The 22nd of December 1657.
Honorable, Prudent, Dear, Faithful.
1.
Our last letter to you dated the last of September was sent by the ship the Wasbleecker, the duplicate of which here enclosed we refer. Since that time the ships the Otter, the Draetvat, Goude Meulen and Vogelstruys have safety arrived here, God be praised, and brought us your letters of the 13th and 16th of August[1] and 7th and 10th of September,[2] which we shall now answer as briefly as possible together with some few points formerly deferred.
2.
The first point offering itself is your deliberation to prevent the smuggling in the fur trade specially, carried on at the North. We also made this matter a subject of our consideration as well as the renewed placard regarding it, which you propose and which with some alterations and modifications we have approved, as you may see by the printed copies, to be forwarded by the ships now ready to sail. You can affix them there and must punish those who break the rules, without any connivance.
3.
We do not disapprove of your reasons for executing the placard concerning the reduction or the issue by measure of the sewant and would have confirmed it, if the magistrates and some of the principal merchants there were satisfied with it. Their opinions should be heard and if they approve of the step, you may carry it out there; we return therefore the said placard with a few alterations, believing that sewant should not be received or paid out by us at a higher rate than in New England and as we have noticed that you usually publish such ordinances and placards in the name of the Chartered West India Company without mention of the Chamber of Amsterdam, we found it necessary hereby to direct your honor to name the latter also on all future occasions and not to neglect it.
4.
Your project or motion, to have the Virginia tobacco also inspected there, and the arguments of merchants and factors against it have been thoroughly examined by us and although we incline to your project and to the appointment of an inspector, which would prevent some faithless factors from defrauding their principals, yet, seeing that it would give cause to dissatisfaction and complaints generally among the merchants there, we prefer for the present to wait and you will govern yourself accordingly.
5.
Since we wrote last we have also considered rules for determining and collecting the rates of freight for goods coming from here demanded by the skippers, but we did not find them practicable or at least not so very necessary, considering it is well known that the skippers discriminate and make special agreements, so that the small merchant does not pay more than the great one and we inform all at our office, who are ignorant of it, so that they may act thereon.
6.
As before the adoption and publication of our resolution concerning the remitted 4 percent some merchants here had paid to us the duties of 10 and 6 percent, we have this time, to prevent trouble, given them and other shippers the choice to pay their dues there in beavers as formerly or here in place of 4 percent only 21. What we shall receive here will be sent to you in necessaries and commodities, as requested, by the ships now ready to sail. The enclosed bills of lading of the private shippers will inform you, from whom you have to, demand there the said 4 percent in beavers.
7.
We regret to hear that the people of the Colony of Rensselaerswijck continue to maintain their unfounded position and cannot be persuaded to collect and pay the tenths and other taxes. This is very dishonest and on account of the consequences can and must not be tolerated; we have therefore resolved to direct once more and for the last time that you make the attempt and in case of non-compliance or refusal, compel them by way of execution.
8.
Upon your urgent solicitations and in order to expedite the walling in of the fort we have engaged three stone masons, who with sailors, called for formerly, are now going over at such wages, as the enclosed list shows; as yet we have not been able to engage carpenters, because they are more inclined not to enter service and to go there as freemen, as some are doing now with these ships, so that if need be you may employ them on day's wages.
9.
What disturbed us most in your honors' letter was the information that the Indians continue in their old boldness, threats and insolence and have only lately murdered three Christians and as we have come to the conclusion that this should not be submitted to any longer, but ought to be resisted, therefore and to carry it out so much better we are about to send your honors herewith 1000 lbs. of powder and a detachment of about 50 soldiers, who, added to those, whom your honors have there already, ought to be sufficient, to attack one or the other of the dangerous tribes or the most principal of our enemies, especially if use is made of the assistance of the Indians, who are our friends and allies, which we understand the Long Island Indians to be. Although your honors are better informed concerning these matters than we, yet we must earnestly recommend, to handle this affair with the utmost caution and choose the most convenient time for it, that our good success may serve as an example to make other tribes more circumspect and easier to be kept in check. We consider it therefore also especially necessary that henceforth the said Indian tribes be not indulged in such liberties and freedoms, as they have now there and at the Manhattans, for they are only emboldened by it and made to respect our people still less, who, to gain an advantage in trade one over the other, caress and cajole them, even have armed them to their own destruction.
10.
A record must be kept of all people, whom the Company brings over at our expense, although they are not in our service and each person must be charged on his account with 36 guilders Holland money for passage, children under ten years half as much and infants nothing and payment must be demanded, when these persons desire to leave there. Strict attention must be paid to this so that the Company does not suffer loss.
11.
In our last letter we recommended that your honors settle matters there with Sr. vande Voorde or his attorney, and as your honors now appear to be ignorant concerning the amount, you are instructed to pay him for the aforesaid goods at such prices as appear on the manifest accompanying them.
12.
Herewith goes the list[3] which your honors advanced of the debts paid here on accounts of the servants and other Company officials there and still to be paid; also, the list of the debts incurred here by the soldiers presently coming over. All of which to serve your use and information.
13.
We have seen that Lubbert van Dincklagen, attorney of the lord Hendrick van de Cappelle has bought there, for his own account, from the natives or Indians, the Staten Island, without giving any information either to us here or to your honors, which astonished and puzzled us very much, as it is a matter, which infringes upon the authority of the Company, to whom alone it is and must be reserved; and as such proceedings neither can nor ought to be allowed in any shape, we have deemed it highly necessary to direct your honors herewith to annul the conveyance made for it and to have the aforesaid chief proprietors and owners make a new conveyance to your honors on behalf of the Company, under condition that the same goods shall be paid for it, as have been stipulated at the sale and as may be learned from the enclosed bill of sale; and then your honors may grant to the said lord Van der Capelle or his attorney as much of the land there, as he may be intitled to, under the same conditions as it is granted and conveyed to others. Such is it until we instruct otherwise.
14.
And as his honor has informed us that the majority of his people, sent there at his expense, has since the last massacre removed from the island are now living here and there in places under the Company's jurisdiction, according to the enclosed list, and as he therefore requests us to assist him in getting the people back into his service, agreeably to their duty; therefore, we desire to recommend herewith to your honors to give him or his attorney every possible assistance, provided it goes no further that what reason and equity demand, so that his honor might be satisfied by it.
15.
Johan de Deckere, whom we have appointed councilor and manager of the finances, as we informed you, is about to sail with his wife, lately married here, in one of these ships, the St. Jan Baptiste, unless the sudden and unexpected frost has taken him unawares and prevented him from getting ready; in that case he will surely leave in one of the ships now preparing to sail. We neither can nor will doubt but that you shall receive much assistance from him and the Company will be well and faithfully served by him. But we must recommend and direct that you thoroughly maintain and support him in the performance of his duties and live with him in harmony and friendship, as members of one administration, as each in his capacity ought to do.
16.
We send herewith a small box with eggs of the silkworm, which you may distribute there among people, who understand the business, so that in time desired results may be had.
17.
We have hastened the preparing of the commodities and clothing to be sent to you on behalf ofthe Company so much that they will be forwarded now by the ship St. Jan, consisting of such quantities and different kinds, as the enclosed invoices show. We recommend you to be careful in their distribution.
The manifests of goods shipped by private parties in the St. Jan are also enclosed. The fiscal must watch their discharge closely.
Herewith, Honorable, Prudent, Beloved, Faithful, we commend your honors to God's protection and remain,
In Amsterdam, the 22nd of December 1657.
[ ADDRESSED: ]
To Director Stuyvesant the Council in New Netherland.
[ ENDORSED: ]
Received by the Otterand the duplicate by the St. Jan.
C. Witsen
Eduard Man
