Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

[1696]
‘Nine Years' War’ continues. Fort William built at Calcutta.
Background

1/7 [garrison* 718 including outposts and ‘those in the English ship Amy’ and in Jupiter, Dolphyn; Swarte Leeuw 110, Noordgouw 54, flute* Swangh 47]

1/8 [Letter to Holland: 428 freemen, 202 women, 491 children, 75 ‘lent*’; freemen now have 322 male slaves, 72 female, 63 children; also formation of Town Watch, 6 companies of 30 each, duty in rotation]

3/9 ... arrived here the hooker* the Nijptang [outward]

7/9 ... arrived the frigate* the Geelvink [outward]

8/9 ... towards noon at last arrived the galliot* 's Weeseltje [outward]

29/9 ... came in towards noon the English ship Doreil, left Portsmuyden on May 18 last for Suratta in company with Charles Second, with 36 guns, 4 small iron guns [‘bassen’] and 61 men, not having had any deaths on the way and bringing only 12 sick ...

1/10 ... towards evening came to the roads the other English ship Charles Second ... 60 guns and 200 men ... having lost 3 men ... landed 20 sick ...

3/10 ... the Captain of this latter English ship came ashore to visit the Hon. Governor ...

4/10 ... brought her sick ashore to accommodation hired from a certain freeman ...

11/10 At midnight the English ship Mary ... coming from Madras ... 30 guns and 84 men ... had been near here on June 11 but ... was forced to make for Madagascar where he was in the bay of Saint Augustine for 17 or 18 days ... had lost 30 men ... bound for Saint Helena and London ...

14/10 ... 3 English ships which had sailed in company from Plymouth on May 9 last ...

[p. 412]

came here for lack of water ... Samson, 40 guns and 150 men ... 26 dead ... 50 sick, bound for Madras; the Cepter, 32 guns, 2 small iron guns [‘bassen’], 118 men ... 30 dead, 16 sick; and Chamberfregat, 30 guns, 95 men ... 25 dead, 20 sick, this last bound for Suratta.

17/10 ... came the ship Vosmaar, sailed April 26 last ... from before Vlissingen ... 93 had died, the rest all sick and weak, so that out of 236 paid hands not more than 4 were fit ... and of the 10 French refugees only 5 were still alive [fit men sent to her, but wind contrary]. The English Captain Jan Hays [Mary] having shown that he had only one sail left, and that it was impossible for her to reach Saint Helena without more, therefore urgently requested the sale of two sails, which was ... refused; but finally ... he was allowed 2 old topsails, much rat-eaten and of little value ... for fl. 396: 15 ...

19/10 Since during the journey some mutiny or other offence ... had occurred in the Mary, this day (as we understand) one of the offenders was hanged ...

21/10 ... a reply to his letter of the 16th was sent yesterday to the skipper van Deyl of the ship Berkel, forced into the Saldaignbhaay by contrary winds ...

22/10... Vosmaar ... came to the roads, and at once all her sick were brought ashore [Suspicion of desertions to Mary, additional guards ordered ‘as long as the English ships are in the roads’, and patrols along the shore]

23/10 ... in the evening arrived the said ship the Berkel from the Saldaignebhaey ...

24/10 ... towards evening ... the English ship Mary left for Saint Helena ...

27/10 ... The said skipper Wm. De Vlamingh [of Geelvink] ... having got aboard all needful ... at last departed with the hooker* the Nyptang and the galliot* the Weeseltje ... for the Southland [Australia]

2/11 ... this morning came in the English ship Rebecca, an interloper*, sailed from England on April 3 via Cadix, bound for Bengalen, 22 guns and 44 men ...

3/11 [news from Saldanha Bay of Huys te Duynen there] sailed with Vosmaar and Weeseltje ... 42 lost by death, the rest all lying sick, requesting help since not more than 8 fit besides the cabin-passengers ... at once the Amy sent ...