Document: Letter from director and council to Carel van Brugge

The 3rd of August in Fort Amsterdam. Sr. van Brugge.

Whereas the transmittal of the account books, so often and earnestly

desired by the honorable lords directors, having been delayed now almost one year to the next, from one ship to the other, being presently the ship the Bontekoe lying ready, the sixth in order, one after the other having departed for the fatherland over the year, for each of which the transmittal of the books has been delayed each time, notifying nevertheless the lords directors that they would follow with the next ship; and whereas the director general and councilors, without blame or shame, can or dare not put off the lords patroons any longer, and the skipper of the ship the Bontekoe, now lying ready, having informed the director general and councilors of his departure, giving notice that he can wait no longer than Saturday, about which your honor is hereby informed and ordered immediately, upon appearance of this, read aloud and handed to you by the court’s messenger, to give your categorical reply regarding the cause of the delay and when the books properly will be closed and made ready, so that the director general and councilors may adjust their letter at the dispatching of the ship presently lying ready, upon which they are relying. Thus done in a session of the esteemed lord director general and councilors held in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland. Dated as above.