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Cornell University Library 1993.XI.
CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN THE COLONIES
OF
NEW NETHERLANDS AND NEW-PLYMOUTH,
a. d. 1627.
FROM THE LETTER-BOOK OF WILLIAM BRADFORD,
Governor of New-Plymouth, $c.NOTE.
These interesting documents were first published in the collec-
tion of the Massachusetts Historical Society, in 1794. They
formed apart of Gov. Bradford’s Papers, most of which are supposed
to have been destroyed at Boston during the revolutionary war.
They had been in the possession of the Rev. Thomas Prince, (au-
thor of the New England Chronology,) by whom they were de-
posited with his library in the tower of the Old South Church,
where they were found by the British soldiers who had converted
the church into a riding school, and scattered to the winds. A por-
tion of the Governor’s letter-book, including the following corres-
pondence, was afterwards discovered in a grocer’s shop at Hali-
fax, (Nova-Scotia,) used for wrapping paper, but some one suspect-
ing its value caused it to be preserved.*
Prince has the following extract from another portion of Governor
Bradford s papers in reference to the overtures of the Dutch. Un-
der the year 1627, Bradford says—“ About mid March we receiv-
ed messengers from the governor of the Dutch plantation, with let-
ters written in Dutch and French, dated from the Manhattas in the
Fort Amsterdam, March 9, 1627, N. S., signed “ Isaac de Ra-
zier, Secretary.’’ They had traded in these northern parts divers
years before we came, bnt began no plantation there till four or
five years after our coming. In their letter ‘they congratulate
us and our prosperous and praiseworthy undertaking, and govern-
ment of our colony, with the presentation of their good will/and
service to us in all friendly kindness and good neighbourhood; of-
fer us any of their goods that may be serviceable to us, declare
they shall take themselves bound to accommodate and help us
with them, for any wares we are pleased to deal for’. We send
the Dutch our obliging answer, expressive of our thankful sense
of the kindness we received in their native country, and our grate-
ful acceptance of their offered friendship.”!
* MS. letter to the editor from Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris, D.D. of Bos-
ton.
f New England Chronology. A. D. 1627.NOTE.
357
Governor Bradford here alludes to the hospitable asylum afford-
ed to the Pilgrims in Holland, when compelled to fly from the in-
tolerant bigotry of their native land. His expressions of gratitude
are in unison with the sincerity and excellence of his character,
which combined the virtues of the Christian with a spirit of true
courtesy; and it is not strange that the harmonious relations thus
happily commenced between the two colonies, continued for many
years to their mutual advantage.
In another place he says, “ This year* the Dutch send to us
again from their plantation both kind letters and divers commo-
dities, as sugar, linen, stuffs, &c., and come with their bark at our
house at Manomet. Their Secretary Razier comes with trumpet-
ers, &c., but not being able to travel to us by land, desires us to
send a boat within side to fetch him; so we send a boat to Man-
onscusset, and bring him with the chief of his company to Ply-
mouth. After a few days’ entertainment, he returns to his bark ;
some of us go with him and buy sundry good£ After which be-
ginning they often send to the same place, and we trade together
divers years, sell much tobacco for linens, and stuffs, &c. which
proves a great benefit to us till the Virginians find out their colo-
ny. But that which in time turns most to our advantage is their
now acquainting and entering us in the trade of wampum, telling
us how vendible it is at their Fort Aurania, and persuading us we
shall find it so at Kennebeck. Upon this we buy £50 worth. At
first it sticks, and it is two years before we can put it off, till the
inland Indians come to know it, and then we can scarce procure
enough for many years together. By which and other provisions
we quite cut off the trade both from the fishermen and straggling
planters. And strange it is to see the great alteration it in a few
years makes among the savages; for the Massachusetts and others
in these parts had scarce any, it being only made and kept among
•New England Chronology, A. D. 1628. Prince here mistakes the year, as
may be readily seen from the correspondence. This circumstance leads us to
suppose that the letter-book was not in his possession when he wrote, especially
as it is not specified in the list of MSS. prefixed to the volume. The extracts
above quoted were without doubt taken from a history of Plymouth Colony
written by Governor Bradford, but never published, which Prince mentions
among his MS. authorities. 11 is^deeply to be regretted that a work of so much
interest was not printed j it is now probably lost.358
NOTE.
the Pequots and Narragansetts, who grew rich and potent by it;
whereas the rest who use it not, are poor and beggarly.”*
The Plymouth trading-house at Manomet to which the Dutch
resorted, was situated near an Indian village, at the head of Buz-
zard’s bay. It lay about twenty miles south of Plymouth, but be-
ing on the narrowest part of the isthmus connecting the peninsula
of Cape Cod with the main, it was accessible by water from that
place within four or five miles. The village of Monumet, in the
town of Sandwich, now occupies nearly the same site. Bradford
describes it as follows:—“ For greater convenience of trade, to
discharge our engagements and maintain ourselves, we build a
small pinnace at Manomet, a place on the sea, twenty miles to the
south; to which by another creek on this side we transport our
goods by water within four or five miles, and then carry them over
land to the vessel. We thereby avoid compassing Cape Cod with
those dangerous shoals, and make our voyage to the southward
with far less time and hazard. For the safety of our vessel and
goods we there also build a house and keep some servants, who
plant corn, rear swine, and are always ready to go out with the
bark, which takes good effect and turns to advantage.”! Another
Plymouth writer says that the governor went to the Indian town of
Manomet, in January, 1623, to buy corn, and that the town was
situated on a fresh river, to which “ the Dutch or French, or both
used to come.”!
* Roger Williams (Key into the language of the Indians, Lond. 1643,) describes
•the manner in which the wampum was made, and speaks of it as “ the coin of
thefndians”; the Dutch called it seawan. Williams adds, “This money the
English, French, and Dutch trade to the Indians six hundred miles in several
parts, north and south from New-England, for their furs and whatever they
stand in need of from them, as corn, venison, &c.” Burnaby, who travelled in
this country in 1760, had an opportunity of seeing the method of making wam-
pum, which he describes as follows:—“It is made of the clam-shell, consisting
within of two colours, purple and white, and in form not unlike a thick oyster
-shell. The process of manufacturing it is very simple. It is first clipped to a
proper size, which is that of a small oblong parallelopiped, then drilled, and af-
terwards ground to a round smooth surface, and polished. The purple wam-
pum is much more valuable than the white, a very small part of the shell being
.of that colour.” Travels, p. 60.
! Prince. 67.
t Winslow’s Relation.NOTE.
359
The portage across the isthmus was considerably shortened by
two small streams, running in opposite directions, one of which,
called Manonscusset creek, flowed into the bay on the east side of
the isthmus; the other was an arm of Buzzard’s bay, and received
the name of Manomet river from its superior width. The heads;
of the creek and river were not far distant.*
It is to be regretted that the first letter from the Dutch was not
printed with the rest, as Gov. Bradford had evidently copied it in-
to his letter-book in the original language. We have made inquiry
respecting it without being able to obtain a copy; the manu-
script seems not to have been preserved by the Society after the
correspondence was published.
Editor.
* Prince says, “ This is the place through which there has been a talkof
making a canal this forty years, which would be a vast advantage to all these
countries by saving the long and dangerous navigation round the Cape and
through the shoals adjoining ” This was in 1736. The project was revived
in 1776, and again in 1791, when it was referred to a committee of the Legis-
lature, who reported favourably. The latest notice we have seen of it, is in a
publication of 1839 ; in which the writer states that “it is proposed to unites
Massachusetts and Buzzard’s bays by a ship canal through the town of Sand-
wich. The distanceis five miles and the route level.”CORRESPONDENCE, &e.
This year [says Bradford] we had letters sent us from the Dutch
plantation, of whom we had heard much by the natives, but never
could hear from them nor meet with them before they themselves
thus wrote to us, and after sought us out; their letters were
written in a very fair hand, the one in French, and the other in
Dutch, but were one verbatim, so far as the tongue would bear.
[Here follows a letter in Low Dutch, from Isaac de Razier at
Manhattas, in Fort Amsterdam, March 9, 1627, N. S. to
the Governor of New Plymouth*]
I will not trouble myself to translate this letter, seeing the
effect of it will be understood by the answer which now follows
in English, though written to them in Dutch.
To the Honourable and Worshipful the Director and Council
of Neio Netherland, our very loving and worthy friends and
Christian neighbours.
The Governor and Council of Plymouth in New England
wish your Honours and Worships all happiness and prosperity
in this life, and eternal rest and glory with Christ Jesus our
Lord in the world to come.
We have received your letters, wherein appeareth your good
will and friendship toward us, but is expressed with over high
titles, and more than belongs to us, or than is meet for us to
receive. But for your good will and congratulation of our pros-
perity in this small beginning of our poor colony, we are much
bound unto you, and with many thanks acknowledge the same ;
taking it both for a great honour done unto us, and for a certain
testimony of your love and good neighbourhood. Now these
are further to give your Honours, Worships and Wisdoms to
understand, that it is to us no small joy to hear, that it hath
pleased God to move his Majesty’s heart, not only to confirm
that ancient amity, alliance, and friendship, and other contracts
formerly made and ratified by his predecessors of famous me-
mory ; but hath himself (as you say) and we likewise have been
informed, strengthened the same with a new union, the better
* It thus appears that the portion of the letter-book preserved contained a
copy of the first letter from the Dutch, which was not printed, probably on
account of its being in the Dutch language.	Ed.CORRESPONDENCE.
361
to resist the pride of that common enemy, the Spaniards, from
whose cruelty the Lord keep us both, and our native countries.
Now forasmuch as this is sufficient to unite us together in love
and good neighbourhood in all our dealings; yet are many of
us further tied by the good and courteous entreaty which we
have found in your country, having lived there many years,
with freedom and good content, as many of our friends do to this
day ; for which we are bound to be thankful, and our children
after us, and shall never forget the same, but shall heartily desire
your good and prosperity as our own forever. Likewise for
your friendly proposition and offer to accommodate and help us
with any commodities or merchandise which you have and we
want, either for beaver, otters, or other wares, is to us very ac-
ceptable, and we doubt not but in short time we may have pro-
fitable trade and commerce together. But you may please to
understand that we are but one particular colony or plantation
in this land,, there being divers others besides, unto whom it hath
pleased those Honourable Lords of his Majesty’s Council for
New England to grant the like commission, and ample privi-
leges to them (as to us) for their better profit and subsistence;
namely to expulse, or make prize of any, either strangers or
other English, which shall attempt either to trade or plant within
their limits (without their special license and commission) which
extend to forty degrees. Yet for our parts, we shall not go
about to molest or trouble you in any thing, but continue all
good neighbourhood and correspondence as far as we may ;
only we desire that you would forbear to trade with the natives
in this bay, and river of Narraganset and Sowames, which is
(as it were) at our doors : The which if you do, we think no
other English will go about any way to trouble or hinder you ;
which otherwise are resolved to solicit his Majesty for redress,
if otherwise they cannot help themselves.
May it please you further to understand, that for this year we
are fully supplied with all necessaries, both for clothing and
other things ; but it may so fall out, that hereafter we shall deal
with you, if your rates be reasonable. And therefore when your
people come again, we desire to know how you will take beaver
by the pound, and otters by the skin, and how you will deal per
cent, for other commodities, and what you can furnish us with ;
as likewise what commodities from us may be acceptable with
you, as tobacco, fish, corn, or other things, and what prices you
will give.
Thus hoping that you will pardon and excuse us for our rude
and imperfect writing in your language, and take it in good part;
because, for want of use, we cannot so well express that we
understand; nor happily understand every thing so fully as wTe
should. And so we humbly pray the Lord, for his mercy’s
46362
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
sake, that he will take both us and our native countries into his
holy protection and defence. Amen.
By the Governor and Council, your Honour’s
and Worships’ very good friends and neighbours.
New-Plymouth, March 19th.
Next follows their reply to this our answer, very friendly but
maintaining their right and liberty to trade in those parts, which
we had desired them to forbear; alleging that as we had au-
thority and commission from our king, so they had the like
from the States of Holland, which they would defend.
August 7, 1627.
Another of theirs upon our answer to their last, which 1 here
omit.
An answer to the former letters.
We have received your letters,* dated the 7th of August, and
with them a rundlet of sugar, and two Holland cheeses, by John
Jacobson of Wiring ; for which we give you many thanks, and
must remain your debtors till another time, not having any thing
to send you for the present that may be acceptable. Further,
you shall understand that it is also our resolution and hearty
desire to hold and continue all friendship and good neighbour-
hood with you as far as we may and lies in our power ; we de-
sire also that we might have opportunity (according as you
write) by word of mouth, to confer together touching our mutual
commerce and trading in such things as our countries afford ;
and would now have sent one, but that one of our boats is abroad,
and we have much business at home. But if by the next you
would please to depute one (according as you have propounded)
to come hither and to confer hereabouts, we should be glad, and he
should be welcome: If not, we shall send as soon as conveniently
we can (after harvest), if we can know when your bark comes
this way. We cannot likewise omit (out of our love and good
affection toward you, and the trust you repose in us) to give you
warning of the danger which may befall you, that you may pre-
vent it; for if you light either in the hands of those of Virginia
or the fishing ships, which come to New England, peradventure
they will make prize of you, if they can, if they find you trading
within those limits; as they surprised a colony of the French
not many years since, which was seated within these bounds.
For howsoever you allege in your former letter, that you have
navigated and traded in these parts above this twenty-six years,
* This was written in their own tongue.NEW-NETHERLANDS AND PLYMOUTH.
363
and that your company have now authority from the States and
the Prince of Orange to do so; yet you must understand that
her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory, hath begun
to navigate and plant in these lands well nigh forty years ago,
as appears by her patents and royal grants conferred upon divers
of her subjects, and since confirmed and enlarged by his late
Majesty, and still continued by possession. Therefore it were
best (in our opinion) that your masters should solicit the States
that they might come to some order and agreement with the
king’s Majesty and state of England hereabout, before any in-
convenience befall; for howsoever you may be assured for our-
selves, yet we should be sorry to hear you should sustain harm
from any of our nation; but more of these things when we shall
speak one with another. In the mean time we commit you and
your affairs to the protection of the Highest.
Your loving friends, the Governor
and Council of New-Plymouth.
WILLIAM BRADFORD,
Governor, &c.
Plymouth, August 14, Anno 1627.
Their answer to this directed to myself, thus superscribed :—
Monsieur Monseigneur William Bradford, Governor Nieu-
Plemeuen.
This I will put in English, and so will end with theirs* viz.
After the wishing of all good unto you, this serves to let you
understand that we have received your (acceptable) letters,
dated the 14th of the last month, by John Jacobson of Wiring,
who besides by word of mouth hath reported unto us your kind
and friendly entertainment of him : For which cause (by the
good liking and approbation of the Director and Council) I am
resolved to come myself in friendship to visit you, that we may
by word of mouth friendly communicate of things together ; as
also to report unto you the good will and favour that the Honour-
able Lords of the authorized West India Company bear towards
you. And to show our willingness of your good accommoda-
tion, have brought with me some cloth of three sorts and colours,
and a chest of white sugar, as also some seawan, &c., not doubt-
ing but, if any of them may be serviceable unto you, we shall
agree well enough about the prices thereof. Also John Jacob-
son aforesaid hath told me, that he came to you over land in six
hours, but I have not gone so far this three or four years ;
wherefore I fear my feet will fail me, so I am constrained to
entreat you to afford me the easiest means that I may, with
least weariness, come to congratulate with you. So leaving other364
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
things to the report of the bearer, shall herewith end ; remember-^
ing my hearty salutations to yourself and friends, &c. From aboard
the bark Nassau, the 4th of October, before Frenchman’s point.-
Your affectionate friend,
ISAAC DE RAZIER.
Anno 1627.-
So, according to his request, we sent our boat for him, who
came honourably attended with a noise of trumpeters he was1
their upper commis, or chief merchant and second, to the gover-
nor ; a man of a fair and genteel behaviour, but soon after fell
into disgrace amongst them, by reason of their factions; and
thus at length we came to meet and deal together. We at this
time bought sundry of their commodities, especially their seaman
or ivampam.peack, which was the beginning of a profitable trade
with us and the Indians. We further understood,, that their
masters were willing to have friendship with us, and to supply
us with sundry commodities, and offered us assistance against
the French, if need were.. The which, though we know it was
with an eye to their own profit, yet we had reason both kindly to
accept it and make use of it. So after this sundry of them came'
often to us, and many letters passed between us, the which I
will pass by as being about particular dealings, and would not
be here very pertinent; only upon this passage we wrote one to
their Lords and masters as followeth :—
Right Honourable and Worthy Lords,
We understand by your agent, Mr. Isaac Razier, who is at
this present with us (and hath demeaned himself to your Honours*'
and his own credit) of your honourable and respective good in*
tentions towards us, which we humbly acknowledge with all
thankfulness, and shall ever be ready in the performance of all
offices of good and Christian neighbourhood towards your colony
and plantation here, and in all satisfactory correspondence ta
your Honours, so far as in us lieth, and may stand with our
allegiance to the King’s most excellent Majesty, our Sovereign
Lord the King of Great Britain ; acknowledging ourselves tied
in a strict obligation unto your country and state, for the good?
entertainment and free liberty which we had, and our brethren
and countrymen yet there have and do enjoy, under our most
honourable Lords the States ; and so shall be ready to accom-
modate ourselves to your good satisfaction. For the'propositions
of your agent concerning the matter of trade and commerce, we;
will have due and respective consideration, wishing it had been
sooner propounded at the beginning of the year, before we sent
our factor into England and Holland about our trade and sup-NEW-NETHERLANDS AND PLYMOUTH.
365
plies ; for, till his return, we can determine of nothing, not yet
knowing certainly what issue there will be of the business be-
tween the merchants our partners, and ourselves ; and therefore
desire suspension of our determination and resolution herein till
next year, we being not yet altogether free in respect of our en-
gagements unto them. In the mean time wre will digest it in
our best cogitations ; only we desire your Honours, that ye would
take into your wise and honourable considerations, that which
we conceive may be a hindrance to this accordation, and may be
a means of much future evil, if it be not prevented, namely, that
you clear the title of your planting in these parts, which his
Majesty hath, by patent, granted to divers his nobles and subjects
of quality; lest it be a bone of division in these stirring evil
times, which God forbid. We persuade ourselves that now may
be easily and seasonably done, which will be harder and with
more difficulty obtained hereafter, and perhaps not without blows
so there may be assured peace and good correspondence on all
parts, and ourselves more free and able to contract with your
Honours. Thus commending our best service to our most
noble Lords, praying for the prosperous success of your worthy'
designs, we rest your Lordship’s
Most sincerely affected and bounden,
WILLIAM BRADFORD,
Governor, &c.
Plymouth, Oct. 1, Anno 1627~
We well knew likewise, that this dealing and friendship with
the Dutch (though it was wholly sought of themselves) yet it
would procure us envy from others in the land, and that at one^
time or other, our enemies would take occasion to raise slanders*
and frame accusations against us for it; therefore, to prevent
their malice, as also to show the sincerity of our dealing, and
and our loyal and dutiful respect to his Majesty and the Honour-
able Council for New England, we sent their first letter (with
our answer thereto, and their reply to the same) unto the Coun-
cil, as may appear more particularly by our letters following.
A Letter to the Council of New England.
Right Honourable,
We hold it our bounden duty to inform and acquaint your
Lordships and Honours, with all such occurrences and matters
of note as do here befall, and may any way concern the estate of
this country, in either the good or hurt thereof, which, next his
Majesty, stands under your honourable governments and pro-
tection ; or which may in any sort be worthy your wise and
prudent considerations. May it please your Honours and Lord-360
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
ships to understand, that of late we received letters from the
Dutch plantation, who using to trade near unto us, had order to
stay for an answer from us ; and the effect of their letters being
friendly and congratulatory, we answered them in like sort;
since which time we received another from them, but have had
as yet no opportunity to give answer thereto. Their first letters
were two,* but both one in effect and verbatim, so far as the pro-
prieties of the tongues will bear; the French, with the copies
both of our answer and their reply, we have here enclosed sent
unto your Honour’s view, that according to your honourable
directions therein, we may govern ourselves in our dealings
with them. We further understand that for strength of men
and fortification they far exceed us, and all in this land. We
cannot likewise forbear to complain unto your Lordships of the
irregular living of many in this land, who without either patent
or license, order or government, live, trade and truck, not with
any intent to plant, but rather to forage the country and get what
they can, whether by right or wrong, and then be gone : So as
such as have been and are at great charge to settle plantations,
will not be able to subsist, if some remedy be not provided, both
with these and the inordinate course of fishermen, who begin to
leave fishing, and fall wholly to trading, to the great detriment
of both the small beginning here, and the state of England,v by
the unprofitable consuming of the victuals of the land upon these
savages : Whereas plantations might here better raise the same
in the land, and so be enabled both to subsist and to return the
profit thereof into England for other necessaries, which would
be beneficial to the commonwealth. Our humble suit therefore
to your good Lordships is, that you would take some such order
for redress herein, as shall seem best to your honourable wis-
doms, for the relief of all the plantations in the land. So in all
humbleness we commit ourselves to your honourable direction,
and you to the protection of the Almighty, resting
Yours ever at commandment,
WILLIAM BRADFORD,
Governor, &c.
New-Plymouth, June 15, Anno 1627.
Another to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, touching the same subject.
Honourable Sir,
My humble duty remembered ; we have of late received let-
ters from the Dutch plantation, and have had speech with some
of them ; I hold it my duty to acquaint your Worship and the
rest of the Honourable Council therewith, unto whom we have
* The one in French and the other in Dutch.NEW-NETHERLANDS AND PLYMOUTH.
367
likewise written and sent the copies of their letters, that together
with their and your honourable directions we may know how to
order ourselves herein. They have used trading there this six
or seven and twenty years, but have begun to plant of later time,
and now have reduced their trade to some order, and confined it
only to their company, which heretofore was spoiled by their sea-
men and interlopers, as ours is this year most notoriously, of whom
we have made some complaint in our letters to the Council, not
doubting but we shall find worshipful furtherance therein. We
are now upon concluding with our adventurers, and shall be put
upon hard straits by great payments, which we are enforced to
make for sundry years, or else to leave all, which will be to us
very difficult; and, to say the truth, if these disorders of fisher-
men and interlopers be not remedied, no plantations are able to
stand, but will decay ; wThereas otherwise they may subsist and
flourish. Thus in all humbleness I take leave, and rest,
At your service,
WILLIAM BRADFORD.
Plymouth, June 15, Anno 1627.
P. S. Besides the spoiling of the trade this last year, our boat
and men had like to have been cut off by the Indians, after the
fishermen were gone, for the wrongs which they did them in
stealing their skins and other abuses offered them, both the last
year and this ; and besides they still continue to truck pieces,
powder and shot with them, which will be the overthrow of all,
if it be not looked unto.
*	NOTE.
A collision came near taking place between the two colonies in 1633, grow-
ing out of the first attempts to extend their settlements to Connecticut river.—
Prince, under that year, has the following extracts from Bradford’s MS. History
in relation to this subject:—“ We having had formerly converse and familiar-
ity with the Dutch, they seeing us seated in a barren quarter told us of a river
called by them the Fresh river, which they often commended to us for a fine
place both for plantation and trade, and wished us to make use of it; but our
hands being full otherwise, we let it pass. But afterwards there coming a
company of Indians into these parts, who were driven thence by the Pequents,
who usurped upon them, they often solicited us to go thither and we should
have much trade, especially if we would keep a house there. And having a
good store of commodities, we began to send that way to discover the same
and trade with the natives. We found it to be a fine place, and tried divers
times not without profit, but saw the most certainty would be by keeping a368
NOTE.
house there to receive the trade when it comes down out of the inland. These
Indians not seeing us very forward to build there, solicited those of the Massa-
chusetts in like sort, for their end was to be restored to their country again.-—
But they in the Bay being but lately come, were not fit for the same.”*
At length the Plymouth people resolved to commence a settlement upon the
banks of the Connecticut; but the Dutch, in the mean time, had taken posses-
sion of the river, and built Fort Good Hope within the limits of the present city
of Hartford, with the intention of occupying the country. The Pilgrims having
declined the invitation when given them on a former occasion to remove the
seat of their colony to the Connecticut, the Dutch were now unwilling to allow
them to occupy the river after they had themselves determined to colonize it,
and had been at the expense of building a fort for their protection. Difficul-
ties ensued, of which Bradford gives the following account:—
“ But the Dutch begin now to repent, and hearing of our purpose and pre-
paration, endeavour to prevent us, get in a little before us, make a slight fort,
and plant two pieces of ordnance, threatening to stop our passage. But we
having a great new bark, and a frame of a house, with boards, nails, &c. ready,
that we might have a defence against the Indians, who are much offended that
we bring home and restore the right sachems of the place, called Natawannte ;
so as we are to encounter with a double danger in this attempt, both the Dutch
and Indians. When we come up the river, the Dutch demand lWhat we intend,
■and whither we would go ?9 We answer, ‘ Up the river to trade9 Now our or-
der was to go and seat above them. They bid us ‘ strike and stay, or they
would shoot us,* and stood by their ordnance ready fitted. We answer, * We
have a commission from the governor of Plymouth to go up the river to such a
placet and if they shootj we must obey our order and proceed; we would not
molest them, but would go on9 So we pass along, and the Dutch threaten us
hard, yet they shoot not. Coming to our place about a mile above the Dutch,
{since called Windsor,] we quickly clap up our house, land our provisions, leave
the company appointed, send the bark home, and afterwards palisade our
house about and fortify better. The Dutch send word home to the Manhatos
what was done, and in process of time they send a band of about seventy men
an warlike manner, with colours displayed, to assault us; but seeing us strength-
ened, and that it would cost blood, they come to a parley and return in peace;
#,nd this was our entrance there. We did the Dutch no wrong, for we took not
a foot of any land they bought, but went to the place above them, and bought
'that tract of land which belonged to the Indians [whom] we carried with us
Sind our friends, with whom the Dutch had nothing to do.”
Editor.
* Referring to the colony of Massachusetts Bay.