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[several lines lost] The above standing answer of the prisoner, having been received and read, he was personally summoned to the session.^[1] Upon appearing he was read aloud the charge of the fiscal. To the first he says that the lords directors allowed him to take four snaphances with him and one on his wife’s passport; he was allowed to take five for his trouble in bringing the soldiers together at Deventer, Utrecht, Harderwijck and elsewhere, in addition to two ankers of brandy which the lords had given him duty free [several lines lost] he admits to having two [      ] from [ Abram van  ] for linen; one from the cook’s mate of the Peereboom for a pair of stockings and six guilders in [      ] two guns were declared among the [      ] to have delivered to the French, who [      ] went along on the southern expedition, from whom he again received in the place [      ] the one or the other, which now has been taken out of his quarters and put with the honorable Company’s weapons.

Regarding the two snaphances sold to the wilden he says, as before, that the one was his and sold to the Sinnekens wilden for beavers and the other to Hans Jonge, the hide preparer, being a [      ] which was sold, in his, prisoner’s, presence, to the southern wilden; however, not by him but by the drummer, Hendrick Sluyter, for two [      ] and three fathoms of white sewant.

Regarding the sword traded to the wilden, he, the prisoner, [      ] that it was an old small worn out sword from a soldier, not worth picking up [      ] he, prisoner, didn’t trade it but [      ] wilt [      ] it in his, prisoner’s, house or a piece of beaver.

[several lines lost] heard and saw [      ] fiscal about and concerning Dirck [      ], presently detained, the defense of the aforesaid ensign, was summoned and appeared at the session the aforesaid Dirck Smith, and asked who had permitted him to bring 4 to 5 guns into the country here? Answered that the lords Bontemantel and With permitted him to take along 2 to 3 guns.

Further, he was asked who had opened the small chest of the soldier who was stationed in Holland (which was put in with his)? Answered, Nicolaes Lange Velthuysen.

Nicolaes Lange Velthuysen being called to the session and asked, whether he had opened the soldiers chest in question? Answered, no, but that the ensign had done so.

The ensign being present, denied such, standing by his first statement and showing testimony of Jan Mast to that effect, confirmed before a notary and witnesses, saying further that he was prepared to confirm to it under oath.

Velthuysen answered that he, ensign, wasn’t able to swear an oath, because he was an oath breaker, having betrothed himself to a woman in Holland, from whom he had also taken eight anckers of wine, and married another here.

[several lines lost] and Jan Warnaers [      ] The ensign answered, never would be [      ] that he was an oath breaker or that he had taken wine from a woman. Furthermore, that he had not sold a Company’s gun but rather one of his own guns, just as he had answered in the lord fiscal’s interrogatory. He requests that the witnesses be asked whether it was a Company gun.

Hendrick Janssen Sluyter, drummer, called to the session to give testimony to the truth whether he knew that the ensign had sold a Company’s gun, answered that it was well known to him that the ensign had sold a snaphance to De Vries for eighteen guilders. It was similar to the Company’s snaphances; however, he didn’t know whether it was a Company’s snaphance.

The ensign rejected this testimony that he (as the ensign said) had [      ] burglary in [ New ] England.

Jan Warnaers, soldier, [      ] to the session to give testimony to the truthfulness of the preceding, answered that he knew that the ensign had sold a [      ] for eighteen guilders to De Vries. However, it all happened in public and that it was a long [      ]. He declared not to know to whom it belonged. The director general and councilors order the fiscal to inform him [      ] further [      ] the above. Dated as above.

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.