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I, the undersigned Hendrick Huygen van Cleeff, sent out by the South Company in Sweden in the ship Mercurius as their commies, not knowing before my arrival at the South River of N. Netherland of the changes which had taken place there since my departure, promise by this my signature in place of oath, that with [ the safe conduct ] granted to me [ by the director ] general and councilors I will in my [ trade and during my ] sojourn here, as well as on the South River, conduct and behave myself faithfully and obediently, and submit to such orders and laws as the subjects of New Netherland or foreign traders frequenting this and other places of New Netherland submit to, especially that I will by no means meddle in any quarrel between Christians and wilden, much less instigate any, but rather try to settle all differences already arisen or in future to arise between Swedes, Dutch, and wilden and to remove them as far as is in my power, and that I will not act or behave otherwise than if I were a sworn subject of this state. As further security herefor, I engage my person and my property, movables and immovable, present and future, and place them at the disposal of all courts of justice. In witness whereof, I have signed this at Amsterdam in New Netherland the 3rd of May anno 1656 (was signed) Hendrick Huygen.^[1]

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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.