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Journal of Brian Nuton, Captain Lieutenant; Cornelis van Ruyven, Secretary; and Carel van Brugge, Commissary, commissioned by the honorable Director General Stuyvesant to sail for a second time to Oostdorp.

In the year 1656, the 29^th of December. Having received our instructions from the Lord General we rowed out with the barge of the honorable Company's bark from before Fort Amsterdam on the 30 ditto at about 7 o'clock in the morning to proceed on our journey to Oostdorp ·[ East Village ], accompanied by Claes Bordingh as pilot (as the Company's skipper had never been through the Hellegadt) and the skipper of the Company's bark and a sailor to row us there.

After passing Manhattan Island, our sailors said the tide was ebbing; that they could feel it in the rowing. The Hellegat being approached in the meanwhile, we found indeed by the strong current which ran through it that the tide was ebbing and that our people had not well calculated the tide. We were, therefore, obliged if we would prosecute our journey, to await the tide on this side of the Hellegat; for we still hoped to arrive timely in the evening at Oostdorp and to accomplish our Mission, and to row back with the return tide in the night from there to the Manhatans so as to be home on Sunday, but we found ourselves sorely deceived in our expectation, as appears by what follows.

Having gone ashore during the, ebbing of the tide, on this side of the Hellegadt where William Hallet's house and plantation formerly stood, which were laid waste by the Indians about September of the year 1655; we made a fire there with the help of burning fuses which we had with us. We found in the shallow water on the strand some oysters which we fried and ate. While thus occupied, a fine herd of cattle came right by us feeding along the beach; there were about sixteen cows both old and young, and 5 to 6 horses.

After looking at them and the land there, which is quite flat and apparently of good soil; and having eaten of what we had brought with us, it became low water. We embarked again in our boat, and passed through the Hellegat and the two stantvaste gebroeders ^[1] to the kil in front of Oostdorp into which we rowed, holding to the west bank of the same kil, which retarded our progress. After rowing up a short way, we ran ourselves aground. Our men looked for deep water but found none. As our pilot calculated that there would be still an hour and a half of ebb, we were obliged to row ashore as we were not willing to remain with the boat in the kil in such cold weather. We went ashore on the west bank and built a fire there; the land being apparently barren and stoney. Standing here together around the fire, we heard an Indian call. Some of us going out, upon hearing the noise, found two Indians lying in a canoe, fishing in front of the kil; as soon as the Indians saw us in such strength they quietly paddled away.

Being on the strand we found the kil entirely dry except a channel which we saw on the east or left side of the mouth of the kil, which appeared to us to be so deep and so wide that a boat could be rowed up through it at low water. After being there about two hours we found the water rising. We boarded our boat and rowed towards Oostdorp. Upon arriving there, we went to Mr. Nieuman's house. We were met on the way by John Lard one of those elected as magistrate, who went with us to Mr. Nieuman's, where, upon our arrival, we found him already in bed. Whereupon John Lard invited us to his house where we proceeded because Newman was in bed, and we did not wish to disturb him, being a man of 72 years.

Upon arriving at John Lard's house we communicated to him the object of our journey, and requested him to have the inhabitants summoned in the morning at daylight by an Indian. He responded, "It is our Sabbath tomorrow; the inhabitants will not come." We asked him to learn the opinions of the principal settlers at once, as we could explain our business in half an hour, without hindering their service. Which he proceeded to do. But brought us for answer, no, that they were in no way so inclined. Although we would have preferred to reach home by Sunday noon, we were obliged to remain there until Monday, as they would not be persuaded to assemble on Sunday.

31^st ditto. Sunday. We went to take a look at the village. It is a very stoney place, thickly covered with trees. At noon we were invited to dine at Mr. Newman's. After dinner Cornelis van Ruyven went to the house where they assemble on Sundays, to observe their mode of worship, as they have not as yet any clergyman. There I found a gathering of about 15 men and 10 to 12 women. Mr. Baly made a prayer, which being concluded, one Robbert Bassit read a sermon from a printed book composed and published by an English minister in England. After the reading Mr. Baly made another prayer and they sang a psalm and departed. In the evening we were invited to eat at Robbert Bassit's. After taking our leave we went to sleep at John Lard's house. We were very surprised that neither he nor any of his family came home this night.

Anno 1657. 1^st of January. He came home an hour after daybreak, saying he had remained away so that we would have more room. We requested him to have the drum beaten at once to get the people together; to which he said, he had already given orders to beat the drum, and the majority of the inhabitants being assembled we communicated to them the object of our mission, and that the lord director general of N. Netherland had from the six persons nominated by them selected three as magistrates for Oostdorp, namely, Mr. Nieuman, Mr. Lard, and John Smith, and exhibited and read to them the commission granted to the magistrates. After the reading was concluded, a certain Robert Basset requested to speak a word, which being allowed, he said there was one among the magistrates who was unfit to fill the place; that notwithstanding he would respect him as a magistrate so long as he resided there, as he was selected by the director general. Thereupon we would have demanded of him who that was and why he was deemed unfit; however, in order not to make any trouble about him nor to leave the business unfinished and other considerations, we merely answered that he had the nomination of the whole town and was elected with the others by the lord general; consequently they were bound to acknowledge the whole three as magistrates and turning to the magistrates we requested them to take the oath, which they presently did, one by one, without any objection. This done, we wished them luck and prosperity in their office, and further pursuant to our instructions requested the actual inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance according to the formulary which we read to them. Whereupon many of them made answer that they had all taken the oath at the Manhattas when they were brought there as prisoners.^[2] Among the rest, Robbert Basset above-mentioned said that he could not sign that form, but that he promised to obey, as long as he remained in our province, the director general and his appointed magistrates and laws as far as these agreed with the laws of God. Whereupon we asked him if he would sign, upon these words being added. He replied yes. Therefore as we saw no other chance we determined to write his words; this he said he should do himself. He therefore drew up the writing hereunto annexed, being the sense as before stated in which he signed. This all the inhabitants then present offered to sign, and it was signed, as appears therefrom, by 15 persons, and the oath we read to them was taken by the 3 magistrates and signed by one of the inhabitants named George Reith. One of the settlers present named Antony Gill would not sign either the one or the other. We told him, therefore, in the name of the director general and council of N. Netherland, pursuant to our instructions, that he should depart within three days from Oostdorp and within 3 weeks from the Province of N. Netherland, which he said he would do. Six persons were away from home at other places, namely, Edward Waeters, Richard Pointom, Samuel Barrit, Jonathan Writh, Tomas Stivens, Rochier Wijls, and one was sick, Robbert Roos. These are all the present inhabitants of Oostdorp, but they told us that 3 to 4 more families would soon come.

The preceding being accomplished, divers of the inhabitants made the following complaints, which they requested us to present to the lord general and council, in order that a timely remedy may be applied. First, regarding the insolence of the Indians; that they daily threaten to destroy them if they go under the Dutch which some told us proceeded from Mr. Pel who purchased that piece of land from the Indians on this condition, as they said that the Indians should deliver it to him unencumbered, and maintain him in it against all who may have claims to it, and that the said Pel now daily importuned the Indians to return his money, or otherwise that the Indians according to deed of sale, should free him from the Dutch nation who claim it as their property.

Second, that the lord general had promised them, when his honor had them removed from there, that each should have his arms restored. This, they said, was not done, but that many among them still missed their arms. One a snaphance and the other a pistol, and some a musket, whereby they were deprived of arms. They request that the said promise be fulfilled.

Third, that they were never well supplied with arms and were stripped, as aforesaid, of the few which they had; therefore, should the Indians make any attack on them, they must immediately surrender. They, consequently, request that the village be provided with some muskets, powder, lead and match which they would preserve in a magazine for the village.

We promised to communicate the whole of this remonstrance to the lord director general and council.

The business being completed and leave taken, we went to Mr. Ferris's who invited us to breakfast. This done, the tide being favorable after breakfast, we resolved to depart though it rained hard. We accordingly took our leave both of the inducted magistrates and inhabitants generally, and rowed according to our calculation about 12 o'clock out of the kil; passed the Hellegat with a favorable tide and landed about 3 o'clock at the Manhatans; reported our return and delivered this in Amsterdam in N. Netherland the 1^st of January 1657.

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References

A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.