Slavery in New Netherland
Translation from Gehring, Curaçao Papers, Volume XVII, 1640-1665 (online edition), doc. 86, pg. 198
I, Sijmen Cornelissen Gilde, skipper, next to God, of my ship named Den Gidion, presently lying before Curaçao, ready to sail with the first favorable wind (which God may grant) to the Manhatans in New Netherland [ ] acknowledge to have received [ ] in the hold of my aforesaid ship [ ] 300 [ ] slaves, consisting of 160 men and 140 women [ ] merchantable; which slaves I promise to deliver (if God grants me a safe voyage) with my aforesaid ship to the honorable lord director-general Petrus Stuyvesant at the Manhatans or to whomever his honor shall specify; provided I am paid for my freight of the aforesaid slaves as agreed upon and defined in the charter-party; and in order to satisfy the same I pledge myself, all my property and my aforesaid ship with all of the appurtenances belonging thereto. In testimony of the truth I have signed three identical bills of lading, of which the others are invalid when one has been satisfied. Executed in Curaçao the 21st of July 1664.
Was signed,
Sijmen Cornelissen Gilde.
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