Document: Petition of Goose Gerritsen for the release of goods belonging to him

[several lines lost] much less reported [ ] bring over [ ] Holland, whether [ ] of this country [ ] of contraband goods [ ] ordinances, orders, and placards, the lord [ ] has seen fit to seize from his chests and cupboards six curved sabers, fifty metal blades, some large [ ], powder horns with a quantity of flint, and much merchandise, all of which he, petitioner, had declared as peddlers’ goods and paid the honorable Company the recognition fee for them as can be seen on the general manifest; and whereas he, petitioner, did not expect that your honors would perceive the same goods as contraband, and that they could therefore be confiscated, considering that he has the same not to trade with the Indianen but for the convenience of the [ common ] inhabitants; placing security thereon, if necessary, that also your honors’ placards and orders do not tend toward the prejudice of business between men, subjects of this state, but toward prevention of damaging trade with the Indianen, of which he shall certainly take heed and always has forborne; therefore and since the lord fiscal has made a demand against him, petitioner, before your honors for confiscation of the aforesaid goods and fivefold thereof, in which he believes is unfounded in consideration of the above related reasons, [ ] he is forced to turn to your honors to humbly request that your honors be pleased to refuse the fiscal’s demand and give him the disposal of his aforesaid seized goods and [ that they ] be restored, as expressly declaring to have never known and not knowing still that the aforesaid seized goods were contraband or be counted as such [several lines lost].