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Conference with the Indians at Annockeninck respecting a recent murder

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The sachems present:
Rinnawiggen
Oebequeme
Menninckta
Oyagrakun
Quequirimen
Megeras
Pemenacken
Colopapan
Magaecksie
[      ]rensies
Mannanengen[1]

On Friday being the 23rd of September we, namely, Marten Roseman, Edman Kantwel, Pieter Cock, Pieter Rambo, Israel Helm and Matheus de Ringh, clerk, came, at the request of the Honorable Lords of Justice, to an Indian settlement or plantation called Annockeninck, where a group of Indians had been and still were meeting, in order to cantico[2] with some sachems whose names appear in the margin. After having waited there 3 or 4 days for the arrival of the rest of the sachems and other Indians, who did not all come, we placed our matter before them and asked them for what reason they killed and murdered our people and we named all of those whom they have murdered from the time when the English came here into the country until the present, being t ]en in number with many other details too long to relate. [      ] replied that they did not know of [      ] namely from Kohansy to [      ]. Whereupon they at once showed and presented us with a small bundle of white sewant about 3 or 4 fathoms, on the condition that we would be patient while they looked for the murderers and brought them in, if they could find them. They then gave us another bundle of white wampum adding these words: that they did not seek war and that they desired to go out hunting and trade up and down among the Christians just as before. They then told the Minquaesen, that is the S[      ] Mincquaesen, whom we had among us, that they should kill no more Christians. Whereupon they also give the Mincquasen a gift, namely, a belt of sewant with a bundle of white sewant, after the Mincquaesen had first given them a gift and delivered a whole oration; saying, that we were brothers one to the other, and that they wanted to remain brothers and friends, and that they were sorry that they had done such things and that they must know that they lived scattered among the Christians and pointed out to them, "Christians are living here and Christians are living there," and brought to their attention that since they lived scattered among the Christians and if they made war, where would they get their gunpowder and lead, along with many more similar things which they recited to them. We answered them, when we accepted this money or sewant, saying, that when we accept this money or sewant we accept it not as atonement for the murders which they committed but that we accept it only provisionaly as a pledge that they would look for and bring in the murderes; for our great sachem, we told them, was not satisfied with money but wants you to bring in murderers. We also said that we were surprised that not one of the sachems or Indians knew who had committed the murders and themselves named those whom we thought had committed the murders who were by name A1[      ], Kecksioes, and the brother of Wissapoes.

They then answered [      ] that they had [      ] and that they [      ] the night when the murders took place [      ] Allomgack in Assiskonck [      ] Kecksioes was at home with the sachems and the brother of Wissapoes was at the Maleboer's brother's house and further that we should be content that they would look for those who had done it. We also asked them why they had stolen and plundered the goods belonging to Pieter Jiegoe and Pieter Alrichs.

They replied that they had not done that and had not even known about it, but that the Indians from Assisconck had done it and that they absolve themselves from it. These being our dealings with the savage Indians.

MATHEUS de RING

After collation this is found to agree with his original in date and signature as above. At N. York the 6th of October 1670
Attestation

D. V. SCHELLUYNE

Endorsed: ] [      ] the Examina[      ] [      ] Indyans concerning [      ] Murder. Oct. 6

Notes

Other translation in ECM:499.
In the Dutch it appears as Kintekayen; both are variants of Delaware Kantka, "to dance". The meaning intended here is a social gathering of a lively sort, c.f., Hodge's Handbook of American Indians, p. 202.

References

Translation: Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. 20-21, Delaware Papers: English Period, 1664-1682 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1981).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.