Translation
Letters from the Directors to the Council of New Netherland
Copy.
Honorable, Prudent, Pious, Beloved, Faithful.
After all the preceding papers and letters, addressed to your honors, had been dispatched and orders given to let the Waeg take to sea, we were handed a letter from Director Stuyvesant dated in the ship the Peereboom before Barbados, the 27th of March. Among other things he relates that he has been detained there with his three ships until which time the English fleet under Admiral Penn, which arrived there toward the end of January, takes leave from that place. It can only be guessed that it will not be soon because the aforesaid admiral is still waiting for some ships which are necessary for his expedition. Taking all of which into consideration concerning the matter, and even if the same should tum out for the best, we cannot conclude that the aforesaid Director Stuyvesant shall be able to be present to direct and attend to the venture about which mention has been made in our accompanying letters. Therefore we have deemed it necessary to send this off to your honors in any case, and in addition to the confirmation of what was laid out in our previous letters, to recommend that your honors be pleased to take care of the direction in general and the dispatch of the ordered venture with all due dexterity; and to continue therein until our further orders, as we trust such [ to be done ] with the same prudence and good conduct.
We have again received information from Stockholm in regard to the progress made in the preparations there for the South River, which ought to make your honors hasten so much more with the venture in question and to bring matters to such a state that the places may be strong enough to resist a new attack. This we strongly recommend.
Whereby we conclude and, Honorable, Prudent, Pious, Beloved, Faithful, commend your honors to God's protection, remaining,
In Amsterdam, this 31st of May 1655.
[ ADDRESSED: ] Honorable, Prudent, Pious, Beloved, Faithful, The honorable councilors of New Netherland in the fortress New Amsterdam.
By the Waag.
References
A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.
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