your own right and defend it and have therefore urged you in our letter of the 6th of August 1652 (of which we enclose a copy) to arm all free men, soldiers and sailors and put the fortification into a good state of defense, which will now be of still greater importance, because the disagreements between the two republics have resulted in open war. Notwithstanding this you must not fail to use all honorable and imaginable means for the maintenance and continuation of the correspondence and commerce with the people of Virginia and New England. The Company shall in the meantime as far as able persevere in sending a commensurate number of people and soldiers, of whom we regret not to be able at present to send such a number, as we had desired, for neither soldiers, nor sailors nor even carpenters can be engaged because of the continued preparations and equipments of ships and people to be sent to sea by this state against the English; we have therefore not failed in our duty herein, nor in procuring the goods and merchandise needed there so much, with which the ships now leaving have been provided only very sparingly; they could not receive a full cargo partly because private dealers are discouraged by the present dangers at sea, partly because they are afraid, that our affairs there with the English neighbors may be subjected to a change; especially as in England Parliament has again been dissolved and General Cromwell has established provisionally another form of government, as you may learn by the enclosed printed sheet.

Concerning the placats drawn up and sent over by you in regard to the neglect in cultivating and redeeming land and in erecting houses on the lots granted within the limits of New Amsterdam, we have told you in our last letter of the 13th of December 1652 (of which a copy goes herewith) and we repeat now: it has never been our intention, that our general and simple consent, given to all going there according to the size of their family, should make them owners of one or two hundred morgens of land, without entering upon and cultivating it in the prescribed time nor have we any other intention in regard to the lots, which remain in and about the city of New Amsterdam without being occupied. We have therefore caused the said placats to be printed here after examining and slightly correcting them and shall send them to you herewith to be published and affixed there. In order that the first of them may have better effect and bear fruit, we have finally concluded to make in your draft no other correction, than only, that the quit-rent or the annual payment of 12 stivers for each morgen shall become due a year after the land has first been ploughed or otherwise put to use, as you will see by the printed copy.

We have also examined the placat concerning the illegal purchase of land without the knowledge of the Company, which you have already published and affixed there; we would have preferred, that you had not particularized the names of the persons and had been careful to prevent all difficulties and questions from the Company's calumniators here; the enclosed printed copy will show you, what corrections we have made in this placat and we recommend to you most earnestly the execution of this as well as of the other two placats.

Your proceedings and provisional order in and about Fort Orange, after examining the documents etc., sent by you for this purpose, have our approval; we only desire to recommend to you herewith, that you charge the chief officers and the court at said Fort not to give to the people of the Colony of Renselaerswyck any occasion for displeasure or complaint, but rather to keep on a good footing with them and to do everything necessary for friendship and peace with their neighbors, without prejudicing the Company's rights.

We have also been pleased to see, that you have not extended the limits of the Colony of Renselaerswyck any further, than the Freedoms and Exemptions admit and as to the farms, which may fall outside the fixed limits of the said Colony, we are of opinion that the same ought to be

granted by proper patents in the name of the Company and left in the possession of the present occupants under such conditions and yearly taxes, as are made with and imposed upon other Colony owners and private individuals, without however drawing them into the patroonship of the aforesaid Colony or extending the same to their extent.

We recommend to you most earnestly the breeding of cattle and therefore the slaughtering of the same, especially of young cows and other young cattle, must be prevented as much as possible; and if, in order to increase the number of cattle in the country, some private individuals could be found, who are willing to purchase some animals in Hispaniola or other parts of the West Indies and import them there, the Company would approve of it and consider it a desirable measure to promote agriculture. As we have also learned, that many sheep are dying there, we wish you to consider, whether salt might not be used there as a remedy against the diseases and distempers of the sheep. it must be placed in large lumps all over the pastures, as it is done in many other countries.

We are informed here by good authority that large quantities of peltries might be secured there from the Canadian savages, if these tribes could come without danger and without being obliged to take a circuitous route to Fort Orange and Renselaerswyck. But they are constantly molested by their neighbors, the Maquas, with whom they are at war almost incessantly and this it is said is the cause, why the Canadian savages, fearing the danger and the troubles of a southern trip, sell their peltries to the French and other nations trading there, so that the Company and their people are deprived of all this trade. We wish therefore to suggest to you whether it would not be for the advantage and service of the Company to establish a trading post 18 or 20 leagues above Fort Orange and make it the staple of the fur-trade: it would be, we believe, no small matter for the Company and we expect your opinion of it by the first opportunity.

Upon your request in favor of the Honorable van Werckhoven we have decided, that if he requires more land, which he is able to cultivate, he shall be accommodated.

The recommendation, which we gave to Frederick Alcker, the supercargo, and others which we may give must not be considered any further by you, than the service of the Company requires. As we have said in our last to you, it has surprised us, that against our previous orders you exact four stivers for quit-rent besides the 8 per cent from each merchantable beaver; we stated then among other reasons the difficulties likely to arise from that measure, especially the decline of both commerce and population, because by the decrease of the former we should be deprived of the means to carry people over there. We have therefore resolved to order and direct you herewith expressly, not to demand henceforth more than 8 per cent. for beavers, leaving merchants the choice, whether to pay it in kind or in full weighted silver coin according to Dutch valuation, partly and principally to prevent complaints from dealers and not to discourage them during these dangerous times, partly to draw coin from here into that province.

We have seen, that you have granted there, subject to our approval, three extraordinary monopolies to some private parties, namely one to establish an ashery, one to make tiles and bricks and the third to put up salt works; we do not only completely disapprove of granting such monopolies, but we are also of opinion and desire, that you shall not grant any others henceforth, because we believe it to be very pernicious and impracticable especially in a new country, which begins only to develop, and must be peopled and made prosperous by general benefits and liberties to be granted to everybody, who desires to settle there with this or that profession or handicraft: that encourages people to remove thither, while on the contrary they are deterred and consequently all trades and business banished, if such monopolies and privileges are given only to a few favored

private individuals, the advancement of whose interests must not be purchased at the expense of the general welfare. As the promotion of the latter depends mostly upon the growth of a country, we have concluded to recommend to you to act in this matter always on such theories, that increase of population, advancement of agriculture and advantages to the common welfare may result from it; then the Company too may at last reap some long expected benefits from this territory purchased so dearly.

You can well understand, that we are not idle here, but that our thoughts are constantly engaged to discover means for the promotion of agriculture and the advantage of the inhabitants there generally and for that purpose we have already asked the government here and are repeating our demand now for the abolition of the tax on tobacco grown there, which you may communicate to the delegates of the inhabitants and expect the result in due time.

We can judge very well, that it would be advantageous to the Company, if no ships from here were allowed to go directly to Virginia, New England, etc., but to our deep regret there is very little chance of preventing it, because the other Departments can give such permission to private ships pursuant to the rules made herein with the approval of their High: Might:. We shall nevertheless try to find, if possible, an expedient, the success of which you shall hear in due time.

We would have granted very willingly your and the community's request to have a farrier sent over, but notwithstanding all our endeavors in this respect we have as yet not been able to find a suitable and experienced person and we believe therefore, that this class of people have already gone to sea and under the flag of Admiral Tromp. You must do the best you can in this matter for the present with the assistance of such material as you may find there.

We are well pleased with the method and orders, inaugurated and issued in the granting of furloughs to and discharges of soldiers under so well defined conditions and believe it will prove a proper measure to have at hand an always ready and well disciplined body of men. In engaging soldiers here we shall try to follow your rules and in order better to govern ourselves accordingly in the future, we most urgently recommend to you to send us annually a complete list of the soldiers and others, whom from time to time you may discharge there, partly that their places may be filled up again from here, partly to suspend the annual payment of the salary for two months, which might be advanced and paid here on their account to their friends and attorneys to the loss of the Company.

In consideration of the weakness in numbers of your Council in these troubled times, we have resolved to increase the number by another fit and experienced Councillor and as among others Nicasius Silla has presented himself for the office, experienced both in law and war, of whose life and knowledge we have received the best testimony, we have engaged him for our service as first Councillor of the Director at a salary of one hundred guilders per month, commutation money for board included, as you will learn in detail by our ship "Koninck Salomon."

For special reasons we have also resolved, that you shall let the increase of Councillor La Montagne's salary to fifty guilders per month and two hundred guilders yearly for board begin so much earlier and from such a date, that his debts to the Company may be balanced and liquidated by it; we trust this will make him continue in his duties with still greater zeal and take the Company's interest still more to heart.

We have made an agreement with some merchants here and allowed them to sail with two or three ships to the coast of Africa to trade for slaves and carry them thence to the West Indies and the neighboring islands; as we expect, that one or the other of these ships may come to New Netherland to sell their slaves to the inhabitants there, we desire and require, that in that case

you demand no recognition from them, but assist them in every proper way to clear away all obstacles, which might impede the progress of agriculture. This for your information and subsequent action.

The former Director Wouter van Twiller has suggested to the Board, whether it would not be advisable to make some alterations in the clearances, given by the Company to ships sailing to New Netherland, especially to put in the place of 45 stivers as duty on Virginian tobacco 20 stivers for one hundred pounds or two guilders for the cask, partly to draw most of the tobacco from Virginia by way of New Netherland, which would be a great advantage to the inhabitants there, partly because he, Van Twiller, considers it impossible, that the ships can continue to sail from here to New Netherland in competition with those sailing directly from here to Virginia and New England and paying only 10 guilders per last. Although we have declined his proposal, we have nevertherless concluded to apprise you of it, that we may have your opinion by the first chance.

We enclose a sealed secret letter, which we direct you to keep in a special place and which must not be opened or read, unless Director Stuyvesant should die there (which God forbid). In that case our orders and intentions expressed therein shall be read and we desire, that then they shall provisionally and until our further orders be carried out and obeyed.

We called upon you some time ago for information concerning the account of monthly wages earned by a certain Jan Jansen van Ilpendam, formerly Commissary there, but are surprised not to have received any answer yet. A memorandum of the matter and account is therefore here again enclosed, upon which you will take such order, that by the first opportunity we may receive a distinct explanation and statement of this matter, as well as of the case of one Francis Deckersen, supercargo of the ship "Niew Nederlantsche Fortuyn."

Copies here enclosed of two petitions presented by Adrian van der Donck will inform you of their tenor and demands: in regard to the first, we can well understand, that it is founded in reason, for it would be very expensive and inconvenient for the people, who take over farm hands and girls, if these servants should leave their service, whenever it pleases them and before their time has expired, without first indemnifying their masters or having other good and sufficient reasons. We must act in such matters very cautiously and give such orders, that neither the people are hampered nor the masters or their servants have cause for complaints. As to the six guns, which the said van der Donck sent there in 1651, if the case stands as related and the guns were not smuggled; but imported with the consent of the Company, they should be returned to him.

Concerning the second petition in relation to the piece of land or poor meadow of about 30 to 40 morgens near the Saegkil*, we have deemed it advisable to write you and order not to allow any one to trespass upon said meadow nor occupy it before you shall have examined this case and if you find that he, van der Donck, has purchased the said meadow from the natives with the consent and knowledge of the Director and Council there and it does not prejudice or infringe upon the Company's rights, then, we are of opinion, this piece of land or meadow should be left to him under the same conditions as grants are made to other inhabitants pursuant to and conform with the placats.

Also the ship" Gelderse Blom" belonging to or freighted by Wouter van Twiller, while tied up here, had surreptitiously received on board a number of kegs of powder, the inspectors of the customs presuming their contraband character have seized them, as the ship was going out from

* Nepperhan Creek in the city of Yonkers.

the Texel, so that the owners have suffered no small loss; but Wouter van Twiller pleads ignorance and the skipper with his mate have eaten the cheese. There are undoubtedly on board of this ship still other contraband goods and we deem it therefore advisable to inform you hereof, that you request and direct the Fiscal to be very strict in his examination, when the ship arrives and is being discharged, that such smugglers may be proceeded with and punished according to the placats as an example for others.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF THE DIRECTORS TO STUYVESANT: APPOINTMENT OF PROVINCIAL OFFICERS: VAN DER DONCK'S DESCRIPTION OF NEW NETHERLAND.

(The first part of this letter is a duplicate of the letter of June 6th 1653 p. 206.)

The good testimony and reports presented to us concerning the character, fitness and experience of Cornelis van Reuven, coming over with this ship, have induced us to resolve, to take him into our service as Secretary of your Board at a monthly salary of 36 fl and 200 fl yearly for subsistence. We trust, that you will derive advantages from his service. As to Carel van Brugge, appointed by you to this office provisionally, you may let him again attend to his former duties as Commissary or assign to him such as you think him best fitted for.

We have concluded to order and direct you herewith, that in case after the unloading of our ship" Coninck Salomon" a cargo of tobacco could be obtained there, the same be placed on board and the ship sent back here with all possible speed; if not, which we hope will not be, you must quickly send the said ship to Curaçao to take in there a cargo of wood and salt and thence let it come directly to this country by the northern route, if the season of the year permit, with special orders to keep as close to the northern coast as possible in order to be exposed to the least extent to the dangers of capture by the English. You will give to all ships sailing from there the same orders in future and as long as the war between this nation and theirs last.

Whereas Master* Adrian van der Donck has presented to our Board two petitions, namely that having received his degree at law by the University of Leyden and been admitted to the bar by the Court of Holland he may be permitted to practice as attorney and counsellor in New Netherland and further to be allowed to examine the documents and papers in the Secretary's office there to complete his already begun Description of New Netherland; we have resolved on the first to allow, that according to the usages of this country he may practice there as advocate by assisting every one, who desires it, with his advice, but as to pleading in Court, we cannot observe, that for the present it is proper to allow, because we do not know, whether there is somebody

* A title given to every one, who has taken his degree as Advocate at the University. - B. F.