Document: Letter from the directors at Amsterdam to Stuyvesant and the council

[1] [ 10th of May 1652 ]

[ Honorable, Valiant, Pious, Dear, and Faithful ]

This serves as a cover for the enclosed copies from our resolutions, whereby your honors will be able to see what [ concessions ] we have made to several people, so that your honors will be able to govern yourselves accordingly. We are sending herewith a memorandum drafted by the bookkeepers of the monthly wages because further explanation of several points thereon were required; also, the documents concerning the case of David Provoost were given to the supracargo Vincent Pieckes. Your honors will do well to issue such orders thereon as shall be deemed necessary, and send us a report thereon by the ships returning to the fatherland, in order to keep the people, who have long solicited for relief, from complaining. We doubt that the documents sent over to us are being properly collated by the Company's servants because in the latest documents many major errors were found. This should be corrected in the future. We are also enclosing the list of departing Company servants who are, contrary to our intention and the previous communication to your honors, mostly soldiers. The reason for this is that, because of the extensive rearmament in the country, there are no sailors available. We hope that it will be better in the coming year.

Honorable, Valiant, Pious, Dear, Faithful, we commend your honors to God's protection and remain,

Amsterdam, this 10th of May 1652.

[ ADDRESSED: ] To the Director and Council in New Netherland.

Isaack van Beeck
F. Schulenborch