On Board The Unity
1761-1763

[signed.]
Harkenroth

Today on the 29th of July 1762, I, Mr. Eilardus Folcardus Harkenroth, secretary of this colony, had the honorable captain Jan Menkenveld, leading the ship The Unity now located with slaves in this river, the Berbice, appear before me in the presence of the witnesses named below. He declared to have received to his satisfaction, from sir Abraham Wijs, auction master here, an obligation of the sum of thirty-four thousand three-hundred and forty-eight guilders and eight pennies of Dutch current money.

This was proposed by the appearing party, who brought the slaves here, and by Abraham Wijs, who sold them in his office of auction master. It was done in accordance with the statute of this country from the 7th of January 1756 and the extension which followed on the 6th of April 1757. These state that each buyer is free to return and claim reimbursement for any bought slaves found to have the sleeping or falling sickness within the period of six weeks. This request should be made to the appearing party in his office as captain.

Thus captain Jan Menkevelt declared that due to the appearing party’s imminent departure with his leftover slaves to Rio Essequibo and in order to uphold the aforementioned statutes, to authorize sir Abraham Wijs in the office of the appearing party especially in receiving those slaves which are entitled to be returned within the aforementioned six weeks in all cases as described by the abovementioned statute. They should further be sold at the first possible occasion. The buyers of all such slaves who have the falling or sleeping sickness will be appeased according to the above statute, after two neutral and skilled surgeons find, on examing the slaves, that they truly do have these sicknesses. Further, according to the obligation mentioned above a sum will be remitted to the honorable directors of the Commercie Compagnie in Middelburg, Zeeland.

All of this under promise of the ratification and respecting of that which will follow, both the rights and the duties. Of this draft I request two final copies.

Thus passed in Rio Berbice sub dato as above,
In the presence of the sirs Gerardt Willem van Hoogbeekvelt and Jacques Jolij as witnesses.

Quod attestor
E.F. Harkenroth, secretary

Proof of purchase
Of captain Jan Menkenveld to Abraham de Wijs according to a bond of ƒ 34.348:8:0