state for the benefit of the Company, because it has been known to us before that the director[vi] there is in need of soldiers and assistance. These and many other reasons move us to have the aforesaid plan expedited; also, notwithstanding we are assisted with some provisions, which shall finally be a relief to those remaining, and therefore should be preserved at all costs.
Finally, it was resolved to afix and post the ordinances against fornicators and public blasphemers, misuse and slander of Gods holy name, sloth in listening to and attending the daily prayers and Sunday sermons.[vii] Thus done and concluded at the place, year and day stated above.
P. Stuyvesant
Willem Cornelisen Oudemarckt
Jacob Loper
Brian Newton
L. Rodenborch
Jan Klaessen Smal
Marten Doene
Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections], Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement]
