French privateers harrassing Dutch and German Greenland whalers according to the Dutch newspaper Amsterdamse courant dated 30 August 1710

An item dated Amsterdam, Netherlands 29 August referred to a statement of the Dutch Greenland commandeur Meyndert Jansz Spykerschrift (1) arriving on 28 August at Texel, Netherlands that he was captured by the French privateer Postillon on 7 August on 79.5 degrees leaving the ice in the fog. A few days earlier she captured the hooker of commandeur Jan Meyer of Texel. All prizes were released after been plundered. Afterwards Spykerschrift went to Hitland [Shetland Isles] where the whalers were of the commandeurs Gerbrand (2), Jan (3) and Pieter Dirksz (4) van de Velde, de Ryperkerk of Jacob Pietersz Groot(5), ’t Wapen van Medenblik commandeur Jan Kas (6) and ’t Wapen van Rynland commandeur Bruyn Jansz (7) (now also lying at Texel) which were chasen by another privateer but with the support of the Van de Veldes escaped. A galliot with letters and the whaler Keurvorst van Beyeren commandeur Symen Willemsz van het Oog (8) were however captured. The blubber was loaded on board of the galliot and sent away, the whaler however was sent into fire and burned. Probably was one whaler of Hamburg captured and several whalers still present in the Bay.  

Source

Alphabetische naam-lyst van alle de Groenlandsche en Straat-Davidsche Commandeurs die sedert het jaar 1700 op Groenland en sedert het jaar 1719 op de Straat Davis etc. Gerret van Sant. Published by Johannes Enschede, Amsterdam 1770, with hand written note until 1794.

Notes

1. Meyndert Spyker, Greenland commandeur 1701-1712, in 1710 for Isaac Kops, Amsterdam, Netherlands zero results.

2. Gerbrand Dirksz van der Velden, Greenland commandeur 1700-1713, in 1710 for Heirs Willem Bastiaansz, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1 whale 40 barrels blubber

3. Jan Dirksz van de Velden, Greenland commandeur 1700-1726, in 1710 for Heirs Willem Bastiaansz, Rotterdam, Netherlands zero catch results

4. Pieter Dirksz van de Velde. Greenland commandeur 1700-1723, in 1710 for Heirs Willem Bastiaansz, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1 whale 40 barrels blubber

5. Jacob Groot, Greenland commandeur 1708-1715 for Jan Van Hoorn, De Rijp, Netherlands, in 1710 zero results.

6. Jan Kos, Greeenland commandeur 1707-1710 for Jan Blauw, Medemblik, Netherlands, in 1710 zero results

7. Greenland commandeur 1709-1719, in 1710 for Jan Dirksz Blauw, Westzaan, Netherlands zero catch results.

8. Simon Willemsz, Greenland commandeur 1700-1716, in 1710 for Claas Arentsz Bloem, Zaandam, Netherlands captured.