Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

[1653]
Wars with Commonwealth in England and with Portugal continue.
Background

13/1 ... Today started to thresh ... the very first wheat grown here....

17/1 ... the whole bay ... so mightily full of whales,* that it was a wonder.... It would therefore not be amiss for their catching to be considered....

18/1 ... arrived in the roads ... the galliot* Swarte Vos ... sailed from Texel September 4 ... with the information that the Netherlands were at war with England ... all men to work on the Fort, and all other matters to be left undone until this is fully defensible....

2/2 ... cut the first white cabbages ... as tender and tasty as any ... in the Fatherland....

11/2 ... the bread will not last more than another 14 days....

12/2 ... provisions for not more than 14 days at the utmost....

1/3 ... today the last ration of bread was issued to the men....

[p. 4]

2/3 ... the ships Hoff van Zeelant ... and Walvis came to the roads. About noon ... the Parel, Princes Royael and Mallacca also reached the entrance of the bay....

4/3 ... the Malacca lost her fore-topmast....

6/3 ... Parel ... and Malacca also reached the roads....

8/3 ... resolved that ... there should be landed from each ship ½ last* of rice, one keg of meat and some bread....

26/3 ... about midnight the yacht* Haes arrived in the roads with latest news of the war....

10/4 ... The ships Malacca, P. Royael and Walvis took on 4,105 Cape sealskins for the Chamber* of Amsterdam....

12/4 ... Towards evening the yacht Winthondt arrived outside the bay from the Fatherland... continuation of the English war....

14/4 ... The said yacht Windhondt arrived safely in the roads....