Rio Essequibo, 27th August 1762

Honorable Sirs, directors of the Commercie Compagnie,

Dear Sirs,

I consider it my duty to inform you of my safe arrival here in EssequiboGuyanaEssequebo on the 5th of August. After being on the river for 14 days, I held a public auction of 121 heads of slaves. These add up, according to the list, to the sum of fifty-four thousand two hundred and seventy guilders, or ƒ 54.270 of current Dutch money.

In addition to this I have privately sold 22 heads for the total sum of seven thousand nine hundred and seventy-five guilders, that being ƒ 7.975. The total sum of slaves sold at auction and privately here in Essequibo amounts to sixty-two thousand two hundred and forty-five guilders, that being ƒ 62.245.

In Berbice RiverGuyanaRio Berbice I have sold 142 at a public auction, amounting to thirty-five thousand two hundred and sixty-five guilders. I also privately sold 8 heads there for the sum of two thousand four hundred and seventy-one guilders, that being ƒ 2.471. The total from both auction and private sales is then ƒ 37.736

add to that from Rio Essequibo ƒ 62.245

this being for a total of 293 heads ƒ 99.981

Please find attached the following documents your honor has received:

1. The conditions of the sold slaves in Rio Essequibo;
2. A copy of the letter from Essequibo;
3. Transactional accounts to your honors of the coast;
4. List of the paid letters of exchange, these being 15 bills which amount to ƒ 6548:17:14;
5. Copy of the confession of guilt from Abraham Wijs, auction master at Rio Berbice;
6. Copy of the letter from Rio Berbice;
7. Copy of 6 borrowed swivel guns to the honorable sir Wolfert Simon of Hogenheim, governor-general of the Patent Colony Berbice etc. etc.

I hope your honors will receive everything.

I will have the honor of sending the general transactional accounts with the first ship leaving from here. I will do my utmost best to load the ship as quickly as possible in order to be ready to sail from here. I would be able to take in my entire cargo, but the exorbitant costs do not allow for this.

In addition to this, I have unfortunately lost my head carpenter and have six more ill crew members in their bunks, among them the assistant carpenter.

Since the bowsprit has snapped and the caps have rotted away I now have so much work that needs to be done that I am forced to find some negroes who can caulk the ship and repair the aforementioned.

I hope that the Lord will help me return as soon as possible.

I have nothing further to report that would merit your honor’s attention. Having therefore the honor to recommend myself to your honorable’ s protection, I am, with sincere respect,

Dear Sirs,

Your humble and loyal servant,

Jan Menkenveld