Document: Remonstrance of burgomasters and schepens of New Amsterdam to the director and council on the value of wampum

[several lines lost] shows with [ respectful reverence ] [ ] honorable [ ] city

of Amsterdam [ ]. Whereas it [ ] your honors to summon them [ ] November 1658 [ ] meeting, announcing to them [ ] the sewant again in its [ ], namely, to count six white sewant beads as well as three black ones for one stiver, requesting to show their opinions about that.

Therefore, under correction of your honors’ more mature judgment, because your honors are well familiar with the rate of sewant at eight white sewant beads as well as four black ones for one stiver published on 9 October from this city hall. At that time we thought it necessary and we still hold the same view for this reason: first, that the great supply of sewant from our neighbors the English will not continue to be as great as it has been until now, so that [ with ] the coming scarcity of sewant, the poor community will be able to do much more with it than it has done so far, because they will be able to buy their necessaries for a more civil price. This was shown a few years ago when, sewant being in demand at that time, the then needed wares could hardly be obtained at a beaver’s price, whereas now, in the contrary, the poor community, paying with sewant, hardly can receive a schepel of grain from the English. The same counts for the bakers and the brewers, to which is added that the merchants and traders sell their wares or goods at an extremely high price, because they [ ] their sewant against [several lines lost] [ ] the sewant [ ] reduced can only [ ] thirty [ ] obtain money and [ thus ] other goods [ from ], which aforesaid reasons your honors can measure the profits of a merchant in this time, selling his goods for sewant. Therefore, we think it advisable that at a time and occasion that the sewant is valued higher, it keep its old value according to the last regulation, namely eight white as well as four black sewant beads for one stiver. But we place it under your honors’ wise judgment; agreeing to commend the case to your honors’ wise discretion, we are and remain your honors’ subservient servants, the burgomasters and schepenen of the city of Amsterdam in New Netherland.

Done in Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 6th of November 1658, by order of the lords burgomasters and schepenen of the aforesaid city,

Jacob Nevius, secretary

No resolution is given on the petition above, but the placard on the opposite page is sent to the burgomasters and schepenen. This as a reminder, so that one does not think that it is neglected, to record the resolution.