No. 26.

Extract from proceedings of the provincial Estates of Zeeland, 1657. [Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, p. 124.]

There appeared before the meeting Messrs. van der Heyde and Moorthamer, deputies of the West India Company, having its Chamber here in Zeeland. They made known orally, and thereafter submitted in writing, the intention which they have of establishing, under approval of the Estates of Zeeland, a colony and new settlement on the Wild Coast of Essequibo and places thereabout, extending from one degree to ten degrees north of the Equator, between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, wherein there has been granted them the exclusive privilege of navigation and trade, in pursuance of the agreement with the Chartered West India Company. And they request that the Estates of Zeeland, as patrons and founders of the colonies to be established there, be pleased to accept the direction thereof, according to one or the other of the plans which have been drawn up and submitted. Which matter having been deliberated upon, it was resolved that the documents submitted shall be sent to the members, as points of the agenda for the next meeting, in order that then such action be taken thereupon as shall be judged expedient and necessary in the interest of the State and for the furtherance of commerce. And in the mean time the Council, the deputies from the three cities of Walcheren being present, shall fully examine this matter, and transmit to the members the papers with their conclusion subjoined.

Extracts from provisional contract between the West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) and the Walcheren Cities, 1657.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, p. 125.]

The West India Company shall approve and so far as in it lies make effective this agreement, basis, and ordinance whereby the aforesaid cities, together with a committee from the aforesaid directors, are to establish and plant colonies on the continental Wild Coast between the first and the tenth degrees, and that in conformity with the liberties and exemptions granted or to be granted by the Board of Nineteen.

To the aforesaid cities, as founders and colonizers of the aforesaid Coast, the States-General shall concede and grant high, middle, and low jurisdic

No. 27.

tion, in order the better to maintain the necessary authority over their subordinates.

The sovereignty and supremacy, with all that thereto belongs, remaining nevertheless to the States-General, and to the Company, in so far as the latter is by the charter entitled thereto.

Extracts from proceedings of the Committee governing for the three Walcheren cities the colony of Nova Zeelandia, 1657-1658.

The provisional contract between the cities of Middelburg, Flushing and Vere, and the Directors, having been submitted for approval, it was approved without change and signed by the respective members of the committee, and is entered in these minutes under date of January 21, 1658, following hereafter.

There was read a letter from Cornelis Goliat, offering his services for an honorable office on the continental Wild Coast; whereupon, after full deliberation, and in consideration of his being well versed in the art of fortification, of war, and of surveying, and also in ciphering and bookkeeping, it was resolved that he shall be employed as commissary in charge of the stores at the aforesaid place; also as commander of the 25 soldiers to be sent; moreover as engineer, to apportion the lands, make the maps, and erect certain strong places or forts for the protection of the colony; and that he shall be assigned a salary of 60 florins per month; notification whereof was sent to him, and by him agreed to.

There was read a letter from Aerts Adriaensen and Cornelis Goliat, dated at Nova Zeelandia on June 18, 1658, which is now provisionally laid aside till the next meeting, to be treated together with the other documents.

There was read a short description by Cornelis Goliat of the rivers Demerara, Essequibo, Pomeroon, and Moruca, situated on the coast of Guiana, otherwise called the Wild Coast, and now Nova Zeelandia, which it was resolved to have copied and transmitted to each member of the Committee.

No. 29.

Extract from petition of Jan Doensen and others for registry of their property in Essequibo, July 3, 1664.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol, 2, pp. 132-133.]

Jan Doensen, skipper, of the ship Zeelandia, respectfully makes known that, in virtue of and in accordance with the liberties and exemptions offered and granted to all the world, he with several qualified associates has chosen and taken into possession a district of land and region in the river Essequibo at Brouwershoek, where he has placed as agent one Huibrecht Vinou, a Frenchman, provided with several negroes and other agricultural necessaries for the furtherance of a regular sugar-mill there and also of the plantation needed thereto -and being desirous to go on therewith and with God's help to carry everything into operation, after the intention and to the advantage of the company, to which end the aforesaid liberties and exemptions were granted, which cannot be brought about without still further very great expense for animals, copper utensils, and other things needed thereto and it being only just that for their zeal, labor, trouble and great expense, they for all time should peacefully enjoy an absolute and free ownership for themselves and their descendants, always, however, under the protection and the regulations of the company-and inasmuch as there in that country they have or can find no opportunity for having the ownership of their aforesaid plantation recorded and registered; therefore, he, the petitioner, requests that he and his associates as owners be thus entered here at home in the books and made known as such, at least provisionally until further registration yonder shall have been ordered.

Extract from proceedings of the West India Company (Zeeland Chamber),

Hendrick Rol appeared before the Chamber and informed it that he is ready to depart for Essequibo at the order of the Chamber, adding to this that the business in Essequibo and Demerara can be attended to by him at the same time, since they lie only 3 [Dutch] miles apart.

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There was read the private or secret letter from the Commandeur Hendrik Rol, from Rio Essequibo under date of 16 March, 1673, wherein the following points were noticed, which it was resolved to insert here:

Peace had been made between the Caribs in Barima and the Arawaks, and they now had intercourse with each other, and he was going to send a boat after carap-oil, intending in the mean time to make trial of the linseed oil.

He had sent some wares to Orinoco for the purpose of trade; by mistake these were carried to Trinidad, and, no opportunity being found to trade there, they had come back home.

Since that time the people of Orinoco have requested that we go there to trade, whereupon he has resolved to send thither Steven Tornaelje with an old negro who knows the language well.

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No. 31.

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Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Hendrik Rol, Commandeur in Essequibo, February 22, 1675.

In regard to the trade in Orinoco, for which you are doing all you can, it would be good if we could get it. Yet, as to the lure of the Spaniards, who invite you to bring there some material of war for the King and under that pretext to get the trade, it must be considered whether this might not perhaps at some time be harmful to us-putting in their hands a knife to cut our own throats. Therefore we recommend you to give good heed thereto.

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Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Hendrik Rol, Commandeur in Essequibo, November 30, 1675.

Furthermore we have been glad to learn that a certain Spanish nobleman having come over with our Snaauw from Surinam to be transported to Rio Orinoco, you had caused him to be carried over in a canoe manned by Indians, giving him for companion and guide Jacobus Asseliers, with a

No. 32.

view thus to get an opportunity to obtain trade there; but that the latter, arriving there at the Spaniards' landing, had found a great crowd, as the Governor of Trinidad was present there, and was forbidden to set foot on land before he had received an order from the said Governor, who, in fine, shortly after ordered him to depart from there within 24 hours, leaving him free, however, to go among the Indians wherever he pleased; further, the said Governor, having gone from there, had through the captain left in command, and the contador and others besides, rendered thanks to you for the kindness shown to the said nobleman, but [adding] that he did not yet dare to trade freely because no letters had yet come from Spain, though such were every day expected, together with a new Governor, and that he trusted that when these had come we probably should obtain [permission to] trade; and that they had bought the small stock of wares which you sent along, he inviting Asseliers to come again, yet not to their own landing, but to an Indian one, and make known his arrival to them, promising that they would then come to buy from him the aforesaid goods. We have no doubt that accordingly you have caused a second trial journey to be made with satisfactory result, of which we hope to learn by your next; and that it will serve as a firm foundation of flourishing relations and trade with them, to the advantage and profit of the Company and those interested in it, as also to the praise and renown of your vigilance and prudent management.

Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Abraham Beekman, Commandeur in Essequibo, December 30, 1678.

And, inasmuch as we have received reliable information that on the Orinoco a good trade could be established with the Spaniards, we shall by next letter expect a list or petition, of the goods and merchandise required therefor.

Extracts from letter from Abraham Beekman, Commandeur in Essequibo, to West India Company, October 20, 1679.

The river Pomeroon also promises some profit; for, in order to make trial of it, I sent thither in August last one of my soldiers to barter for annatto dye. But there lately came tidings of the approach of a strong