NO. 53.— 1902.] GALLE DUTCH RECORDS. 



273 



have paid what he has promised for his ransom, namely, 

 1.000 pieces of eight ; x 



but, if we should be disposed to set free the afore-mentioned 

 Ignatio against the said Van der Oudermeulen without 

 paying anything on either side, they would also be content 

 therewith [ ] 



And whereas the aforesaid Gerrit Moutmaker (neither 

 he nor we having orders to that purpose from the Governor- 

 General and the Council of India) had not ventured to 

 accept this proposal, the Lord President has proposed to his 

 Council assembled, and at the same time submitted to their 

 consideration, what follows : — 



As, judging by ourselves, we can well understand (and 

 have besides been told by the Ensign Westrenen) not only 

 that the said Oudermeulen must have fallen into great des- 

 pondency about what has happened, but that it is also to be 

 feared he may fall into doubt, from which (we hope not) 

 great harm might ensue ; for such solitude may give rise to 

 singular thoughts, and 



MS. page 14. 



the rogue Vertamane will doubtless not fail (much more 

 than he has ever done) to use his utmost endeavours to 

 throw him into despair ; he besides running great risk of 

 being deprived of life by some means or other, of which we 

 have had examples before this ; whether it would not be 

 advisable once more to send the said Gerrit Moutmaker to 

 Columbo with the said yachts, together with the afore- 

 mentioned Sarmento, either to-night or to-morrow early, 

 according as wind and weather shall permit, in the first 

 place, in order to hand to General Dom Philip a certain 

 Portuguese letter written by Francisco [ ] de Castro, 



a Portuguese [ ] prisoner at Batavia, and to request 



an answer to the same ; and in the second place to exchange 



1 " A piece of eight " (stivers ?) was probably a silver coin in common 

 use. It is not mentioned by Valentyn. 



p 21-02 



