Linen is a strong, natural fabric made from the fibers of the flax plant, known for being breathable, absorbent, and durable, making it ideal for warm weather clothing, bedding, and household textiles like tablecloths. In New Netherland, linen was extremely valuable, as it was imported. Documents show that linen shirts were a high value items in the trade between the Native Americans and Dutch. Some historians have estimated that a single linen bed sheet was valued at the equivalent of a years wage for a maid in a prosperous household. Linens were often stored in a Kast, a large upright chest that locked.
Here you can see that linen was used as a form of compensation for the building of a small ship: https://encyclopedia.nahc-mapping.org/document/meetingadministrative-me…;