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persed and expelled Coppenam Caribs are taking refuge just to leeward of us about Barima, Waini, Amacura; they often alarm this coast, sometimes slaying some unlucky Arawaks or Christians, as was seen in the case of Biscop and the men from Berbice, of which I have already apprised you.

Extract from proceedings of the West India Company (the Ten), October

17, 1685.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 174-175.]

WEDNESDAY, October 17, 1685.

(Afternoon.)

There was read the petition of Jacob Pietersz. de Jongh, whereby he requests payment of a sum of £42 13s. 4d. Flemish, according to the balanced account given him by the Commandeur Abraham Beekman on April 10 in Rio Essequibo; and furthermore that he be allowed to settle as a free planter on the river Pomeroon, together with other planters who have also made a request to this effect, and that for this purpose the rivers Essequibo and Pomeroon be thrown open; whereupon, there having been heard the considerations and opinions of the Committee of Directors of the Zeeland Chamber, it was, after discussion, resolved, that the first request of the petitioner, concerning the payment of a sum of £42. 13. 4. Flemish. be hereby referred to the Directors of the aforesaid Zeeland Chamber, in order that they decide thereupon as favorably as they shall deem consistent with the interests of the Company. And it was furthermore resolved to throw open hereby the rivers of Essequibo and Pomeroon to each and everyone who shall desire to navigate and trade thither, or to settle and dwell there, on condition that he pay to the West India Company the dues and take out the Commission as others of the second class are required to do who navigate to the district of the Charter; the West India Company reserving to itself expressly the trade and the exportation in the aforesaid rivers [of?] the annatto dye and the letter-wood, with prohibition to all others, on penalty of confiscation of the annatto and the letter-wood exported by others besides the company, and its use to the profit of the company.

Extracts from proceedings of West India Company (Zeeland Chamber),

1686.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 175-180.]

THURSDAY, January 3, 1686.

There was read a letter from the Committee of Directors from the

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respective Chambers of the General Chartered West India Company, dated the 24th of last month, concerning the establishing of a new colony in the river Pomeroon and the appointing of a Commandeur over the same,

* * * *

The minutes were submitted and approved, with the exception of the resolutions taken concerning the creation of a Commandeur and further control for the river Pomeroon, it being taken into consideration that the cities of Middelburg, Flushing and Vere, had, as early as 1657, made a contract with the company in regard to the settling of the aforesaid river, and thereafter had actually established there a colony called Nova Zeelandia-for which and other reasons the Burgomasters of this city had requested that the resolution taken upon this subject last Thursday by this body be not carried into effect, at least not until such time as, this matter having been more fully examined, it should be found that the company was entitled to take to itself the aforesaid control. Whereupon, the matter having been put to the question, it was resolved not to approve the aforesaid resolution, much less to carry it into effect, until a conference has been held with the Burgomasters, and in the meanwhile Messrs. Van der Merct and Biscop were appointed a Committee, together with the Advocate, to examine the minutes kept by the directors of Nova Zeelandia, and also the contracts made upon this head by the aforesaid cities with the company; and to the respective Chambers the necessary communication shall be given of this resolution, with the request that they appoint committees to confer upon this matter with the aforesaid cities and to adjust this affair with the Burgomasters, or else to authorize this Chamber to do so.

There was heard the report of Messrs. Van der Merct, Biscop van Serooskercke, and the Advocate, concerning the colony of Nova Zeelandia.

Whereupon, the question having been put, it was resolved to thank the aforesaid Committee for the trouble they had taken, and to insert here the aforesaid report.

Messrs. Van der Merckt and Biscop, together with the Advocate, having examined, in pursuance of the resolution of the 3rd inst., whereby they were appointed a committee, the minutes and resolutions kept by the Directors of Nova Zeelandia, and having compared therewith the

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minutes of the old Company, both those kept here in this city and those of the Board of Nineteen, have reported:

1.

That the administration of Nova Zeelandia was established in the year 1657.

2.

That as Directors thereof were appointed two members from the magistracy of Middelburg, one from Flushing, and one from Vere, together with four directors' from and on behalf of the aforesaid cities, in such manner that the aforesaid administration consisted of eight per

sons.

3.

That the city of Middelburg shared in the aforesaid administration to the extent of one half, and the cities of Flushing and of Vere to the extent of one quarter [each].

4.

That the book of minutes kept by the aforesaid Directors concerning the aforesaid administration was entitled: "Resolutions concerning the new colony in Essequibo."

5.

That the first session was held November 1, 1657.

6.

That on December 16, 1657, the aforesaid three cities male an agreement together concerning the distribution of the outlays to be made for the support and maintenance of the aforesaid colony; and that the conditions drawn up for the planters had been approved and promulgated everywhere, before even a provisional agreement had been made about the aforesaid colony between the aforesaid cities of Walcheren and the Company, at least before it had been approved by the Board of Nineteen.

7.

That the aforesaid agreement was approved and signed by the members of the Committee on the 24th of the same month.

8.

That on January 21, 1658, there was made between the Directors of this Chamber, on the one part, and the Burgomasters and magistrates of the cities of Middelburg, Flushing and Vere, on the other part, a provisional contract, containing among other things:

1. That the aforesaid cities are considered as founders and colonizers of the aforesaid coast;

1Note by Prof. Burr.-I. e., directors of the Zeeland Chamber of the West India Company, but at the same time residents and representatives of the respective cities.

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2. That the aforesaid cities shall have jurisdiction over it after the fashion of a fief, to this end appointing in turn a person on whom the fief shall be conferred upon payment of certain seignorial dues;

3. That the aforesaid colony shall extend between one and ten degrees on the aforesaid Wild Coast, which agreement was also approved by the Board of Nineteen.

9.

That on September 9, 1658, the cities began to consider making the aforesaid colony over to the Province; and that on October 3, 1658, a committee was appointed to broach the matter to the respective members of the estates of the Province.

10.

That the invested capital was increased or augmented to the sum of £12,000 Flemish.

11.

That on April 15, 1659, the committee wrote to the aforesaid Directors, sending them an extract from their minutes of the 11th of the same month, requesting them to give the provincial estates their opinion on it, and especially to make a statement of the sums which would be required for the maintenance and continuation of the aforesaid colony.

12.

That the members for Vere as early as 1660 failed to furnish their quotum, and that in view thereof on December 16 of the aforesaid year, a discussion was begun as to the measures that should be taken in order to constrain them thereto.

13.

That the Directors, having on March 12, 1663, very earnestly considered the condition of the aforesaid colony, and especially the capital still necessary for the continuance thereof, had resolved to make report thereof to their principals, in order that the Chamber deliberate and decide thereon for the best interests of the Company.

14.

That the minutes of the aforesaid Directors end with November 19, 1663, and that the Company, both before and after that date, had advanced the sum of £7,000 Fiemish.

15.

That the river of Essequibo, being in the year 1665 captured by the English, and these being driven out again in the same year,1 under the leadership of Matthijs Bergenaar, Commandeur of Berbice, with some

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-I. e., within less than a year after the capture; the English were expelled in 1666.

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troops drawn from the garrison there and joined to the Company's negroes and other servants who had retired from the aforesaid river into the woods, the soldiery of this state1 at last stationed itself there and continued to occupy the aforesaid river of Essequibo until the year 1670, when the river was again given over into the hands of the West India Company in its Chamber here, as appears more fully in the conditions made therefor on April 11, 1670.

16.

That the aforesaid contract made with the Committee from the Councils was also, after various remarks, finally approved by the Board of Nineteen, containing among other provisions that the Company was required to furnish every year a goodly number of slaves in Surinam for a certain reasonable price, so that the restitution of the aforesaid colony took place only under an onerous stipulation.

Extracts from letter from Jacob de Jonge, Commandeur in Pomeroon, to West India Company, May, 1686.

[Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, pp. 60-61.]

To give your Noblenesses news of our journey, we have progressed as well with it as could possibly be. On the 31st January we started from before Flushing, and henceforward Y. N. will be pleased to see it as per accompanying day register. To give Y. N. news of our arrival in River Essequebo, it took place on the 4th April, as Y. N. will also be able to see by the accompanying day register. As soon as I arrived in the aforenamed river I addressed myself to the Commandeur Beekman, whom I showed my letters from the Noble Chambers, so as to be able to make my voyage to Bourona as speedily as possible. I therefore requested the aforenamed Commandeur to cause me to be convoyed into the boat to the river aforesaid, with my necessary provisions, for the purpose of surveying, that I might find the most suitable spots for being able to place the fort and the plantations. Then Commandeur Beekman told me that he had orders from the Noble Lords to assist the skipper, Machiel Dircksen, but that I could easily make a journey to and fro to Bourona in the boat, in order partly to survey it. As he had no immediate need of the boat aforesaid, my intention was to give Y. N. information as to the condition of the River Bourona, but through lack of time I have but caused the river to be laid with buoys. I should willingly have gone there alone, but was compelled to take all my people with me, be

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-It was a force sent by the province of Zeeland, with the approval of the States General.