Document: Form of a contract for importing slaves from Africa

[ Today the ] undersigned director and councilors of New Netherland, [ authorized thereto by a resolution ] of the chamber at Amsterdam, [ parties of the first part, and the owners ] of the ship whereof [ left blank ] is [ commander ] measuring about [ left blank ] tons, [ parties of the second ] part, have agreed and contracted that the aforesaid skipper shall receive a license and the necessary documents enabling him to trade for slaves on the coast of Africa and to profit thereby as he sees fit. Likewise, he shall return to the Manhathans with the aforesaid slaves and such other cargo, provided that the issued license concerning the coast of Africa does not permit him to trade on the Gold Coast, and that he shall not come any further west than Ardre or at the most Popo;[1] under penalty of forfeiting the aforesaid ship and its cargo. For which purpose the director and councilors shall be allowed to place a supercargo on board the aforesaid ship, (whom the skipper shall be obligated to board in the cabin), and if necessary also to administer an appropriate oath to the crew. For which consent and license the aforesaid owners promise to pay promptly upon the return of the aforesaid ship and before its cargo is unloaded, to the aforesaid director and councilors fifteen guilders for each Negro as duty without claiming any exception or compensation thereon, pledging their persons and possessions, nothing excepted, with renunciation of beneficium ordinis, divisionis et excusionis,[2] as having full knowledge thereof.

Done at New Amsterdam this [ left blank ]

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source:New York State Archives. New York (Colony). Council. Dutch colonial administrative correspondence, 1646-1664. Series A1810-78. Volume 11, document 45b.