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Letter from Jacob Alrichs to director Stuyvesant

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Noble, Honorable, Esteemed, Wise and very Prudent Lord:

Late yesterday evening your letter of the 9th of this month was handed to my by an Indian. I see from it that my last letter dated the 2nd of this month was delivered safely by schipper Jacob Jansz Huyts, in which I had proposed that if my dealers or merchants there wer inclined to load Jacob Jansz Huys's galliot with tobacco or other merchandise and ship it here (in order to be loaded on the ship de Waegh) that it would be done without incurring any freight or loading expenses aboard the galliot; but if they object to the risk of shipping from there to here, then the loaded galliot would wait there for the arrival of the ship, de Waegh, and transfer its cargo into it; and if it could take on more, then it (the galliot) would quickly make another trip to Manhattan. Concerning this I refer to the aforesaid letter.

The ship, de Waegh, is now unloaded and yesterday the last brick was taken out. Tomorrow, Monday, it will begin to take on more wood and, if the weather remains favorable, it is estimated that it will be done this week; at the latest it shall depart in eight or nine days, the 23rd or 24th, from here for the Santpunt to deliver the rest of its cargo there, which Captain de Raet estimates at 150 barrels or more. Therefore, I hope that the galliot is ready and at hand to transfer the cargo quickly so that the ship, de Waegh, together with the others, at the latest, may set sail for the fatherland at the end of this month. In order to expedite this, all possible means will be employed here by me and the captain, as I likewise trust that you shall do there. Upon this I rely completely, as you also have to trust in me when I say that it will be vigorously expedited here. I have received another letter of instructions which extends the time of sailing for the ship another fourteen days, which I take to be till the end of the month. This is to be observed as strictly as possible and shall likewise be done by me.

Concerning the sending of the galliot to Fort Orange: according to your advice, it would be very beneficial and useful, but I would like first to keep it ready for use in expediting the ship, de Waegh, unless you are of the opinion that it would in no way be hindered or delayed thereby; because we are in great need of bricks, especially for chimneys and other things, and some planks for closing up houses, and I would be most pleased if it were loaded with bricks and planks, namely, as many bricks as it can properly take on with 3 or 400 good planks. This I leave to your discretion. Herewith commending you to God, after cordial greetings

J. Alrichs

P.S.: ] Captain de Raet sailed upriver in the night to the Schuylkil for [      ] and is expected to return [      ] or tomorrow morning. I shall write in detail about the cattle in my next letter. I notice that the bread as well as the peas, meat, bacon etc. will not be sufficient to last through the winter. For this reason I shall have to obtain them at the first opportunity.

In haste,

Addressed: ] Noble, Honorable, Esteemed, Wise and very Discreet Lord, Petrus Stuyvesant, Director-General in New Netherland, Curacao etc. Residing at Manhattan in Fort New Amsterdam.

Per [      ] Indian.

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.