Document: Proceedings against Dirck Claessen for disobedience of orders

[several lines lost] Montagne [ ] that the prisoner [ ], according to the order [ of the lord director ] general, in order to arrive here as soon [ as possible ] with the said yacht from Fort Orange, either with or without goods, but that the prisoner, to the contrary, ignoring the order of the aforesaid lord general, sought his own profit by taking in freight of others, as a result of which the yacht became icebound upriver, and had to stay there for some months, to the great expense of the Company.[i]

The prisoner says that he had done his best to get ready as rapidly as possible, and being ready, that weather and wind then were unwilling to serve. But he acknowledges that he took in some anckers of brandy for Bamboes in order to bring those to the Esopus, but that this did not obstruct the journey.

The director general and councilors of N: Netherland, having heard the fiscal’s claim verified by the statement of lord La Montagne, as well as the frivolous excuse of the prisoner, find the case to be of a bad consequence which, as an example to others, deserves to be punished severely, but preferring mercy over rigor of justice, they dismissed the prisoner from his skipper’s office, as they hereby dismiss him from it, and in addition, they condemn him to a fine of two months’ wages for the benefit of the Company. Dated as above.