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Worthy cousin Mr. Gerardy van Tright.^[1]

Your honor’s letter dated 27 July^[2] was duly placed in my hands on the 13th of September 1664. I read with pleasure of the health and prosperity of your honor and my cousins, your honor’s brothers. May the Lord be pleased to continue it for all of you and me. The expressions of friendship, which were accompanied by your honor’s cordial profession of affection, were received by me with pleasure and a thankful heart. According to your honor’s wishes I offered the whole instead of the half to the honorable lord governor, not knowing where I would be able to bestow the same better than there where I always go to table myself and am well-treated. They also gave him such pleasure that he wanted to indicate his thanks in a demonstrable way. If only this place provided us with something that could be applied thereto. Through lack of the same I am compelled for the present to express my appreciation with these few letters, requesting that your honor will not rate the strength of friendship by material gifts but rather by sincere and faithful affection, of which your honor can be assured on my part, and which I shall not neglect to express to your honor on every occasion.

Since then we have also taken receipt of your honor’s welcomed letter dated 22 October 1664,^[3] in which you strongly recommend the son of the honorable lord Pieter Stuyvesandt.^[4] I accept it most favorably and with complete partiality, and shall assist him in any way that I can with my knowledge, advice and service; and exert myself to the utmost to help promote the state of his affairs, as I have written in more detail to his father concerning this.

One speaks here with sadness and fear of the animosity which is supposedly arising between us and the English and has already broken out into open warfare, about which we expect confirmation from the fatherland any day now. We have received no letters from there in eight months; nevertheless, we have learned with saddness from your honor’s letters^[5] and verbally from Mr. Stuyvesandt about the unhappy and at the same time damaging change caused by the English with the seizure and take over of the Manathans; without a doubt it shall be a serious blow and cause an unwilling displacement for many. The same evil also threatens us unless the arrogance of the English is not soon stopped by the wise leadership of the High and Mighty States and the mercy of God. Whereupon we are still expecting and hoping that just as they were driven from Capo Verde and the entire coast of Guinea by Vice- Admiral de Ruyter, they shall also be forced to return Nieuw Nederlant to its lawful owners.

Your honor’s bond against Dirck Houdthuysen has produced no results. The people expressed their willingness to pay but are hindered by poverty. They have [      ] here again to the Versjes,^[6] in the service of the same governor, Wilhem Hontum, whom I have given a power of attorney in order to send over each year fifty guilders from their earnings, which they themselves have allowed. Whatever I receive of it shall be sent to your honor’s father in Holland.

Trade at this place is presently very poor because the Genoese contract has expired and they have departed; however, I expect to hear of a renewal of the contract soon, which shall cause some activity here once again.

In the meanwhile, it is not unpleasant to live here for anyone who is fond of loneliness, against which your honor thought that I needed a good partner. It is certainly true; however, it is my opinion that it is not entirely applicable in this country because one takes a wife and a country at the same time, which is totally against my disposition. I shall in any case strive once again to take delight in that which formerly has born much fruit, in order to seek my further advancement there. If your honor has advanced any in these matters, please inform me as soon as possible. In anticipation thereof I commend your honor and your honor’s brothers, my cousins and other friends, with cordial greetings, to the protection of the Almighty.

Done at Curaçao, the 19th of April 1665.

In the meantime, the ship De Gerechtighfeyt] van Amsterdam has arrived here on the 15th of June, bringing with it letters of the 13th of April^[8] which related that open warfare has been proclaimed, and that extreme diligence was being applied in order to put a fleet of 150 capital ships to sea. We expect something notable about it with the next one. On the 5th of July the bearer of this, Skipper Poppen, arrived here from Christoffel,^[9] reporting on the good progress which De Ruyter has made in the seizure of the English ships along the Coast.^[10] We hope also to hear something good soon from Nieuw Nederlandt. We are preparing ourselves daily to be able to withstand a serious attack by the English.

The 10^th of July 1665

[ Addressed: ] Sr. Gerrit van Tright, merchant at Manhattan

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.