Research

Series:

Scanned Document:

Duplicate

Noble, Honorable, Valiant, Wise, Prudent and very Discreet Lord.

My Lord.

After informing your honor today as much as possible about general matters shortly before the departure of the bearer of this, I am adding these few lines which will serve to accompany the aforesaid copies of my most recent letter dated 28 April with the Company’s ship De Musch, ^[1] which I hope has been received long before the arrival of this; to which I refer for brevity’s sake. We anxiously await the return of this ship every day, hoping to hear of the good condition of everything there, both in general matters as well as private especially about your honor and his dependents. We continue here (praise God) as I wrote to your honor in my last letter. Since then we have been anxiously awaiting word from our lords-superiors in the fatherland that we might receive some good news.

Concerning the newly discovered mine here, of which I advised your honor in my last letter about the initial assay thereof in the fatherland and that last February a considerable quantity of minerals was sent to our lords-superiors; if it tests out to be more substantial and found to be better [      ] we have high hopes of a good and profitable outcome. Although I have seen indirectly some good reports written thereon, I have nevertheless not heard anything definite from our lords-superiors themselves for some time and therefore dare not say anything specific. If it is found to be worth considering, I hope that as soon as possible there shall be people here thoroughly experienced and knowledgeable in such matters. At that time I hope to be able to inform your honor at once in more detail about the subject.

We regret that we [      ] no suitable lemons or oranges here to send to your honor as we had hoped and must postpone doing so until another opportunity arises, God willing.

In the meantime,

Noble, honorable, valiant, wise, prudent and very discreet lord, I commend herewith, after greetings from all of us, your honor and your honor’s loved ones to the merciful and blessed protection of the Almighty, and remain, as long as I live,

My lord, your honor’s most obedient and devoted servant.

Curaçao, in Fort Amsterdam, the 21st of July 1664.

I have entrusted to the bearer of this, Skipper Simon Cornelissen Gilde, a beautiful parrot from the Spanish coast for Mrs. Stuyvesant from my wife, to be accepted with her humble respects and kind affection.

Notes

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., Curaçao Papers, 1640-1665 (New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute: 2011).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.