Subject: [Mil. History] Who Was Boston van Tampatij ?

Article:
On 30 July 1759, two envoys (slaves) Kofi and Charleston were dispatched by the government to find out if the Maroons were still interested in peace talks. They carried a letter for Boston from governor general Wigbold Crommelin.

Boston read the letter and advised granman Arabi that the moment had come to conclude peace with the Dutch. He compared it to a similar situation between the British and Maroons in Jamaica. Elaborate talks began.

A peace agreement would mean -
(1) end of raids on plantations
(2) the Ndjukas would receive a tribute every year to compensate them for being unable to raid for food and guns.
(3) the Ndjukas wrote a list of goods that should be part of the tribute.

A peace was signed in the dry season of 1760. On 24 Sept 1760, a peace patrol of 206 soldiers, two physicians and necessary bearers commanded by the Lts. C.E. Vieira and J. Collerus left for the jungle.

On 8 Oct 1760 the peace negotiations were finalized with granman Arabi. One sticking point was the article about pursuing runaway slaves for the Dutch. This was modified for situations where the slaves were ill-treated and for those who lived already for a long time in the jungle.

The peace settlement with the Ndjukas implied that they were now allies of the Dutch. -------


Met dank aan Albert Buys