Translation
Advice and opinions of the several magistrates on proposals on employment of Dutch brokers in the woods
La Montagne advises to give the Maquas for answer that we had never heard that any violence was done to them in the woods and that they had never complained of it, but now that we have heard their complaints, we promise them to do our best to prevent it, and if they can report the persons, we shall punish them. As to the Dutchmen who roam in the woods, we shall forbid them to do so, but if no Maquas brokers were employed, it would be easier to forbid it to the Dutch, and then the Indians could exchange their beavers unmolested wherever they pleased.
Anderies Herpertsen advises to give the Indians for answer that we shall write about it to the director general, as we did not know that the Dutch did them any harm, and if it happened that any harm was done to them, they should report it and that the guilty persons would be punished.
Jan Verbeeck advises to give the Indians for answer that we shall forbid the Dutch to roam in the woods, and if they are molested in the woods by the Dutch that they must make complaint thereof to the officer.
Sander Leendersen advises to give the Indians for answer that we shall forbid the Dutch henceforth to roam in the woods.
Rutger Jacobsen advises, in order to prevent outrages, that no Dutchmen be allowed to roam in the woods to fetch Indians, but that Indian brokers be employed, as the Indians greatly request and warn us against evil consequences in their proposals, and also to notify the Indians that the Dutch shall hereafter be forbidden to roam in the woods.
Frans Baerentsen Pastoor advises, in answer to the Maquas’s complaint and warning, in order to avoid all outrages, to notify them that from now on no Dutchmen shall be allowed to roam in the woods.
Evert Jansen Wendel agrees with the above and, in view of the complaint of the Maquas which predicts a bad ending, advises that they be notified that no Dutchmen shall be allowed to roam in the woods anymore.
References
Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New Netherland Documents Series: Vol. 16, part 2, Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652-1660 (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press: 1990).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.
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