1764 Christina Strang
This is an unusual and insightful case for a number of reasons.1 It concerns complaints by the labourers on a remote Roggeveld farm that their mistress, Christina Strang, had killed a slave. They only had the opportunity to do this when they accompanied their master, Jacobus Kruger, to Cape Town two years after the event. Strang was summonsed but denied the accusation, instead producing her own rather improbable version of what had happened. The Council of Justice fined her 50 rixdollars and ordered that Januarij van Ceijlon, the slave who had brought the complaint, be sold, with the stipulation that he should never again come into her possession or that of her children.2
The case shows how the owners of a frontier farm, male and female, could act with impunity, both by killing a slave and by intimidating the others to keep quiet about the fact for several years. It includes other features of interest. The murdered slave was a newcomer from the East Indies and the evidence includes details of the problems he faced in adapting, including unfamiliarity with the work, language and dress, and the way in which he was viewed ethnically by the other slaves and their owners. One of the testimonies was by a young Khoi boy who would have been seven or eight years old at the time these events took place. It is noteworthy that two of the slaves and all of the adult Khoi had run away from the farm by the time the complaint could be brought to the authorities. Clearly, this was not a popular place in which to live and work.
Footnotes
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In addition to the material transcribed here, the documentation in this case includes a letter from the Stellenbosch landdrost to the Council of Justice and the testimonies of Jan Olivier and the slave Carel van Pang, CJ 381, ff. 29-47. Schoeman 2002a: 153-55 gives some background to the case and an Afrikaans translation of Christina Strang’s testimony. ↩
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CJ 46, f. 26-7. It is noteworthy that J.J. le Sueur, the landdrost who had collected the testimonies, did not consider the evidence sufficiently clear to convict Strang, but nonetheless recommended that Januarij be sold away from her, CJ 381, f. 30v. ↩
CJ 381 Criminele Process Stukken, 1764, ff. 32-5.
Statement given, on the requisition of the landdrost of Stellenbosch and Drakensteijn, Sieur Johannes le Sueur, by Januarij van Ceijlon, slave of the farmer Jacobus Kruger, of competent age, going as follows: That, as the testifier believes, more than two years, or two or three times,1 ago, when the testifier’s owner, who resides on his farm situated in the Bocke Veld, rode away from his house and, as the testifier supposes, set out to Stellenbosch to drill,2 the testifier and his fellow slave called Augustus – without the testifier knowing for sure of what nation he was but he suspects that he must have been a Batavian jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. as he was yellow in colour3 – had to labour, with the help of some Hottentots, on the building of a stone corral, the stones for which they had to search for in the vicinity and had to drag them there with oxen, while the aforesaid Augustus moreover also had to lead these draught oxen.
That as the aforesaid Augustus did not labour to the satisfaction of their mistress, who had remained at home, she came to them at about eleven o’clock in the morning of a certain day, without being able to say which, with a kirrijkirrijThis is the Cape Khoi word for the walking stick traditional Khoikhoi carried with them and used as weapons. In the course of the eighteenth century, the word was adopted by Dutch-speaking colonists to refer to a walking stick, also where it was used as an instrument of punishment. in her hand and then went to the aforementioned Augustus who just for a moment had gone to the side of a little straw hut and, as the testifier supposes, must have smoked tobacco there since it was then rather cold. The testifier, who was only standing about ten or twelve paces from there, then saw his aforementioned mistress beating the said Augustus everywhere, except on his head, with the kirrijkirrijThis is the Cape Khoi word for the walking stick traditional Khoikhoi carried with them and used as weapons. In the course of the eighteenth century, the word was adopted by Dutch-speaking colonists to refer to a walking stick, also where it was used as an instrument of punishment. she held in her hand, to such an extent that the hands of the aforementioned Augustus became heavily swollen as a result of the blows he received on them, being unable to say whether or not his arms, which were covered by his clothing, were also swollen heavily.
That the aforesaid Augustus, because of the pain from the blows he received, was not able to pick up heavy stones and, on top of that, the work was in any case difficult for him, consequently, whenever he saw his mistress coming towards them, he always carried small stones. When this was perceived by the testifier’s mistress, she again, after fully an hour or somewhat more had passed, again beat the same with the kirrijkirrijThis is the Cape Khoi word for the walking stick traditional Khoikhoi carried with them and used as weapons. In the course of the eighteenth century, the word was adopted by Dutch-speaking colonists to refer to a walking stick, also where it was used as an instrument of punishment. all over and even on his head, in such a way that this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. fell down onto the ground and bled heavily from his head and moreover remained lying there. That he had to get up on the order of his mistress and again start working, but as he was unable to do so, the testifier’s mistress, who thought that this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. was doing it from obstinacy, had his hands tied together with a riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. by the testifier and then, while saying: “The fiscal doesn’t know as well as I do how to set you lot right”,4 had him lie down backwards, and thus with his back on a heap of stones, which had been brought together for the building of the corral, so that the protruding sharp edges of these stones caused this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. pain, and had the aforesaid Augustus covered with a blanket and let him remain lying in this state for some time, without him knowing whether this was not more than an hour or two, after which the testifier, on the order of his mistress, again had to untie this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour..
That the aforementioned Augustus was unable to work, but was not beaten any longer by the testifier’s mistress, although he remained with the volkvolkIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used to refer either to a group of people in the sense of ‘nation,’ or more commonly a group of people acting or working together. It was thus often used as a short-hand term for common labourers. Although the word was used in this latter meaning at the Cape to refer to European labourers, it eventually – due to the racial divide in the labour situation – came to refer to both slaves and Khoikhoi in the sense of manual labourers. This usage lived on in modern Afrikaans plaasvolk, ‘farm labourers.’ working there until they had finished their labour, which is when the same, as best he could, went to the slave house, without the testifier knowing whether or not the said Augustus thereafter or during the late afternoon had gone to fetch water since, as the testifier was doing his work, he did not take note of that; as also whether or not, in so far as the testifier is aware or able to remember, there had been any stranger on the farm that afternoon or had remained there that night, since the testifier, as soon as he had come from his work, went to the slave house, from where one is only able to see the house of his owner from the back.
That when the testifier woke up at about midnight, he went to the fire place inside the slave house in order to start a fire as it was cold, which is when he found the slave Augustus, who had been lying next to it, lying dead, which the testifier reported, early in the morning, to the little children of the house since his mistress was still asleep.
That when the the testifier had finished the milking that morning, his mistress came into the slave house, looked at the dead slave and ordered the testifier and a grown Hottentot living there, by the name of Boegies, to just go and bury the aforesaid Augustus, which they also did. The testifier says that this Hottentot has since run away from there.
That two or three days thereafter, when a slave jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. of Jacob Cloete, the son-in-law of the testifier’s owner, by the name of Carel, came to the farm of his owner with a message, this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. asked the testifier where Augustus was and, since they were of the same nation,5 the testifier narrated to this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. how the said Augustus was so beaten by his mistress that he came to die of it, while adding that he wanted to go and complain about this.
That this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Carel told what he had heard from the testifier to the testifier’s mistress, and that when the testifier’s owner had been home for some time and the aforesaid Carel also happened to be on the farm, the testifier was tied with riemenriemenA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. onto the front wheels of a wagon in such a way that his body was lying on the shaft. The testifier was then asked by his owner what he had told Carel about Nonje and Augustus, to which the testifier said: “Nothing”, when the said Carel was called to it, and was asked by his owner whether or not the testifier had told him that his mistress had beaten the slave Augustus to death, and when this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. answered to this: “Yes!”, the testifier’s owner whipped him with a double-plaited riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. of oxen hide. When the testifier begged for the whipping to end, with the promise not to go and complain, his owner, while saying: “If you do not wish to go and complain any longer, but will keep quiet, then I won’t beat you any longer”, stopped the whipping.
That since, in the three years that the testifier had been living on the farm of his owner, this is the first time he had come to the Cape, he, fearing a similar fate, went to the honourable independent fiscal to complain and informed him of what had happened with the abovementioned Augustus.
There being nothing more to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of the accuracy of his statement as in the text, while offering to subsequently confirm the same.
Thus related in the Castle of Good Hope on 5 December 1763 in the presence of the clerks Pieter Caspar Broedersz and Frederik Wilhelm Alleman as witnesses, who have properly undersigned the original of this, as also the testifier and me, the secretary.
Which I declare, [signed] C.L. Neethling, secretary.
CJ 381 Criminele Process Stukken, 1764, ff. 36-7.
Statement given, on the requisition of the landdrost of Stellenbosch and Drakenstein, Sieur Johannes Jacobus le Sueur, by the Hottentot Jantje, 10 or 11 years old at a guess, going as follows:
That the testifier lives with the farmer Jacobus Kruger on his farm situated in the Roggen Veld and that a long time ago now, without being able to specify this, when the aforesaid Kruger had set out to Stellenbosch to drill, and when the slaves January and Augustus, together with some grown Hottentots, who have since all run away from there, and the testifier with another little Hottentot named Danster were busy, on the order of the wife of the aforesaid Kruger, to collect stones and to drag them with oxen in order to build a corral with them, he saw the aforesaid wife beat the slave Augustus, because he did not labour to her satisfaction, with a kirrijkirrijThis is the Cape Khoi word for the walking stick traditional Khoikhoi carried with them and used as weapons. In the course of the eighteenth century, the word was adopted by Dutch-speaking colonists to refer to a walking stick, also where it was used as an instrument of punishment. on his arms, back and hands, in such a way that the hands of this slave became heavily swollen as a result of it.
That this slave was then able to do even less, and because of this was beaten a second time by the said wife, and, amongst other places, also on his head, so much so that it bled heavily and that the aforementioned Augustus came to fall down on the ground, and after having lain there for some time, again got up from the ground and started anew with his work. However, since he could not perform it, he said to his mistress, who was sitting not far from there, that he could not work, which is when she had the hands of this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. tied together with a riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. by his fellow slave Januarij, and had him lie down on a heap of sharp stones and covered with a blanket, and allowed him to remain like this. After some time, the testifier then saw this slave untied again, without being able to say exactly how he might have become free.
That the aforesaid Augustus then remained at work and also worked a bit with them, and afterwards, by evening, went to the slave house; not knowing if the same had gone into the house of his owner to fetch water, but he does know that the same Augustus passed away that night in the slave house. The testifier also declares that the aforesaid Augustus had always been rather sickly, or that he was suffering from swollen legs, and also: that on the very same night when Augustus died, there had been at the farm of his owner a strange man, being tall of person6 and having arrived by horse, who stayed over that night and departed again early in the following morning.
The testifier declares that, after his baasbaasIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used both in the sense of ‘head’ (e.g. ‘head carpenter’) and ‘master’. In South Africa the second meaning developed further, and thus baas came to be a synonym for meester (‘master’). It was the form that slaves (and Khoikhoi) would use to address male Europeans. had been home again for some time, he saw the slave Januarij being tied to the front wheels of a wagon and being whipped with oxen riemenriemenA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. for having spoken about that which had happened concerning the slave Augustus.
There being nothing more to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of the certainty of his statement as in the text, while offering to subsequently confirm the same.
Thus related in the Castle of Good Hope on 5 December 1763 in the presence of the clerks Pieter Caspar Broedersz and Frederick Wilhelm Allemann, as witnesses, who have properly signed the original of this, as also the testifier and me, the secretary.
Which I declare, [signed] C.L. Neethling, secretary.
CJ 381 Criminele Process Stukken, 1764, ff. 40-5.
Statement given, on the requisition of the landdrost of Stellenbosch and Drakensteijn, Sieur Jacobus Johannes le Sueur, by Christina Strang, wife of the farmer Jacobus Cruger junior, of competent age, going as follows:
That already two years ago this past October, without knowing the day or date, when the testifier’s husband had set out to Stellenbosch to attend the burgher drill and she found herself alone at home with his children on their farm named the Tondeldoos Fonteijn, situated in the Rogge Veld, she employed, during her husband’s absence, his two slave jongensjongensLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Augustus and Januarij, as well as the little Hottentots Jantje and Danser, to drag along stones on a cattle skin, in front of which some oxen were spanned in, in order to build corrals with them.
That on a certain day, which the testifier is unable to name, it came to her knowledge that the aforesaid slave jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Augustus, who had to lead the oxen, was becoming very lax in his work that morning, for which reason the testifier went to him and gave him one or two blows on his hands with a little piece or splinter of a stick, while saying: “Why do you not hold that rope properly and lead nicely?” After which she again went from there; saying that the aforementioned slave Augustus was still very baar7 and unskilled, and also being unable to speak a word of Portuguese but only Malay.8
Further – without knowing whether or not it had been on the same day that the testifier had given the aforementioned Augustus the aforesaid two blows – when, in the late morning, the little Hottentot Jantje called out from the yard to the testifier sitting inside the house: “Nonje, look, Augustus does not want to lead!”, the testifier got up and went there, whereupon the aforesaid Augustus, as soon as she came close, took up a stone from the ground and, by lifting up his arm, made a sign as if he wanted to throw it at the testifier; nevertheless, he did not throw it, but dropped the said stone onto the ground as soon as the testifier had ordered the other slave jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour., Januarij, to take an oxen riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. and to give the aforesaid Augustus a beating with it. However, the testifier is unable to say positively whether or not this slave, who was laid down on the ground, was tied up, but can say that he lay on the ground and received, on her order, six or seven lashes with the oxen riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes. from the slave Januarij, without though being able to know the number of lashes he received as she did not count them. After this, the aforementioned Augustus continued to perform his work that day, after first, however, filling a pipe with tobacco in the slave house and by pointing to the pipe and saying to one of the testifier’s children in Malay: “Little baasbaasIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used both in the sense of ‘head’ (e.g. ‘head carpenter’) and ‘master’. In South Africa the second meaning developed further, and thus baas came to be a synonym for meester (‘master’). It was the form that slaves (and Khoikhoi) would use to address male Europeans., go and fetch fire”, obtained the same, and then smoked the aforesaid pipe in the slave house.
That when the volkvolkIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used to refer either to a group of people in the sense of ‘nation,’ or more commonly a group of people acting or working together. It was thus often used as a short-hand term for common labourers. Although the word was used in this latter meaning at the Cape to refer to European labourers, it eventually – due to the racial divide in the labour situation – came to refer to both slaves and Khoikhoi in the sense of manual labourers. This usage lived on in modern Afrikaans plaasvolk, ‘farm labourers.’ stopped working at midday and when they, as well as the aforementioned jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Augustus, had eaten, the testifier saw that Augustus (who, both through his baar-ness, since they had not had this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. for very long, and through his natural ignorance, had always been in the habit of hanging his blanket over his one arm, even though he had no shortage of clothes, and when it was cold or bad weather, he would drape it around his body) was inclined to sleep and asked him, as best as she was able to bring forth in an imperfect manner in Malay and Portuguese,9 if he would like to go and sleep, to which he answered: “Yes”; which she permitted this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour., who then lay down close to or perhaps just besides a pile of stones and used a stone as pillow for his head and covered himself with his aforesaid blanket, without the testifier having given this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. any more lashes, nor having lain him onto this pile of stones, and even less having tied him up.
That when this slave Augustus had been lying there for about an hour, he got up from the ground of his own accord, and again went to work with the other slave and the Hottentots, and continued with it until the volkvolkIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used to refer either to a group of people in the sense of ‘nation,’ or more commonly a group of people acting or working together. It was thus often used as a short-hand term for common labourers. Although the word was used in this latter meaning at the Cape to refer to European labourers, it eventually – due to the racial divide in the labour situation – came to refer to both slaves and Khoikhoi in the sense of manual labourers. This usage lived on in modern Afrikaans plaasvolk, ‘farm labourers.’ had stopped for the day, without having received any more lashes. That afternoon, the aforementioned Augustus had been at least three times in the voorhuijsvoorhuijsLiterally the ‘front house’, this referred to the first area entered from the main door or stoep (porch). In most houses this was a room, although in the later design of some Cape houses it referred to a narrower passage (like a hall or vestibule) flanked by one or more front rooms. and was seen by the farmer Jan Gijsbert Olivier, who had just arrived there and slept there that night. Further, the said Augustus ate that evening with the other volkvolkIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used to refer either to a group of people in the sense of ‘nation,’ or more commonly a group of people acting or working together. It was thus often used as a short-hand term for common labourers. Although the word was used in this latter meaning at the Cape to refer to European labourers, it eventually – due to the racial divide in the labour situation – came to refer to both slaves and Khoikhoi in the sense of manual labourers. This usage lived on in modern Afrikaans plaasvolk, ‘farm labourers.’ in one and the same little hut and went to sleep. The following morning, when the the testifier was still asleep, a little Hottentot by the name of Jantje knocked on the door up to two times, when he called to the testifier: “Nonje, Augustus is dead!”, to which she answered: “Oh, go away, Hottentot!”, whereupon the said Jantje continued: “Yes! Certainly, nonjenonjeThis word entered Dutch from Malay nyonya (which in turn derived from Portuguese dona, ‘lady’) and was in use at the Cape since its foundation. It was used both by settlers to refer to women in general, and by slaves and Khoikhoi as a form of address for female Europeans. It survived in modern Afrikaans in the form of nooi or nôi, ‘young (unmarried) woman’, although it is now somewhat archaic.!”, for which reason the testifier got up, went to the slave house and found the aforementioned Augustus lying naked, except for his trousers, and dead, after which the testifier had a grave dug by the slave jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Januarij and the Hottentot Jantje and had the corpse of this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. buried. As the testifier returned from the slave house that morning, the aforesaid Olivier met her in the door of her house, yet she does not know whether or not he had gone to the slave house, but she does know that she did not speak with this man over the death of the aforesaid Augustus, as the said Olivier also shortly thereafter departed and, also, that a Hottentot by the name of Frederik, who was then still with her, had shown this man the way. She had had the aforementioned Augustus buried without informing any of the neighbours, nor having had the corpse inspected, nor had she herself given a report of it to the petitioner, or had it done by anybody else.
The testifier finally declares that she did not hear from the slave jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. Carel, belonging to the farmer Jacob Cloete, that the aforementioned Januarij had told him the testifier had beaten the aforementioned Augustus to death; saying also that she does not know that the said Januarij had uttered these words to anybody else, so that he could not have received any punishment over such tales, but in fact because the aforesaid Januarij, according to the assertion of some Hottentots and slaves, apparently had poison with him; but about which neither the testifier’s husband, nor the field corporal Scholts, who lives in that area, could discover the truth.
There being nothing more to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of the truth of her statement as in the text, with the offer to subsequently confirm the same, if necessary.
Thus related in the Castle of Good Hope on 28 February 1764 in the presence of the clerks Pieter Caspar Broedersz and Frederik Wilhelm Alleman, as witnesses, who have properly signed the original of this, as also the testifier and me, the secretary.
Which I declare, [signed] C.L. Neethling, secretary.
Footnotes
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It is not clear what this refers to, other than a set period of time. Perhaps it was Januarij’s way of expressing a year. ↩
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This refers to the obligation on all adult male burghers to attend militia drill. See 1744 Claas and Augustus n. 2. ↩
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This is a rare indication of a slave’s perception of colour and ethnicity in the ethnically complex slave society of the Cape. ↩
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An intriguing example of how the authority of the fiscal and the judicial system was viewed by burghers, especially those in the interior. ↩
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An interesting indication that solidarity amongst slaves might have been influenced by shared identities, based on a common place of origin. ↩
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This observation may reflect the fact that Jantje was a young boy. ↩
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In the Dutch East Indies it was customary to refer to a newly-arrived person from Europe as orang baru (literally ‘new person’), while somebody who had been to the East Indies before was called an orang lama (‘long ago person’). From these Malay terms developed the use of the adjectives baar(s), ‘raw, inexperienced’, and oorlam(s), ‘practised, skilled, shrewd’ in Dutch. These words were used especially to describe sailors, but at the Cape eventually also came to be used for slaves (see Boshoff & Nienaber 1967: 147 and 466, and, for further examples, Scholtz 1972: 112-13 and 151). ↩
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If, as stated, Augustus came from Batavia, he would have been used to Malay as a lingua franca, but it is interesting that the implication here is that he would eventually have picked up Portuguese at the Cape. On the use of Malay and Creole Portuguese as contact languages at the Cape and in the East Indies, see 1775 Moses van Bengalen. ↩
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While there is copious evidence for the use of Creole Portuguese and Malay amongst slaves at the Cape during this period (see 1775 Moses van Bengalen), the extent to which these languages were known and used by colonists in their dealings with slaves is considerably less certain. In many cases, colonists clearly did not understand their slaves when they used these languages (for example, 1757 Baatjoe van Mandhaar). But this case gives intriguing examples of a colonist woman and her children being familiar with at least some rudimentary form of the languages, and raises the question if they picked it up during their interactions with the slaves. For a detailed discussion of this issue, see Franken 1953: 41-79, especially pp. 71-2 which specifically deal with this case. ↩
Relaas gegeeven, ter requisitie van den landdrost van Stellenbosch en Drakensteijn, sieur Johannes le Sueur, door Januarij van Ceijlon, slaaf van den landbouwer Jacobus Kruger, van competenten ouderdom, luijdende als volgt:
Dat, soo den relatant vermeijnd, nu meer dan twee jaaren, ofte twee, drie tijden voorleeden, wanneer des relatants lijfheer, woonagtig op sijn plaats geleegen in ’t Bocke Veld, van huijs weggereeden was en, soo den relatant gelooft, naar Stellenbosch om te drillen sig begeeven had, den relatant en sijn meede slaaf, August1 genoemd, sonder dat den relatant positief weet van wat natie denselven geweest is, dog sustineert een Batavische jongen te sijn alsoo geel van couleur geweest was, met hulpe van eenige Hottentots had moeten arbeijden aan ’t opmaaken van eene klippen kraal, hebbende sijlieden de klippen daartoe daaromstreex moeten opsoeken, door beesten aansleepen en voorseijde Augustus wijders daarbij de treckende beesten leijden moeten.
Dat vermits voorseijde Augustus niet naar genoegen van hunne te huijs gebleevene lijfvrouw gearbeijd had, deselve op een seekeren dag, sonder dien te kunnen noemen, in den voordemiddag naar gissing omtrent elf uuren met een kirrij in de hand bij henlieden was gekoomen, haar voorts begeeven had naar bovengemelden Augustus, die eeventjes beseijden een stroo huijsje gegaan was en, vermits het alsdoen wat koud quam te sijn, aldaar, soo den relatant vermeijnd, tobak had gerookt, hebbende den relatant, die slegts een treede thien à twaalf daarvandaan stond, alsdoen gesien dat sijne meergemelde lijfvrouw gemelde Augs. met den in handen hebbende kirrij overal, behalven op ’t hoofd, geslagen had, dermaaten dat de handen van meergenoemde Augustus, door de daarop ontfangene slagen, dik opgeswollen waaren, niet kunnende seggen of de armen waarover de kleeding was ook geswollen geweest sijn of te niet.
Dat voorseijde Augustus door de pijnen der ontfangene slagen niet in staat geweest sijnde swaare klippen op te tillen, en het werken hem bovensdien swaar gevallen was, dierhalven, wanneer hij sijne lijfvrouw had sien aankomen, altijd klijne klipjes aangebragt had, hetwelk bij meergemelde des relatants lijfvrouw bespeurd geworden sijnde, had deselve hem, naar verloop van een groot uur of iets meer, met den kirrij weederom overal en selfs op ’t hoofd geslagen, dermaaten dat dien jongen, op de grond needergevallen, sterk uijt hoofd [sic] gebloed, en voorts was blijven leggen; dan ter ordre van sijne lijfvrouw hebbende moeten opstaan en opnieuws aan ’t werk gaan, sonder sulx te hebben kunnen doen, had des relatants lijfvrouw, vermeijnde dat dien jongen dat uijt hoofdigheijd quam te doen, denselven de handen door hem relatant met een riem doen aan den anderen binden, en alsdoen meergemelde Augustus, onder het seggen: De Fiscaal weet niet soo goed als ik, om joulieden goed te maaken; agter over, en dus met de rug op een hoop klippen, die tot het maaken eener kraal waaren te saamen gebragt, had laaten neederleggen; sulx de uijtsteekende punten dier klippen dien jongen pijnen veroorsaaken moesten, hebbende voorseijde August met een combaars laaten toedecken en in dien staat eenigen tijd, sonder te weeten of sulx meer dan een of twee uuren is geweest, laaten leggen; waarna den relatant ter ordre sijner lijfvrouw, dien jongen weederom had moeten los maaken.
Dat meergemelde Augustus alsdoen niet hebbende kunnen arbeijden, door des relatants lijfvrouw ook niet meer was geslagen geworden, sijnde denselven egter bij ’t werkende volk verbleeven totdat sijlieden met arbeijden quaamen uijt te scheijden, als wanneer denselven sig, soo goed konde, naar ’t slavenhuijs begeeven had, sonder dat den relatant weet of meergemelde Augustus daarna, of in dien naardemiddag, water gehaald heeft ofte niet, alsoo den relatant sijn werk hebbende gedaan, daarop niet gelet had; gelijk aan, voor soo verre hem relatant bewust is ofte geheugt, dien naardemiddag geen vreemde op dien plaats geweest, nogte den daaropvolgende nagt verbleeven is, alsoo den relatant, soo dra van het werk komt, sig naar ’t slavenhuijs begeeft, vanwaar men het woonhuijs van sijn lijfheer maar als van agteren sien kan.
Dat wanneer den relatant omtrent middernagt wacker geworden was, hij, dewijl het koud geweest was, sig begeeven had naar den vuurhaerd, die in ’t slavenhuijs sig bevind, om wat vuur aan te maaken, als wanneer hij den, daar naast geleegen hebbende, slaaf Augustus had vinden dood leggen, waarvan hij relatant ’s morgens vroeg, dewijl sijne lijfvrouw nog had geslaapen, aan de kleijne kinderen kennis gegeeven had.
Dat wanneer den relatant, ’s morgens daaraan, met melken gedaan had, des relatants lijfvrouw in ’t slavenhuijs was gekoomen, den dooden slaaf gesien, mitsgaders den relatant en een aldaar gewoond hebbende groote Hotttentot, in naame Boegies, gelast had voorseijde Augs. maar te begraven, hetwelk sijlieden ook verrigt hadden, seggende den relatant dat dien Hottentot seedert vandaar weggeloopen is.
Dat wanneer twee à drie dagen daarna een slave jongen van des relatants lijfheer schoonsoon Jacob Cloete, in naame Carel, ter plaatse van sijn lijfheer met eene boodschap gekoomen sijnde, dien jongen aan hem relatant gevraagt had waar dat August was, en, dewijl deselve van een natie waaren, had den relatant aan dien jongen verhaald hoedanig gemelde Augustus door sijn lijfvrouw soodanig was geslagen geworden, dat daarvan was koomen te sterven, met bijvoeging dat hij relatant daarover wilde loopen klagen.
Dat dien jongen Carel het van den relatant gehoorde aan sijn relatants lijfvrouw gesegt hebbende, des relatants lijfheer, naar dat eenigen tijd te huijs geweest was, en voorseijde Carel sig meede ter plaatse van des relatants lijfheer bevond, hij relatant door sijn lijfheer met riemen aan de voorwielen van een wagen was vast gemaakt, dermaaten dat met sijn lijf op den disselboom te leggen quam, sijnde door sijn lijfheer alsdoen aan hem relatant gevraagt geworden, wat hij aan Carel van nonje en Augustus verhaald had? Op ’twelke den relatant gesegt hebbende: Niets; was gemelde Carel daarbij geroepen en denselven door sijn lijfheer gevraagt of den relatant niet aan hem had verhaald, dat des relatants lijfvrouw, den slaaf Augustus dood geslagen had. Op ’twelke dien jongen geantwoord hebbende: Ja!, had des relatants lijfheer hem relatant met een dubbelde gevlogten ossen riem geslagen; des den relatant gebeeden hebbende met slaagen op te houden, onder belofte van niet te sullen gaan klagen, had des relatants lijfheer, onder het seggen: Als gij niet meer wilt gaan klagen, maar stil swijgen, dan sal ik jou ook niet meer slaan; met slaan uitgescheijden.
Dat dewijl den relatant in de drie jaaren tijds dat op de plaats van sijn lijfheer gewoont heeft, thans de eerste maal aan de Caab gekoomen was, hij relatant, als voor gelijk lot vreesende, bij den heer Independent Fiscaal klagtig was gevallen en hem van ’t voorgevallene met meergemelde Augustus kennis gegeeven had.
Niets meer relateerende, geeft den relatant voor reedenen van weetenschap als in den text, met praesentatie om ’tselve nader gestand te doen.
Aldus gerelateerd in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 5e December 1763, ter praesentie der clerquen Pieter Caspar Broedersz en Frederik Wilhelm Alleman, als getuijgen, die de minute deeses, beneevens den relatant ende mij, secretaris, meede behoorlijk hebben gesubscribeert.
’Twelk ik getuijge, [get.] C.L. Neethling, secretaris.
CJ 381 Criminele Process Stukken, 1764, ff. 36-7.
Relaas gegeeven, ter requisitie van den landdrost van Stellenbosch en Drakenstein, sieur Johannes Jacobus le Sueur, door den Hottentot Jantje, oud naar gissing 10 à 11 jaaren, luijdende als volgt:
Dat den relatant, woonagtig sijnde, bij den landbouwer Jacobus Kruger op sijn plaats geleegen in ’t Roggen Veld, nu al langen tijd geleeden, sonder denselven te kunnen noemen, wanneer voorseijde Kruger om te drillen sig naar Stellenbosch begeeven had, en de slaven Januarij en August, beneevens eenige groote Hottentotten, die egter seedert alle van daar weggeloopen sijn, en hij relatant, met nog een kleijne Hottentot, genaamt Dantser, intusschen, ter ordre van de huijsvrouw van voorseijde Kruger, hadden moeten klippen tesaamen soeken en met beesten aansleepen, om daarvan eene kraal op te maaken, inmiddens gesien had dat voorseijde huijsvrouw den slaaf August, omdat niet naar haar sin quam te arbeijden, met een kirrij soo op den armen, rug als handen geslagen had, in dier voegen dat de handen van dien slaaf daardoor dik opgeswollen waaren.
Dat dien slaaf alsdoen nog minder had kunne voldoen, en dierhalven door gemelde huijsvrouw ten tweeden maale was geslagen geworden, en onder anderen meede op ’t hoofd, dermaaten dat hetselve sterk gebloed had; was meergemelde August op de grond koomen needer te vallen en, naar eenigen tijd geleegen te hebben, weeder van de aarde opgereesen, mitsgaders opnieuws aan ’t werk gegaan; dog ’tselve niet hebbende kunnen volbrengen, had denselven tot sijne, daar niet verre af geseeten hebbende, lijfvrouw gesegt dat niet werken konde; als wanneer deselve dien jongen, door den meede slaaf Januarij, de handen met een riem aan den anderen had laaten binden, op de rugge op een spitse hoop klippen neederleggen, met een combaars toedecken, en dus laaten leggen; hebbende hij relatant, naar verloop van eenige tijd, dien slaaf weederom los gesien, sonder net te kunnen seggen hoedat los gekoomen sijn mag.
Dat voorseijde Augustus voorts bij ’t werk sijnde verbleeven en soo wat meede gewerkt hebbende, vervolgens met den avond naar ’t slavenhuijs gegaan was, niet weetende of denselven nog in woonhuijs van sijn lijfheer om water te haalen is gweest; dog wel dat denselven Augs. den volgenden nagt in ’t slavenhuijs overleeden is.
Betuijgende de relatant dat voorseijde Augustus altijd wat siekelijk, of met dicke beenen behebt, geweest was; en soo meede: dat dien eijgensten nagt, wanneer voorseijde slaaf August was komen te overleijden, ter plaatse van sijn lijfheer een vreemd man was, lang van persoon, te paard was gekoomen, die aldaar overnagt had en ’s volgenden morgens vroeg weeder van daar vertrocken was.
Betuijgende den relatant dat, naar dat sijn baas weeder eenigen tijd te huijs geweest was, hij gesien had dat den slaaf Januarij, over dat van ’t met den slaaf August voorgevallene soude gesprooken hebben, aan de voorwielen van een wagen vast gemaakt en met osse riemen was geslagen geworden.
Niets meer relateerende, geeft den relatant voor reedenen van weetenschap als in den text, praesenteerende hetselve nader gestand te doen.
Aldus gerelateerd in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 5e December 1763, ten overstaan der clerquen Pieter Caspar Broedersz en Frederick Wilhelm Allemann, als getuijgen, die de minute deeses, beneevens den relatant ende mij, secretaris, behoorlijk hebben onderteekent.
’Twelk ik getuijge, [get.] C.L. Neethling, secretaris.
CJ 381 Criminele Process Stukken, 1764, ff. 40-5.
Relaas gegeeven, ter requisitie van den landdrost tot Stellenbosch en Drakensteijn, sieur Jacobus Johannes le Sueur, door Christina Strang, huijsvrouw van den landbouwer Jacobus Cruger de jonge, van competenten ouderdom, luijdende als volgt:
Dat wanneer, in de jongstleeden maand October reets twee jaaren voorleeden, sonder den dag off datum te weeten, der relatante man, om de burger exercitie aan Stellenbosch bij te woonen, sig derwaards begeeven had, en de relatante sig met derselver kinderen alleen te huijs was bevindende op haar plaats, genaamt de Tondeldoos Fonteijn, geleegen op ’t Rogge Veld, de relatante geduurende de absentie van haaren man derselver twee slaven jongens August en Januarij, beneevens de kleijne Hottentotten Jantje en Danser [sic], had te werk gesteld om op een beesten vel, waar voor eenige ossen bespannen waaren, klippen aan te sleepen, ten eijnde daarvan kraalen op te maaken.
Dat wanneer op een seekeren dag, die de relatante egter niet weet te noemen, aan haar ter kennis was gekoomen dat voorseijde slavenjongen August, die de ossen leijden moeste, op een morgen in sijn werk seer langsaam quam te sijn, den relatante haar oversulx na denselven begeeven, en hem met een stukje of spaan van een stok een á twee slagen op sijne handen toegevoegd had, onder het seggen: Waarom houd gij dat touw niet ter deegen vast en leijd mooij? Waarna sij weederom van daar weggegaan was, seggende dat meergemelde slaaff August, nog seer baars en onbedreven geweest was, ook geen woord Portugees, maar slegs Maleijds had spreeken kunnen.
Dat vermits vervolgens, sonder te weeten of het op dieselven dag geweest is als de relatante meergemelde August de voorseijde twee slagen toegebragt heeft ofte niet, den kleijnen Hottentot Jantje de relatante, die toenmaals in huijs geseeten had, in den voordemiddag van de werff af had toegeroepen: Nonje, kijk, August wil niet leijden!, had de relatante opstaande, sig derwaards begeeven, hebbende voorseijde August, soodra de relatante denselven genadert hadde, eene klip van de grond opgenoomen, en daarmeede, door het opligten van zijn arm, een bewijs gedaan alsof hij na de relatante gooijen wilde, hebbende denselven eevenwel niet geworpen, maar gemelde klip, soo als de relatante tot den anderen slave jongen Januarij had gesegt, en denselven gelast, dat hij een ossen riem neemen en voorseijde August daarmeede eene loesing geeven soude, weederom op de grond laaten vallen, kunnende de relatante nogthans niet positief seggen of dien slaaf, dewelke op de grond needergelegt is, vastgebonden is geworden ofte niet, maar wel dat hij op de aarde leggende, van den slaaf Januarij, ter haarer ordre, met den ossen riem, ses á seeven slagen ontfangen heeft, sonder hetselve getal der bekoomene slagen egter te weeten alsoo sij relatante die niet getelt had, waarna voormelde August, sijn werk dien dag was blijven waarneemen, naar egter alvoorens een pijp tobak in ’t slavenhuijs gestopt, daartoe van een der relatante kinderen, onder ’t wijsen op de pijp en ’t seggen in ’t Maleijdsche [sic]: Baasje, loop haal vuur, ’tselve bekoomen, en de voorseijde pijp in ’t slavenhuijs uijtgerookt te hebben.
Dat wanneer het volk op den middag van ’t werk uijtgescheijden was, en soo wel als voormelde jongen August gegeeten hadden, de relatante gesien had dat voorseijde August (die soo door sijne baarsheijd, alsoo sijlieden die jongen nog niet lang gehad hadden, als door sijne natuurlijke onnooselheijd, altoos gewoon was sijne combaars, ofschoon geen gebrek aan kleederen had, over sijn eene arm te hangen en, wanneer het wat koud ofte guure weer was, wel om sijn lighaam te slaan) tot slapen geneegen was, had de relatante denselven, soo goed sij in ’t Maleijdsche en Portugeesche [sic] gebreckigerwijse had kunnen voortbrengen, gevraagt of hij August ook wilde gaan slapen, op hetwelke denselven hebbende g’antwoord van ja, had sij sulx aan dien jongen g’accordeert, en denselven sig dus omtrent, dan wel eeven beseijden, een hoop met klippen needergelegt, een steen tot sijne hoofdkussen gebeesigt, en hem met sijne voorseijde combaars toegedeckt had, sonder dat de comparante [sic] dien jongen meerdere geslaagen, of op dien hoop klippen had doen neederleggen, nog minder vast maaken laaten.
Dat naar dat dien slaaf August aldaar omtrent een uurtje geleegen had, denselven van selfs van de grond opgereesen en neevens den anderen slaaf en de Hottentots weederom aan sijn werk gegaan, mitsgaders daarbij verbleeven was totdat het volk daar meede dien dag uijtgescheijden was, sonder meerdere slage bekoomen te hebben: sijnde meergemelde August dien naardemiddag nog wel drie maalen in ’t voorhuijs geweest en door een, juijst aldaar gekoomenen en in den nagt geslaapen hebbenden, landbouwer Jan Gijsbert Olivier gesien geworden, hebbende gemelde August, voorts dien avond met het andere volk, in een en ’tselve huijsje gegeeten, en sig tot slapen begeeven; sijnde den volgenden morgen door eene kleijne Hottentot, in name Jantje, wanneer de relatante nog sliep, aan de deur tot twee maalen geklopt en alsdoen aan de relatante door denselven toegeroepen: Nonje, August is dood!, op ’twelke de relatante gesegt hebbende: Ach, loop Hottentot!, had gemelde Jantje voorts hervat: Ja! Seeker, nonje!, weshalven de relatante opgestaan sijnde, haar naar de slavenhuijs begeeven, en voormelde August, behalven de broek, naakt en dood had vinden leggen, waarna de relatante, door den slaven jongen Januarij en de Hottentot Jantje, een graf had laaten maaken, en het lijk van dien jongen doen begraaven; hebbende soo als de relatante’s morgens uijt ’t slavenhuijs terug gekoomen was, voorseijde Olivier haar in de deur van haar woonhuijs ontmoet, weetende sij egter niet of denselven naar het slavenhuijs gegaan is ofte niet, maar wel dat sij relatante met dien man over het sterven van voorseijde August niet gesprooken heeft, gelijk gemelde Olivier dan ook kort daarop vertrocken en een, toenmaals bij haar geweest sijnde, Hottentot in naame Frederik, dien man nog den weg geweesen had, hebbende de relatante meergemelde August laaten begraaven, sonder eenige buuren daarvan kennis gegeeven, of het lijk te hebben laaten besigtigen, en ook den requirant daarvan geen raport gedaan had, nog te hebben laaten doen.
Betuijgende de relatante laatstelijk van den slaven jongen Carel, toebehoorende den landbouwer Jacob Cloete, niet gehoort te hebben dat meergemelde Januarij tot hem soude hebben gesegt dat de relatante meergemelde August soude hebben dood geslaagen, seggende ook niet te weeten dat gerepte Januarij die woorden tot iemand anders heeft g’uijt; invoegen denselven over dusdanige gesegdens ook geene slagen heeft ontfangen, maar wel over en ter saake dat voormelde Januarij, volgens het voorgeeven van eenige Hottentotts en slaven, vergift bij hem gehad hebben soude, dog waarvan nog der relatante man, nog den daar omtrent woonende veldcorporaal Scholts, de waarheijd hadden kunnen ontdekken.
Niets meer relateerende, geeft de relatante voor reedenen van weetenschap als in den text, met praesentatie omme hetselve, des noodig, nader gestand te doen.
Aldus gerelateerd in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 28e Februarij 1764, ten bij zijn der clercquen Pieter Caspar Broedersz en Frederik Wilhelm Alleman, als getuijgen, die de minute deeses, beneevens de relatante ende mij, secretaris, meede behoorlijk hebben onderteekent.
’Twelk ik getuijge, [get.] C.L. Neethling, secretaris.
Footnotes
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Throughout these testimonies his name is variously spelled August or Augustus, and sometimes abbreviated to Augs. ↩