Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

Background - continued

29/6/1673 [rumours of action by Gonnema against freemen on expedition to shoot big game] but since the rumour seems truly somewhat impossible, it was regarded as false ...

1/7 ... arrived the ship Europa ... sailed from Holland on February 4 with 270 men ...

6/7 ... the two freemen* coming from the Fatherland to settle here came ashore yesterday and today with their families [first reference found to immigration of families]

12/7 ... [rumours as 29/6 persisting, expedition left under Cruse against Gonnema]

14/7 ... the freemen's vessel Bruijd ... came from the Saldinhiabaay ... with a soldier from the garrison there ... from whom, as also from the freemen we learn of the terrible massacre by Gonnema's people, under a pretext of wishing to barter, of the Corporal ... also a soldier and two freemen ... not only miserably beaten to death but afterwards the Company's properties stolen and this remaining soldier attacked, had he not escaped to the freemen's vessel ... warning sent to the Ensign Cruse ... also 18 men, burghers and Company's Servants ...

24/7 ... In the evening came the skiff* of the ship anchored at the Robben Island ... the Vliegende Swaan coming from Saint Helena ... retaken by the enemy ... ‘After we sailed with the said [return-] ships on May 15 last [? May 11] from the Table Bay ... reaching there on June 6 ... coming as near the coast as was possible ... the better to recognize the agreed-on signals; but not seeing them in spite of having made the proper ones on our part ... we put back to sea ... a white flag* with a red cross flying at the fort ... 60 to 70 shots mostly from heavy guns, of which however only one struck our flag ...’

25/7 ... about noon Ensign Cruse arrived with a troop of fully 800 excellent cattle and 900 lovely sheep [but Gonnema had evaded him]

20/8 ... two Hottentot Captains of our allies, Cuyper and Schacher, arrived at the fort ... having with them as prisoners four of the Chief Gonnema's people [tried, convicted of having taken part in the Saldanha Bay murders, and clubbed to death by the Hottentots]

15/10 ... comes the ship Ternaten ... left Texel June 11 ... having lost about 80 men, most by a very malignant fever ... also encumbered with 90 sick unable to walk ...