payable one half in beavers and the other half in good silver coin, current wampum or goods, on condition that the groundbrief and a proper conveyance be first delivered. All in good faith without guile or deceit.

I, Cornelis van Ruyven acknowledge to have bought the aforesaid parcel of land on the preceding conditions.

Done, New Amsterdam this 24th November A° 1654, in New Netherland.

By me, STOFFEL MICHELSEN, Witness.
By me, DIRCK KRINEN, Witness.

DEIRCK JANSEN.
COR. VAN RUYVEN.

ORDER AUTHORIZING THE INHABITANTS OF MESPACHT TO BANISH ONE JOSEPH FOWLER FROM THEIR

VILLAGE.

The inhabitants of Mespacht having submitted to the Council a request in English asking, that Joseph Fowler might be banished from their village, because he does nothing else, than incite the people, one against the other and cause mischief.

It is therefore ordered, as follows, by the Director-General and Council: the petitioners may direct the said Fowler to leave the village and if he refuses, arrest him and deliver him to the law officers.

Thus done etc., New Amsterdam, November 25th, 1654.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN P. L. VAN DER GRIFT AND PARTNERS AND THE DIRECTOR AND COUNCIL FOR THE CHARTER OF THE SHIP." DE GULDEN HAY," TO BE SENT TO THE WEST INDIES.

The Director-General and Council charter to the associates the ship "de Hay" with its anchors, ropes, sails and all the tackle and rigging required for navigation for the time of 4 months from the day, on which the said ship shall heave anchor at the usual watering place and go to sea in order to make, as stated, a voyage to the Caribean and Curaçao Islands and if the voyage should last longer, they are to give a compensation for the excess of time, to be determined by impartial experts.

1.

Sir.

To the Noble Honorable Director-
General Petrus Stuyvesant.

The associates have considered the favorable terms, which the Honble Director-General offers in regard to the ship “de gulden Hay," which is to be chartered for 4 or 6 months to be employed in the West India trade either to Barbados, Curaçao or the Caribean Islands. We thank your Honor also for favoring commerce by thus offering to have the ships provided with tackle and rigging, to have it well caulked and made ready for departure.

COUNCIL MINUTE. MOTION OF MR. LA MONTAGNE. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL SITTING WITH THE BURGOMASTERS AND SCHEPENS, ON BEING INFORMED OF THE DIRECTOR'S INTENTION TO VISIT CURAÇAO.

Mr. La Montagne proposes for consideration, that the Honble Director-General shall not give any instructions without the knowledge of the Council.

New Amsterdam, December 8th, 1654.

LA MONTAGNE.

Present at the session the Honble Members of the High Council, Messsrs. Nicasius de Sille, La Montagne and Cornelis van Thienhoven, the Fiscal, and the Burgomasters and Schepens of this City, to wit: Burgomaster Martin Cregier and the Schepens Paulus Leendertsen, Wilh. Beeckman and Oloff Stevensen.

The Honble Director-General Petrus Stuyvesant stated the necessity of his voyage to Curaçao.

That his Honor would send all books, letters and documents concerning the Government of The Members of the Council the country and now in his charge to the Secretary's office, to be and the Burgomasters and arranged and put into the best possible order by the Fiscal Thienhoven Schepens considered this wise and the Secretary Cornelis van Ruyven. and necessary.

That it be resolved to increase the present number of Burgomasters and Schepens of this The Director-General selects City of New-Amsterdam by one Burgomaster and one Schepen. from the persons nominated by the High Council Allard Anthony for Burgomaster and John Nevius as Schepen.

This matter has been deferred until the new elections shall have been made.

Will it not be for the advantage of this City and inhabitants to nominate now some proper persons, from whose number in due time, Burgomasters and Schepens of this City for the next year could be selected.

Allard Anthony and Johannis Nevius were then summoned before the Council and took the oath of allegiance, the first as Burgomaster, the other as Schepen.

The Honble Director-General further delivered to the presiding Burgomaster, Martin Crigier, the painted coat of arms of the City of New-Amsterdam and the seal, cut in silver, sent by the Noble Lords-Directors in the ship " De Pereboom.”

Thus done at Fort Amsterdam in New-Netherland, December 8th 1654.

COUNCIL MINUTE. RESOLUTION THANKING ALLARD ANTHONY FOR SERVICES RENDERED AS AGENT IN HOLLAND AND VOTING HIM A REWARD.

At the meeting of the Honble Director-General and High Council of New-Netherland the report of St Allard Anthony was received and read concerning the good efforts made in the Fatherland pursuant to his commission in the service of this Province and its good inhabitants.

The Director-General and Council being well pleased with his services, express to him their and the good inhabitants' thanks and resolve to further acknowledge them, by making him a present.

Thus done at Fort Amsterdam, Decbr. 17th 1654.

APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS IN THE BURGHER COMPANIES OF NEW-AMSTERDAM.

Whereas by removal some officers' positions in the Burgher Companies have become vacant and whereas it is deemed necessary to fill these places again,

Therefore Paulus Leendertsen van der Grift, Lieutenant in the Company under the blue flag is hereby chosen and appointed Captain of the same Company. Daniel Litschoe, Sergeant, is appointed Lieutenant and Cornelis Jacobsen Steenwyck Ensign.

Thus done etc Decbr 17th 1654.

P. STUYVESANT.

N. DE SILLE, LA MONTAGNE.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS FOR BUILDING A CHURCH AND PARSONAGE AT MIDWOUT.

A vote having been taken on the request of the commissaries of the village of Midwout to have built there a church and accommodation for the minister, it has been resolved to prepare and build in the village of Midwout a house of about 60 to 65 feet in length, 28 feet in width and 12 to 14 feet high under the crossbeams, with an extension in the rear, where a chamber may be partitioned off for the preacher, while the divine service can for the present be held in the front part, until we have more funds and the material necessary for a church has been collected. Then this building shall be used as a parsonage and barn.

To promote this work the Revd Do Megapolensis, Minister of the Gospel in the City of NewAmsterdam, Jan Snediger and Jan Strycker are hereby appointed and authorized to make public and private contracts, as they may deem it most useful and advantageous for the community.

Thus done etc New-Amsterdam Decbr 17, 1654.

ORDINANCE AGAINST THE BREAKING OFF OR STEALING OF FENCES, CLAPBOARDS ETC PASSED DECBR

31, 1654.

(See Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, p. 185.)

COUNCIL MINUTES.

RUMORS OF AN INTENDED INVASION OF LONG ISLAND BY THE UNITED NEW ENGLAND COLONIES: COMMISSIONERS ORDERED TO VISIT THE NEW SETTLEMENT AT OYSTER BAY.

27th of January (1655.)

At the meeting of the honorable High Council, his Honor the Director-General being absent,* held at Fort Amsterdam, Fiscal Cornelis van Tienhoven reported: he had been informed on Friday the [224] of January, that George Baxter coming from New England had crossed the East river on the ice at White Stone and arrived at Gravesend on Long Island, his dwelling place; that as a Schepen of Breukelen and other credible persons had told the Fiscal, he had said it was quite true, that the English had returned victorious from Canada to Boston and that the Lord Protector of England had commissioned and charged the English general and the Colonies of New England to take Long Island from the Dutch nolens volens and bring it under their jurisdiction, also that this should be done at the latest next May. Although there is no doubt that this report was forged and invented by people bearing ill will against the Dutch nation, especially because neither our Noble Lords and gracious Sovereigns nor the Colonies of New England have given us any information about it, when they communicated the treaty of peace now lately made between our home government; yet the Fiscal declared it to be his duty to give this information to the High Council, that in time inquiries be made into the truth thereof and such orders given, as might be considered necessary for preventing such a design.

The High Council having listened to the Fiscal's report resolve, that inquiries shall be made as far as possible, which however can hardly be done now, because all rivers are frozen and the land and roads covered with snow and therefore traveling by water or land to obtain information of the designs of the English impossible; but as soon as the waters are free from ice and the land from snow some members of the Council with one of the Magistrates of the City shall go to Long Island and where else it may be necessary to inquire civilly and secretly into the matter, using as a pretext a visit to Oyster Bay in the limits of New Netherland to order the withdrawal from this jurisdiction of the Englishmen, who have settled there during the troubles of last year, and in case of refusal to protest against them in due form. Thus resolved the 19th of January 1655, and reaffirmed the 27th ditto at New Amsterdam in New Netherland.

COUNCIL MINUTE. DOMINE POLHEMIUS ASKS FOR PECUNIARY ASSISTANCE. AID ASKED FOR BUILDING A CHURCH AT MIDWOUT, L. I.

Tuesday the 9th of February (1655.)

Before the Board appeared D° Polhemius, provisional preacher in the village of Midwout, who asked pecuniary help producing a letter from the Honble General, which read as follows:

* Stuyvesant was in the West Indies from December 1654 to July 1655. See Journal of the Proceedings of the English Army in the West Indies and Thurloe's State Papers.-B. F.