Extremely rare missive from the directors of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), written in what would be the first years of the decline of the company. In 1741 the charter of the VOC was extended in a secret resolution of the States General, despite the rising debts and growing signs of corruption. Upon this resolution, the colonial administrator Van Imhoff (1705-1750), newly reinstated after his opposition to the brutal 1740 Batavia massacre, proposes several measures to reinvigorate the company. In the present publication the directors comment on these measures and they conclude with a list of regulations to be followed by the company's personnel, to prevent corruption and other misbehaviour. We could only locate one other copy of the missive. Two shorter, separately published, related documents are added.
First leaf a bit frayed and the two added documents are separated from the bookblock, otherwise in very good condition. Not in Landwehr & V.d. Krogt, VOC; NCC; STCN; cf. Kroniek van Nederland, pp. 557-559.