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The Honorable, Esteemed, Wise, and most Prudent Lord:

My Lord, I herewith earnestly and dutifully thank you from the bottom of my heart for the good treatment and friendship which I received and enjoyed at your house and elsewhere. I hope the opportunity presents itself that I may be allowed to reciprocate the favor in some way. This I desire with all my heart. Moreover, [ since ] my arrival here I have received your letter of 20 April which contained the complaints and lamentations of Messers Allerton and Schaggen as well as two separate petitions containing charges against Jaquet. I have heard and examined the case and found that it contained essentially moré passion than reason I have brought the parties to an agreement to the extent that the dispute with the others has been settled: Schaggen keeps the land; Jaquet shall gather the crops as well as the garden produce; Schaggen shall pay for fencing, etc. Concerning the Company's effects: Jaquet has inventoried and turned them in; everything having any value has been received and registered. Some necessary goods have been sent to Christina, others loaded in the [ ship de Bever, to be taken ] to Manhattan [ with 13 men ]. I have provided all the Company's people [ here with ]...

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...that I require some oxen and horses to haul timber for repair ing the fort which is much decayed on the shore side; in other places it is in such a state that it requires a great deal of timber. Since the animals here would thrive better at a place which is familiar to them than at a strange place which is unfamiliar and where they cannot have as much supervision as here, and since they once cost a considerable amount, therefore, the Company does not run the slightest risk of losing anything. For the most part they are thin and weak so that I have to use them alternately and with discretion under close supervision as not to hinder their growth. Concerning the cows: there are but two that give milk and at that very little, but whether regarded profitable or disadvantageous, I would be willing to assume them for my own account, subject to your valuation whatever it may be; and this would be a special act of friendship towards me. I am relying on this and am persuaded that the here, which are indispensable, should not be removed. The City shall also in such cases find it more agreeable that the necessities remain here upon valuation, if it is found acceptable Concerning [ the pigs ]: there is little to speak about; they are in any case [ too few in number ] and wild, for which reason I would not like to assume....

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...if you have available and not be deprived to receive[      ], we shall then, by opportunity [ audit everything ]. There are also some soldiers who have settled here as farmers. It would not be of service to remove them. If you should deem it advisable [      ] please dispose of the encloses petitions. If there is anything for which I can be of service here please inform me by letter. I shall willingly do everything possible our of sense of duty and cordial affection. In closing I pray to°God that you and madame, your beloved, be kept in continual prosperity and health.

[ P.S.: ] I trust you shall find the affairs of the former commandant better than has been reported and believed by many. But the investigation shall produce more certain results. Mr. Huygens and Ensign Smith have willingly received information concerning complaints from some Swedes, which we found to be of little importance after hearing many of them.

[ Addressed: ] Honorable, Esteemed, Wise, and most Prudent Lord.

The Lord Petrus Stuyvesant, Director-General in New Netherland residing at Manhattan in Fort Amsterdam

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References

Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. 18-19, Delaware Papers: Dutch Period, 1648-1664 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1981).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.