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[ In the name of the Lord. Amen. ] First of May 1656. Monday.^[1]

Present at the session: the lord director general and the lords councilors, Nicasius de Sille, La Montagne, and Cornelis van Tienhoven.

After reading and re-reading the letters and declarations, received this day from the South River by Andries Hudde, in regard to the critical state of affairs there, the following opinions were given on this subject:

Opinion of the honorable director general.

As upon the unexpected reports from the South River time does not allow any postponing or delay, it is my proposition and advice that the warship the Waagh be sent there, and with the said ship two gentlemen of the council to inform themselves of the matter and redress it as far as possible to the greatest advantage and honor of the Company and the Dutch nation. Dated as above (signed) P. Stuyvesant.

[Opinion of the honorable Mr. Sille.

Nicasius de Sille agrees with the opinion of the honorable] general, [ namely, that it ] is necessary that the [ said ] ship be sent there with all possible speed; he is further willing to go along himself if director and council should order it, provided that in case any troubles should arise here, proper care be taken of his family in his absence. Done at Fort Amsterdam in N. Netherland. Dated as above (signed) Nicasius de Sille.

La Montagne agrees with the opinions of the lord general and the lord Sille in regard to the dispatching of the ship the Waagh, provided that orders be given not to make a hostile attack on the Swedish ship, seeing that she has now discharged her goods and people. Dated as above (was signed) La Montagne.

Upon the information received today overland from the South River by the letters of vice director Jacquet and the oral report of secretary Hudden, regarding the state of affairs of the South River and the behavior of the Swedes and wilden there, also that the ship Marcurius had sailed up above Fort Casimir to Matinnekonck and landed goods, contrary to the commandant’s consent, from which certain great difficulties may be expected, as the warship the Waagh still lies here, which had been sent especially for the South River expedition; therefore Cornelis van Tienhoven advises upon the proposition of the honorable general that the said ship with the troops be sent to the South River, to bring the said ship Mercurius in the most proper manner possible to this place and by the most convenient means put a stop to and settle peacefully the other affair between the natieven and our nation. First of May 1656 (was signed) Cornelis van Tienhoven.

[The motives and reasons why the ship in question, the Mercurius, did not agreeably to our expectations and the order of commissary Hendrick Huygen come here, were taken in further consideration and the reports about it were heard from several] passengers, as [ master Isaac Allerton, ] Capt. Jan Jacobsz, Claes [ de Ruyter and other ] persons, among whom was Otto Grim, [ a ] soldier, and N. N. Swart, carpenter on the ship the Waagh, all of whom unanimously declared that (as far as they knew) the reason the ship did not come here was not because the skipper or the ship’s crew had planned it, but that it was caused by the obstruction of some Swedes and Finns, joined by some wilden, coming on board with Pappegay and remaining on board in a large number, until the ship in question had passed Fort Casimir. The aforesaid deponents declared further that it was sufficiently evident from the circumstances, that some of the principal men of the Swedes were at the bottom of it and that also most of the other Swedes who had taken the oath of loyalty had in their opinion been stirred up or misled. Anyway we can neither in the reports of others nor in the letter of commies Hendrick Huygen, who has always remained here and waited for the arrival of his ship, find any fault against him or against the skipper and the ship’s officers, which therefore having been further considered as stated above, it is, according to our information deemed best and expedient, in order to prevent further damages, complaints and dissensions, to let Hendrick Huygen himself go there with the lords delegated councilors in the warship and upon his promise to practice, as a subject of this nation, faithful obedience and to [ promote as much as is in his power peace and harmony between ] the wilden and the Christian nation, once more to renew and grant him a free pass and repass for himself and for his ship and goods, if he can do it without trouble and besides this (to carry on) trade and traffic here on this river subject to such regulations and privileges as others, be they subjects or strangers, enjoy or pay for and to direct, at his request, the gentlemen deputed there and authorize them, as we hereby once more are doing, that they shall not only let him be benefited by the contents hereof, but also assist him with word and deed against those, who contrary to his orders may have prevented and hindered the coming up of his ship, and who in consequence may have inflicted damages on him in his cargo or the prevention of his voyage. Thus done, resolved, summed up and decreed in Fort Amsterdam, the 3rd of May 1656 (was signed)

P. Stuyvesant Nicasius de Sille

Cornelis van Tienhoven

Notes

References

Translation: Gehring, C., & Venema, J. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 8, Council Minutes, 1656-1658 Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press: 2018.A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.