Guayana's Western Border, no 215 (online).
1714-05-14 Resolutie e0669 Essequibo Amerindians Slaves Trade Trade, slave Essequibo
Als voorbeeld van een ongepubliceerde resolutie opgenomen.
Nederland Verbod op de handel in rode slaven, anatto (orleaan) verf en copaibabalsem. Prohibition of trading in red slaves, annatto dye and copaiba balsam.
WIC to Commander Pieter van der Heijden Resen, May 14, 1714.
We leave it still most urgently recommended to you strictly to maintain the prohibition of trade in red slaves, annatto dye, and balsam copaiba, since the Company desires, as heretofore, to keep that trade exclusively for itself, in order thereby in a measure to provide for the costs and heavy expenses of keeping up that Colony, and we can therefore give no heed to the complaints of the inhabitants in this matter. And, as for protestations that they are not going to trade within the territory of the Company, that is absurd indeed; for although Orinoco, Trinidad, etc. [is] under power of the Spaniards, still it also lies within the Charter of the Company, where nobody has the right to trade except the Company and those to whom the Company gives permission to do so, so that it all is the territory of the Company, although we have no forts there. And it is an untruth that authority was ever published making that trade free; but the contrary is clearly enough to be seen in the resolution of the Assembly of Ten. This has, therefore, crept in there only through neglect; for which reason you are instructed, as above stated, to see closely to it that the Company suffer no injury herein. ----
WIC
