Transcriptions » Recently generated summaries of recognized texts

Fully AI-GeneratedUsers of Open Archives can have summaries generated from the recognized texts (transcriptions) produced through text recognition (OCR) and handwriting recognition (HTR). Neither of these artificial intelligence tasks is perfect, but they are often more than sufficient to make the historical document understandable. In the transcripts, names are underlined in green and clickable (to search the personal entries on Open Archives for the name in question), the recognized dates have a light gray background and recognized place names have a light purple background. The results of the application of (European) artificial intelligence have not been verified by a human.


On 24 April 1751, a letter from Macassar reported the death of the governor, Cornelis Rosenboom. His duties were first temporarily handed over to a deputy but later officially transferred to his successor as per the latest decision.

The writers also expressed their sadness over the recent passing of the former Governor-General, Gustaaf Willem Baron van Imhoff, and sent their condolences.

They then congratulated the current Governor-General, Jacob Mossel, on his new position, wishing him all possible blessings and success. The letter closed with a respectful farewell, placing the interests of the Dutch East India Company under divine protection.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8226 / 0017  


From Macassar on 24 April 1751, a letter was sent to respected officials, noting that detailed reports on local and domestic matters would be shared later, in May or June. The letter primarily served as documentation for the ship Eijndhoeff, which had delivered its cargo as required. The ship was then heading to Bima and Timor with 30 jars of olive oil for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), valued at ƒ3,016.14.8, as confirmed by the bill of lading and invoice. Additional costs of ƒ190.1.8 were incurred for unavoidable expenses at the destination. Copies of two resolutions, dated 25 February and 6 April, were also included for reference.
View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8226 / 0015  


On 29 March 1744, officials in East Java received several important documents from Surabaya:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2633 / 0604  


On 8 March 1744, documents were sent from Java’s East Coast to the Dutch East India Government in Batavia under the supervision of sailor Hendrik de Graaff. The shipment included:

The letter was signed by E. W. Gordon and noted that the original agreement was made on Wednesday, 11 Mochanam 1157 (likely a local calendar date).

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2633 / 0603  


The following is a summary of a 1744 letter from Craijeen Tanette Joesoeff Faharoeddien, a ruler from Samanang, to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) leadership in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta).

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2633 / 0600  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 1056 / 0036  


On 24 October 1717, a report from Macassar listed the number of ships and boats owned by various groups in the region. The document included names of leaders and the types of vessels they controlled.

The report noted that compared to the previous year, there was little difference in the total number of ships. However, there were 1 large ship (chialoup) and 6 smaller ships (goutings) fewer, while 2 medium-sized ships (pantchiall) had been added. Some ships had been lost, misplaced, or redirected:

The increase of 2 pantchiall ships came from a Moors Mardijcker named Angeboleeng, who reported owning a pantchiall that had been overlooked in previous records.

The report concluded with a summary of older ships, including 6 cherc, 8 gont, 9 pantil, and 87 halop, among others.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8184 / 0322  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8267 / 0550  


The following trade records from Macassar were documented on 15 May 1725:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8191 / 0076  


This report from Macassar (Makassar), dated 15 May 1725, lists ships arriving from various places with their cargo and crew:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8191 / 0077  


On 15 May 1725, a merchant named Joost Abrahamsz arrived in Macassar with a ship carrying 5 lasten (a unit of cargo weight) and a crew of 25. He had a pass dated 7 March of that year, issued by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). His cargo included:

On the same date, a ship from Sumbawa, captained by Angebiba, a Bugis (ethnic group from South Sulawesi) sailor, arrived with his pankor (small ship) of 2 lasten and a crew of 7. He had a pass dated 6 September of the previous year but carried no trade goods.

Regarding departing and arriving vessels:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8191 / 0078  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8191 / 0079  


On 15 May 1725, records from Macassar detailed several ships departing to various destinations between 21 March and 2 April. Here’s what was noted:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8191 / 0080  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8070 / 0145  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 2.10.02 / 5632 / 1023  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 3699 / 0093  


The document outlines debts owed to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) for war supplies, totaling 1789 ƒ46,921:11. Payments could be made in gold, cash, or clove oil. The following rulers and officials were listed as debtors:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8143 / 1516  


This document lists legal records from the Dutch past, involving mostly women who were widows or guardians. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

View transcript NL-AsdSAA / 2320305 / 671  


In November 1716, reports from Macassar raised doubts about the claims made by the forest guard Anthonij van Aldorp. His statements about a man named To-adang were questioned, particularly the claim that To-adang had traveled to Johoor in 1774 with a ship called a Lamboe and 25 crew members. Official records showed that in 1713, To-adang had actually sailed with a gonting (a type of boat) and 25 crew, not on a mission but for trade. Additionally, van Aldorp claimed other traders from Catjong and a zabauwa (another type of trader) had sold spices in Riouw, but records confirmed that in 1713, only one trader, a Macassar resident named the maleijer Catjong, had sailed to Johoor for trade. Another trader, Intje Deraim, was attacked by pirates and killed during his journey.

The records also showed that in 1714, only one ship, led by Nachoda Bappa Boang, sailed to Johoor instead of the three ships van Aldorp had mentioned. These details contradicted van Aldorp's report to the governor of Malacca, and officials could not reconcile the differences. They also found it unlikely that large amounts of spices were being smuggled yearly by traders from Ambon and Banda without being detected, given the strict oversight in place.

On May 22, 1716, officials Ioan Happon and A. van den Anker signed a statement confirming these findings. Later, on May 27, 1716, Pieter van der Snippe, secretary of the council in Macassar, recorded a translation of a Chinese letter. The letter had been brought by a Bugis ship captain named Topasla and was translated from Chinese to Malay by the local Chinese captain, then into Dutch by the Dutch East India Company’s (VOC) sworn translator, Iacob Brugman. The letter’s contents were not fully detailed in this report.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 1894 / 0656  


On 23 May 1732, a report from Makassar discussed the situation of Queen Boemi Camboe from Dompo. Despite mediation efforts, she refused to return to her land due to fears of further violence from her stepson, the former ruler of Dompo. She claimed he had unfairly taken from her:

An investigation by local authorities, witnessed by leaders from Bima, confirmed her claims. However, Queen Boemi Camboe and her two sons still refused to return and formally requested protection from the Dutch East India Company (VOC) until her disputes with her stepson were resolved.

The VOC agreed to her request only if she came to their main settlement to address the issue in person when the Dompo delegates arrived. However, they strictly forbade any exiled Dompo refugees—reportedly many in number—from seeking help or shelter from the people of Bima. The VOC feared that the two groups, being closely connected like "burrs sticking together," would unite against them, as had happened during the rule of Daing Tololo and long after his death.

The report praised the local mediator for referring the conflicting parties to the VOC. It also noted that other Dompo leaders and nearby rulers had been urged to travel to the VOC settlement, just as the king of Tambora and his authorized representatives had recently arrived.

The VOC reiterated its orders for the immediate arrival of the king of Pekat, along with the leaders of Sumbawa and Dompo, without further delays or excuses about lacking transportation. The goal was to address the issues with the already-present delegates from Bima and Tambora.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2238 / 0736  


On 23 May 1732, officials in Ujung Pandang (now Makassar) sent a report to higher authorities. They dispatched Hendrik Van Rijd, an assistant merchant and garrison accountant, and Dorus De Waart, an ensign, to reassure the rulers of Bone of their strong friendship and alliance.

The officials also needed to inform the queen and leaders of Bone about a troubling issue. A powerful figure named Jaena (also known as the administrator of Bone), currently in Bontualak, had sent several heavily loaded ships. These ships were supposedly trading for Bone but were actually heading to places like Broo (likely Buru), Passie, Coete, Banjermassing, and other locations.

The problem was that Jaena had no authority to act on behalf of Bone. In fact, 10 years earlier (1722), he had loaded ships on Ujung Tana with goods like rice and cloth, worth a large sum of money. Instead of following proper trade rules, he sent these ships on private voyages without paying the required taxes or fees to the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This violated the Bone-VOC treaty, specifically articles 7 and 9.

Though Jaena claimed he had orders from Bone, the officials doubted this. He even tried to justify his actions by writing letters in the name of Bone and claiming he had received instructions to return fugitives from Aroe Sinkang to their homeland via Broo, Passie, and Coete. The officials suspected he was trying to pressure the governor into issuing special permits for his ships.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8200 / 0024  


On 23 May 1732, a letter from Makassar outlined a mission to the queen and leaders of the Bone Kingdom in Tjinrana. The Dutch government in Makassar, representing the Dutch East India Company (VOC), chose Hendrik van Reijd and ensign Dovus de Waard for this task.

The letter was signed by officials: J. van Arrewijne, Cornelis Roëll, Joan Steenhoff, Jan Hendrik Nipoort, and Jb. Lussenius.

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2238 / 0743  


On 23 May 1732, a letter was written in Makassar by Ib Lursenius and Hendrik van Reijd, summarizing an earlier translation of a Malay letter sent by the governor and council of the province from Fort Rotterdam on 16 September 1731. The letter was addressed to Queen Bonij and her court officials in Tjinrana Bonij.

The governor and council explained that they had long intended to send a delegation to Tjinrana Bonij to discuss important matters and inquire about the queen’s well-being. However, they had delayed because they expected the queen and her officials to arrive in Oedjong Padang in the eastern season.

Instead, they now sent Hendrik van Reijd, an under-merchant and garrison bookkeeper, along with Dorus de Waart, a military officer, to reassure the queen of Makassar's continued friendship and alliance with Bonij. They also wanted to inform her about a concerning issue:

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 2238 / 0745  


View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 1894 / 0668  


On November 1716, a ship fled from Macassar, with one sailor injured during the escape. The crew sailed toward three other ships but couldn’t reach them due to reefs and rocks. They then headed to Boeton (Buton), arriving near the island on November 15, 1716 (Wednesday), but had to drop anchor due to calm winds. Stormy weather followed, and by November 16 (Thursday), they set sail again until strong winds forced them to anchor near Boeton on November 17 (Friday).

On November 18 (Saturday), they sailed with favorable winds, reaching the narrow strait of Boeton by 11:00 PM. The next morning, November 19 (Sunday), they passed through the strait and anchored in Boeton’s harbor. Upon arrival, they fired a salute on November 20 (Monday), and two translators boarded the ship. The crew explained their troublesome journey and asked the translators to inform the King of Boeton immediately.

On November 21 (Tuesday), the King of Boeton summoned the quartermaster and listened to the account of the failed voyage. The king promised to prepare ships to pursue and capture the attackers. The next day, November 22 (Wednesday), the king gathered all his people and asked if they would obey the quartermaster as their leader. They agreed, sealing the promise with a handshake. The king reassured the crew that ships were already sent to hunt down the attackers and that he would remain a loyal ally of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). As they left, they encountered several Buginese and Macassarese ships in the river.

On November 23 (Thursday), the crew asked the king for permission to inspect the ships they had seen, but he refused, explaining that these were traders he dealt with annually. However, he allowed it since the ships were outside the harbor. On November 24 (Friday), the crew—

View transcript NL-HaNA / 1.04.02 / 8184 / 0157  



Previous pageNext page

Find your ancestors and publish your family tree on Genealogy Online via https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/