Document: Letter from Jacob Alrichs to director Stuyvesant

Noble, Honorable, Esteemed, Wise and very Prudent Lord:

Your letter of the 28th of last month has been duly received in which responses were requested to many things, which, considering the nature of the material, I shall ignore and let is remain so.

Since my letter to you, Mr. Beekman and Mr. Hinojossa left for the Hoerekill on the 23rd of last month. On the 30th, I received a note that they had arrived there safely and had dispatched an Indian to the chiefs of the land in order to ask them to come down to make an agreement. There has been no further news of this which we are anxiously waiting to hear.

I have been hearing strange rumors that the English are claiming ownership of this river or territory, and that they are definitely sending two persons here to demand and take possession of this place. There are some malefactors here already to help bring it about, more so since there are persons here who boast to have seen or read letters written from Virginia [ ] Swedes, that they would remain here as a [ ] under the English...

[ Remaining three lines of page defective. ]

...because about twenty men have gone to the Hoerekill so that I would like some more, or you might come here personally (if the former is considered of service or useful; or the latter, if your business would permit this in any way). As for me, have little concern, since I am alone and have to care neither for wife nor children nor anyone else; but regarding the common good and my superiors, and on behalf of the honorable Company, that they in their distress might suffer the least damage or detriment, I deem the aforesaid now to be necessary and appropriate for which I shall await your order, resolution or [ ] on this matter at the first opportunity, and [ await this ] by an express overland or by any other means available and which you shall be pleased to think appropriate. In conclusion, I remain after dutiful regards and salutations.

J. Alrichs