>/ iii^'2>!So. 
 
 r-xit 
 
 
 J^.'^^ \ 
 
 
 i»^i) :nA>IIATTAN in 1628, as described 
 in the recently discovered Autograph 
 Letter of Jonas Michaeliiis, written from 
 the Settlement on the 8th of August ot 
 that year and now first published, with 
 a review of the letter find a Historical 
 Sketch of New Netherland to 1628, by 
 Cingmrn Versteeg. 17 page and fold- 
 ing fac-similes and i)ortraits. 4to. grey 
 boards, cloth back, finely printed at the 
 Marion Press on Holland paper. 216 pp. 
 Edition limited to 175 copies, numbered 
 and signed. N. Y. (Dodd, Mead), 1904. 
 ($16'i)0 net.) $7.50 
 
 990 The Same. Printed on Japanese 
 vellum. Limited to 50 copies, numbered 
 and signed. ($;',0.00 net.) $15.00 
 
 One of the earliest known contempo- 
 rary accoiuits of the present City of New 
 I York. A valuable addition to the litera- 
 ! tUic of the subject. Should be in every 
 ' Public Library in the State. 
 
 His 
 
 
 V 
 
 u» 
 
.N5MG 
 

 AUG 28 1979 
 
 ^OLOGlCAl SEV\\^ 
 
 c\ 
 
 THE FIRST MINISTER 
 
 DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 THE HAGUE, PRINTED BY THE BROTHERS OltlNTA D ALBANI 
 
For private distribution. 
 
ri.fel 
 
 There has just appeared in the Kerk-historisch 
 Archief, a work published periodically at Amster- 
 dam , one of those interesting fragments , which the 
 researches of the cmious into the history of the 
 settlement of the United States are constantly 
 bringing, for the first time, to light. It is a letter 
 of Jonas Michaelius , who may now be called the 
 first minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in the 
 United States , written at Manhatas in New Nether- 
 land on the IP'' of August 1G.28, and communi- 
 cated to the work above mentioned , with sucli no- 
 tices of the life of the writer, as existing materials 
 permit, by Mr. J. J. Bodel Nijenhuis; who de- 
 serves well of Americans, and especially of New- 
 Yorkers , for the zeal which prompted him to rescue 
 this waif from oblivion , and for the industry which 
 he has exhibited in collecting as far as possible the 
 events in the life of the missionary. We are now 
 carried back five years earlier in the history of the 
 
regular ministration of the Gospel in New-York, 
 and are enabled to add one more to the list of 
 clergymen of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amer- 
 ica, one who, by his attainments and his holy 
 zeal, as well as the high respect with which he 
 was regarded by his learned brethern in Holland, 
 is not unworthy to take his place at the head of 
 the roll of that learned and pious body. 
 
 This letter is addressed to Dom. Adrianus Smout- 
 ius, minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at 
 Amsterdam. It was found among the papers of 
 the late Jacobus Korning, clerk of the fourth ju- 
 dicial district of Amsterdam. Further than this its 
 history is unknown ; but as Mr. Nijenhuis justly 
 observes , it is undoubtedly to the importance of 
 its contents that we are indebted for its preserva- 
 tion. Of the author, however, some few incidents 
 interesting both as connected with his life and con- 
 firmatory of the claim now established in his behalf, 
 have been discovered. They serve to excite our 
 wonder that no intimation of his ministry and resi- 
 dence at New-Amsterdam has ever before been given. 
 From the researches of Mr. Nijenhuis we learn that 
 Jonas Michaelius was born in the year 1577 in 
 North-Holland and was educated contemporaneously 
 with Jacob Cats and Ger. Joh. Vossius at the cel- 
 ebrated university of Leyden, in which as appears 
 by its records, he was entered as student of Divi- 
 nity ou the 9"' of September 1600. He was settled 
 as minister at Nieuwbokswoude in North-Holland in 
 1G12 and two years later at Hem in the same 
 neighborhood. In 1624 he was, on the conquest 
 
of St. Salvador from the Portuguese to the Dutch 
 arms by Peter Heyii in that year, established as 
 a minister tliere; but on the recovery of that place 
 by the Portuguese in the following year, he left 
 for Guinea and became the minister at the fort 
 there, then recently taken from the Portuguese. He 
 returned to Holland in 1627 and in January follow- 
 ing, as his letter states, embarked with his wife 
 and three children for New Netherland. He was 
 then over fifty years of age. How long after writing 
 his letter he remained in New Netherland is not 
 known. He appears however in 1637 and 1638 
 to have been again in Amsterdam, when he was 
 requested by the Classis of Amsterdam to return 
 as minister to New Netherland. This be consented 
 to do and the Classis directed an application to be 
 made to the West India Company to send him out. 
 This was refused after some months delay for rea- 
 sons which do not appear. Whether his advanced 
 age, or the additional expense which the company 
 would incur, or what other reason caused the re- 
 jection of the application , is not known ; the confi- 
 dence Avhich he had of the Classis of Amsterdam 
 shows it must have been some special reason not 
 affecting his standing as a minister. There is what 
 appears to as an important fact in the register of 
 these proceedings of the Classis of Amsterdam. Mi- 
 chaelius is there styled //late minister in Virginia, /a 
 (gewezen predikant in Virginia) , a circumstance not 
 important, as Mr. Nijenhuis intimates, because it 
 may thence be inferred that he emigrated from 
 New Netherland to Virginia , for there is no possi- 
 
6 
 
 ble reason why he should go there as a // minister n 
 where neither the Dutch nor the French language 
 was spoken; but as confirming the authenticity of 
 the letter itself, which otherwise stands wholly urn- 
 supported by other testimony. It shows that Mi- 
 chaelius had been in North-America as a minister, 
 and the fact that he is mentioned as of Virginia, 
 proves nothing more , taken in connection with the 
 letter , than that the Registrar who penned the mi- 
 nute, had in his mind the idea, which prevailed 
 at that time throughout Europe , and which assigned 
 the general name of Virginia to all that portion of 
 North-America lying between Florida on the South 
 and New France on the North, and embracing the 
 colonies of New-England , New-Netherland and Ma- 
 ryland , as well as the particular colony of Virginia. 
 
 There is, however, in the letter itself abundant 
 intrinsic evidence of its authenticity. The national- 
 ity of the first adventurers, Walloons as well as 
 Dutch ; the place of the former residence in Europe 
 of the Governor, Minuit; the war between the 
 Mohawks and the Mohicans, are all stated inciden- 
 tally in such a manner, that, being at the same 
 time consistent with the facts known from other 
 sources , they leave no reasonable ground for doubt , 
 even without the recognition of the ministry of 
 Mr. Michaelius in New-Netherland by the note of 
 registrar in the Acta Classicalia , of its truth. 
 
 This letter, of which a faithful translation into 
 l^^nglish is now offered , possesses a peculiar interest 
 independently of its importance in connection with 
 the history of the Church. It is the only letter 
 
extant, within our knowledge, written during the 
 first years of the settlement of New -York by any 
 of the adventurers. Wliile New- England is rich in 
 this kind of material for its history, New- York is 
 with the exception of that now presented to us, 
 entirely barren. We read with interest the picture 
 which the writer draws of the privations of the 
 first settlers of New- Amsterdam , of their first cul- 
 tivation of the land, of the productions of the 
 country, and of the manners and language of the 
 Indians, from all which the reader will derive the 
 means of no unprofitable reflection. 
 
 Hen. C. Murphy 
 
 The Hague , 
 
 April 1. 1858. 
 
DE VREDE CHRISTI. 
 
 Honorable Sir , Well-heloved Brother in 
 Christ , Kind Friend ! 
 
 The favorable opportunity, which now presents 
 itself of writing to your Right Reverend Sir, I can 
 not let pass, without embracing it, according to 
 my promise. And I first unburden myself in this 
 communication of a sorrowful circumstance. It has 
 pleased the Lord seven weeks after we arrived in 
 this country to take from me my good partner, 
 who has been to me for more than sixteen years , 
 a virtuous , faithful and in every respect amiable yoke- 
 fellow, and I find myself with three children very 
 much discommoded, without her society and assis- 
 tance. But what have I to say ? The Lord him- 
 self has done this , in which no one can oppose 
 Him. Wherefore I should also be willing, knowing 
 that all things must work together for good to those 
 who love God. I hope therefore to bear my cross 
 patiently, and by the grace and help of the Lord, 
 not to let the courage fail me which I stand in 
 need of in my particular duties. 
 
10 
 
 The voyage continued long, namely, from the 
 r24"' of January till the 7''' of April when we first 
 set our foot apon this land. Of storm and tempest 
 we have had no lack, particularly about the Ber- 
 mudas and the rough coasts of this country , the 
 which fell hard upon the good wife and children, 
 but they bore it better as regards sea-sickness and 
 fear , than I had expected. Our fare in the ship 
 was very poor and scanty , so that my blessed wife 
 and children , not eating with us in the cabin , on 
 account of the Kttle room in it , had a worse lot 
 than the sailors themselves; and that by reason of 
 a wicked cook who annoyed them in every way; 
 but especially by reason of the captain himself who , 
 although I frequently complained of it in the most 
 courteous manner , did not concern himself in the 
 least , about correcting the rascal : nor did he , even 
 when they were all sick, give them any thing 
 which could do them any good , although there 
 was enough in the ship; though he himself knew 
 very well where to find it in order, out of meal- 
 times, to fill his own belly. All the relief which 
 be gave us , consisted merely in liberal promises , 
 with a drunken head, which promises nothing fol- 
 lewcd when he was sober, but a sour'face, and 
 thus has he played the brute against the officers 
 and kept himself constantly to the wine, both at 
 sea and especially here in the (North) river; so 
 that he has navigated the ship daily with a wet 
 sail and an empty head , coming ashore seldom to 
 the Council and never to the public Divine Service. 
 We bore all with silence on board the ship; but 
 
it grieves iiic, whuii 1 think of it, on account ot" 
 my wife; the more, because she was placed as she 
 was , - not knowing wlietlier she was pregnant , 
 and because the time was so short which she had 
 yet to live. In my first voyage {*) I travelled much 
 Avitli him , yea , lodged in the same hut , but never 
 knew that he was such a brute and drunkard. 
 But he was then under the direction of Mr. Lam, 
 and now he had the principal direction himself. I 
 have also written to Mr. Godyn about it, conside- 
 ring it necessary that it should be known. 
 
 Our coming here was agreable to all , and I hope , 
 by the grace of the Lord, that my services will 
 not he unfruitful. The people , for the most part , 
 are all free , somewhat rough , and loose , but I find 
 in most all of them both love and respect towards 
 me; two things with which hitherto the Lord has 
 every where graciously blessed my labors , and which 
 will produce us fruit in our special calling, as 
 Your Right Reverend yourself well knows and finds. 
 
 We have first established the form of a church 
 (gemeente) ; and, as Brother Bastiaen Crol very 
 seldom comes down from Fort Orange, because the 
 directorship of that fort and the trade there is 
 committed to him, it has been thought best to 
 choose two Elders for my assistance and for the 
 proper consideration of all such ecclesiastical matters 
 as might occur, intending the coming year, if the 
 Lord permit , to let one of them retire , and to 
 choose another in his place from a double number 
 
 (*) To Brazil. 
 
12 
 
 first lawfully presented by the congregation. One 
 of those whom we have now chosen is the Honora- 
 ble Director himself, and the other is the store- 
 keeper of the Company , Jan Huyghen , his brother- 
 in-law, persons of very good character, as far as 
 I have been able to learn ; having both been for- 
 merly in office in the church , the one as Deacon 
 and the other as Elder in the Dutch and French 
 churches, respectively, at Wesel. 
 
 We have had at the first administration of the 
 Lords Supper full fifty communicants — not without 
 great joy and comfort for so many — Walloons and 
 JDutch; of whom, a portion made their first con- 
 fession of the faith before us , and others exhibited 
 their church certificates. Others had forgotten to 
 bring their certificates with them , not thinking 
 that a church would be formed and established 
 here; and some, who brought them, had lost them 
 unfortunately in a general conflagration, but they 
 were admitted upon the satisfactory testimony of 
 others to whom they were known and also upon 
 their daily good deportment , since we cannot ob- 
 serve strictly all the usual formalities in making a 
 beginning under such circumstances. 
 
 We administer the Holy Sacrament of the Lord 
 once in four mouths, provisionally until a larger 
 number of people shall otherwise require. The 
 Walloons and French have no service on Sundays, 
 otherwise than in the Dutch language, of which 
 they understand very little. A portion of the Wal- 
 loons are going back to the fatherland, either be- 
 cause their years here are expired or also because 
 
13 
 
 sonic arc not very serviceable to the Company. 
 Some of them live far away and could not come 
 on account of the heavy rains and storms , so that 
 it was neither advisable nor was it possible to ap- 
 point any special service for so small a number 
 with so much uncertainty. Nevertheless the Lord's 
 Supper was administered to them in the French 
 language and according to the French mode, with 
 a preceding discourse, which I had before me in 
 writing , as 1 could not trust myself extemporane- 
 ously. If in this and in other matters Your Right 
 Reverend and the Reverend Brothers of the Con- 
 sistories, who have special superintendence over us 
 here (*) , deem it necessary to bestow upon us any 
 correction , instruction or good advice , it will be 
 agreeable to us and we will thank Your Right 
 Reverend therefor ; since we must have no other 
 object than the glory of God in the building up 
 of his kingdom and the salvation of many souls. 
 I keep myself as far as practicable within the pale 
 of my calling, wherein I find myself sufficiently 
 occupied. And although our small consistory, em- 
 braces at the most — when Brother Crol is down 
 here , — not more than four persons , all of whom , 
 myself alone excepted , have also public business to 
 attend to, I still hope to separate carefully the 
 ecclesiastical from the civil matters , which occur , 
 so that each one will he occupied with his own 
 subject. And though many things are mixti generis , 
 and political and ecclesiastical persons can greatly 
 
 (*) Named at the end of the letter. 
 
14 
 
 assist each other , nevertheless the matters and of- 
 fices tending together must not be mixed but kept 
 separate , in order to prevent all confusion and 
 disorder. As the council of this place consists of 
 good people , who are , however , for the most part 
 simple and have little experience in public affairs, 
 I would have little objection to serve them in any 
 serious or dubious affair with good advice , provided 
 I considered myself capable and my advice should 
 be asked; in which case I suppose that I would 
 not do amiss , or be suspected by any one of being 
 
 a TtolvTiQayfiorp OV dlloT^iOsniaxonog. 
 
 In my opinion it is very expedient that the Lords 
 Managers of this place should furnish plain and 
 precise instructions to their Governors that they may 
 distinctly know how to regulate themselves in all 
 difficult occurrences and events in public matters ; 
 and at the same time that I hould have all such Acta 
 Synodalia , as are adopted in the Synods of Holland , 
 both the special ones relating to this region and 
 those which are provincial and national, in relation 
 to ecclesiastical points of difficulty, or at least such 
 of them as in the judgment of the Reverend Broth- 
 ers at Amsterdam would be most likely to present 
 themselves to us here. In the mean time I hope 
 matters will go well here, if only on both sides 
 we do the best in all sincerity and honest zeal ; 
 whereto I have from the first entirely devoted my- 
 self, and wherein I have also hitherto, by the grace 
 of God, had no just cause to complain of any one. 
 And if any dubious matters of importance happen 
 to me , and especially if they will admit of any 
 
15 
 
 delay, I will apply to the Reverend Brothers for 
 good and prudent advice, to which I have already 
 wholly commended myself. 
 
 As to the natives of this country I find them 
 entirely savage and wild, strangers to all decency, 
 yea, uncivil and stupid as posts, proficient in all 
 wickedness and godlessness , devilish men , who 
 serve nobody but the Devil , that is the spirit , 
 which , in their language , they call ^nanetto .• under 
 which title they comprehend every thing that is 
 subtle and crafty and beyond human skill and pow- 
 er. They have so much witchcraft , divination , 
 sorcery and wicked tricks that they cannot be held 
 in by any bands or locks. They are as thievish 
 and treacherous as they are tall; and in cruelty 
 they are more inhuman than the people of Bar- 
 bary and far exceed the Africans. T have written 
 concerning there things to several persons else- 
 where , not doubting that Brother Crol will have 
 written sufficient to Your Right Reverend or to the 
 Lords Managers thereof; as also of the base treache- 
 ry and the murders which the Mohicans at the 
 upper part of this River, against fort Orange, had 
 committed; but their misfortune is by the gra- 
 cious interposition of the Lord , for our good ; who 
 when it pleases Him knows how^ to pour unexpec- 
 tedly natural impulses into these unnatural men in 
 order to hinder their designs. How these people 
 can best he led to the true knowledge of God 
 and of the Mediator Christ is hard to say. 1 can- 
 not myself wonder enough who it is who has im- 
 posed so nuich upon Your Right lleverend and 
 
16 
 
 many others in the Fatherland concerning the do- 
 cility of these people and their good nature, the 
 proper princijna religionis and vestigia legis naturce 
 which should be among them ; in whom I have as 
 yet been able to discover hardly a single good point , 
 except that they do not speak so jeeringly and 
 so scoffingly of the godlike and glorious majesty of 
 their Creator, as the Africans dare to do. But it 
 is because they have no certain knowledge of Him , 
 or scarcely any. If we speak to them of God, it 
 appears to them like a dream : and we are com- 
 pelled to speak of Him not under the name of 
 Menotto, w^hom they know and serve, - for that 
 would be blasphemy , — but under that of some 
 great persons , yea , of the Chiefs Sackiema , - by 
 which name they, - living without a king, - call 
 those who have the command over any hundreds 
 among them and who by our people are called 
 Sackemakers, the which their people hearing, some 
 will begin to mutter and shake their heads as of a 
 silly fable, and others in order to express regard 
 and friendship to such a proposition , will say Orith , 
 that is, good. Now, by what means are we to 
 make an inroad or practicable breach for the sal- 
 vation of this people ? I take the liberty on this 
 point of enlarging somewhat to Your Right Reve- 
 rend. 
 
 Their language which is first thing to be em- 
 ployed with them , methinks is entirely pecidiar. 
 Many of our common people call it an easy lan- 
 guage, which is soon learned, but I am of a 
 contrary opinion. For those who can understand 
 
17 
 
 their words to some extent and repeat them , fail 
 greatly in the pronunciation and speak a broken lan- 
 guage, like the language of Ashdod. For these 
 people have difficult aspirates and many guttural 
 letters which are formed more in the throat than 
 by the mouth, teeth and lips, which our people 
 not being accustomed to, guess at by means of 
 their signs , and then imagine that they have ac- 
 complished something wonderful. It is true one 
 can learn as much as is sufficient for the purposes 
 of trading, but this occurs almost as much by 
 signs with the thumb and fingers as by speaking; 
 which could not be done in religious matters. It 
 also seems to us that they rather design to con- 
 ceal their language from us than to properly com- 
 municate it, except in things which happen in daily 
 trade; saving that it is sufficient for us to under- 
 stand them in those: and then they speak only half 
 their reasons , with shortened words ; and frequently 
 call a dozen things and even more by one name; 
 and all things which have only a rude resemblance 
 to each other they frequently call by the same name. 
 In truth it is a made up childish language : so that 
 even those who can best of all speak with the 
 Indians and get along well in trade, are never- 
 theless wholly in the dark and bewildered when 
 they hear the Indians speaking with each other by 
 themselves. 
 
 Let us then leave the parents in their condition 
 and begin with the children who are still young. 
 So it should be. But they must be separated in 
 youth from their parents, yea, from their whole 
 
18 
 
 nation. For, without this, they would be as much 
 given as their parents to heathenish tricks and de- 
 viltries , which are kneaded naturally in their hearts 
 by themselves through a just judgment of God; so 
 that having once obtained deep root, by habit, they 
 can with difficulty be wholly eradicated therefrom. 
 But this separation is hard to effect ; for the pa- 
 rents have a strong affection for their children and 
 are very loth to part with them: and, when they 
 are separated from them , — as we have already 
 had proof, - the parents are never contented, 
 but take them away stealthily or induce them to 
 run away themselves. Nevertheless we must, - 
 although it would be attended with some expense , - 
 obtain the children through a sense of gratitude on 
 the part of their parents and with their consent, 
 by means of presents and promises; in order to 
 place them under the instruction of some expe- 
 rienced and godly schoolmaster , where they may be 
 instructed not only to speak read and write in our 
 language, but also especially in the fundamentals 
 of our Cliristian religion, and where besides they 
 will see nothing but good examples and virtuous 
 lives; but they must speak their native tongue 
 sometimes among themselves in order not to forget 
 it, as being evidently a principal means of spread- 
 ing the knowledge of religion through the whole 
 nation. In the meantime it must not be forgotten 
 to pray to the Lord, with ardent and continual 
 prayers, for his blessing, Who can make things 
 which are unseen to be quickly and conveniently 
 seen. Who gives life to the dead, calls as nothing 
 
11) 
 
 that which is, and being rich in mercy has pity 
 on whom he will: as He has compassionated our 
 people to be his people, when we before were not 
 pitied and were not his people, and has washed 
 us clean , sanctified us and justified us , when 
 we were covered all over with all manner of cor- 
 ruption , calling us to the blessed knowledge of his 
 Son and from the power of darkness to his mar- 
 vellous light. And this I regard so much the more 
 necessary as the wrath and malediction of God, 
 which have been found to rest upon this miserable 
 people hitherto , are the more severe. May God have 
 mercy upon them finally, that the fulness of the 
 heathen may be gradually accomplished and the 
 salvation of our God may be here also seen among 
 these wild and savage men. I hope to keep a 
 watchful eye over these people and to learn as 
 much of their language as will be practicable, and 
 to seek better opportunities for their instruction 
 than hitherto it has been possible to find. 
 
 As to what concerns myself and my household; 
 I find myself by the loss of my good and helping 
 partner very much hindered and distressed, - for 
 my two little daughters are yet small : maidservants 
 are not here to be had, at least none whom they 
 advise me to take : and the Angola slaves are thiev- 
 ish, lazy and useless trash. The young man whom 
 I took with me , I discharged after Whitsuntide , 
 for the reason that I could not employ him out of 
 doors at any working of the land and in doors he 
 was a burden to me instead of an assistance. He 
 is now elsewhere at service with the boers. 
 
30 
 
 The promises which the Lords Masters of the 
 Company had made me of some acres or surveyed 
 lands for me to make myself a home , instead of 
 a free table which othernise belonged to me, is 
 wholly of no avail. For their Honors well know 
 that there are no horses, cows or laborers to be 
 obtained here for money. Every one is short in 
 these particulars and wants more. The expense 
 would not trouble me, if an opportunity only of- 
 fered; as it would he for our own accommodation, 
 although there were no profit from it (save that the 
 Honorable Managers owe me as much as the value 
 of a free table) ; for there is here no refreshment of 
 butter, milk etc. to be obtained, although a very 
 high price be offered for them; for the people who 
 bring them and bespeak them are suspicious of each 
 other. So I will be compelled to pass through the 
 winter without butter and other necessaries which 
 the ships did not bring with them to be sold here. 
 The rations, which are given out and charged for 
 high enough, are all hard stale food, as they are 
 used to on board ship, and freqently this is not 
 very good , and there cannot be obtained as much 
 of it as may be desired. I began to get some 
 strength through the grace of the Lord, but in 
 consequence of this hard fare of beans and grey 
 peas , which are hard enough , barley, stockfish , etc. 
 without much change, I cannot become well as I 
 otherwise would. The summer yields something, 
 but what of that for any one who has no strength ? 
 The Indians also bring some things , but one who 
 has no wares , such as knives , beads and the like 
 
21 
 
 or seevvau, cannot have any good of them. Though 
 the people trade such things for proper wares , I 
 know not whether it is permitted by the laws of 
 the Company. I have now ordered from Holland 
 most all necessaries: but expect to pass through 
 the winter with hard and scanty food. 
 
 The country yields many good things for the 
 support of life , but they are all to be gathered in 
 an uncultivated and wild state. It is necessary that 
 there should be better regulations estabhshed, and 
 people who have the knowledge and the imple- 
 ments for gathering things in their season , should 
 collect them together, as undoubtedley will gra- 
 dually be the case. In the meanwhile I wish the 
 Lords Managers to he courteously inquired of, how 
 I can have the opportunity to possess a portion of 
 land, and at my own expense to support myself 
 upon it? For as long as there is no more accom- 
 modation to be obtained here from the country 
 people, 1 would be compelled to order every thing 
 from the Fatherland at great expense, and with 
 much risk and trouble, or else live here upon 
 these poor and hard rations alone , which would 
 badly suit me and my children. We want ten or 
 twelve farmers with horses, cows and laborers in 
 proportion , to furnish us with bread and fresh but- 
 ter, milk and cheese. There are convenient places 
 which can he easily protected and very suitable : 
 which can he bought from the Indians for trifling 
 toys , or could be occupied without risk ; because 
 we have more than enough shares which have 
 never been cleared but have been always reserved 
 
22 
 
 for that purpose. The business of furs is dull on 
 account of a new war of the Maecldhaeys (Mo- 
 hawks) against the Mahicans at the upper end of 
 this river. There have occured cruel murders on 
 both sides. The Mohicans have fled and their 
 lands are unoccupied, and are very fertile and 
 pleasant. It grieves us that there are no people, 
 and that there is no regulation of the Lords Ma- 
 nagers to occupy the same. They fell much wood 
 here to carry to the Fatherland but the vessels are 
 too few to take much of it. They are making a 
 windmill to saw the wood: and we also have a 
 gristmill. They bake brick here but it is very 
 poor. There is good material for burning lime, 
 namely, oystershells , in large quantities. The bur- 
 ning of potash has not succeeded; the master and 
 his laborers are all greatly disappointed. We are 
 busy now in building a fort of good quarry stone, 
 which is to be found not far from here in abun- 
 dance. May the Lord only build and watch over 
 our walls. There is a good means for making salt; 
 for there are convenient places , the water is salt 
 enough and there is no want of heat in summer. 
 Besides as to the waters , both of the sea and ri- 
 vers, they yield all kinds of fish; - and as to the 
 land, it abounds in all kinds of game, wild and 
 in the groves , with vegetables , fruits , roots , herbs , 
 and plants, both for eating and medicinal purpo- 
 ses , working wonderful cures , which are too long- 
 to relate, and which, were it ever so pertinent, I 
 could not tell. Your Right Reverend has already 
 obtained some knowledge thereof in part and wull 
 
23 
 
 be able to obtain from others further inforiuation. 
 The country is good and pleasant; the cUmate is 
 healthy, notwithstanding the sudden changes of 
 cold and heat. The sun is very warm; the winter 
 strong and severe, and continues full as long as in 
 our country. The best remedy is not to spare the 
 wood - of which there is enough , - and to cover 
 oneself well with rough skins which can also easily 
 be obtained. The harvest - God be praised - is 
 in the barns and is better gathered than ever be- 
 fore. The ground is fertile enough to reward labor, 
 but they must clean it well, and manure and cul- 
 tinate it the same as our lands require. It has 
 hitherto happened much worse because, many of 
 the people are not very laborious or could not ob- 
 tain their proper necessaries for want of bread. 
 But it now begins to go on better and it would 
 be entirely different now if the Masters would only 
 send good laborers and make regulations of all 
 matters , in order , with what the land itself pro- 
 duces, to do for the best. 
 
 I had promised (to write) to the Honorable 
 Brothers , Rudolphus Petri , Joannes Sylvius , and 
 IJom. Cloppenburg , who with your Honor were 
 charged with the superintendence of these regions (*) ; 
 but as this would take long, and the time is 
 short, and my cccupations at the present time 
 
 (*) Mr. Nijenhuis states that it was so committed to some of the 
 Ministers of Amsterdam by the Synod of North-Holland; and the 
 Ministers above mentioned were all at that time active Ministers at 
 Amsterdam, where Sylvius and Triglandius had been since 1610, 
 Petri since 1612 and Cloppenburg since 1621. 
 
24 
 
 many, will Your Right Reverend be pleased to 
 give my friendly and kind regards to their Reve- 
 rends and to excuse me, on condition that I re- 
 main their debtor to fulfil my promise, - God 
 wiUing, - by the next voyage. Will you also give 
 my sincere respects to the Reverend Dom. Trig- 
 landius and to all the Brothers of the consistory 
 besides, to all of whom I have not thought it 
 necessary to write particularly at this time, as they 
 are made by me participants in these tidings and 
 are content to he fed from the hand of Your Right 
 Reverend. If it shall be convenient for your 
 Honor, or any of the Reverend Brothers to write 
 hither to me a letter corcerning matters which 
 might he important in any degree to me, it would 
 be very interesting to me, living here in a savage 
 land without any society of our order, and would 
 he a spur to write more assiduously to the Reve- 
 rend Brothers concerning what might happen here. 
 And especially do not forget my hearty salutation 
 to the beloved wife and brother in law of Your 
 Right Reverend who have shown me nothing but 
 friendship and kindness above my deserts. If there 
 is anything in which I can in return serve or 
 gratify Your Right Reverend, I will be glad to 
 do so and will not be behind hand in any thing. 
 Concluding then herewith and commending myself 
 in Your liight Reverend's favorable and holy prayers 
 to the Lord , 
 
 Honored and Learned Sir, Beloved Brother in 
 Christ and Kind Friend; 
 
 Commending Your Right Reverend and all of you 
 
25 
 
 to Almighty God , by His Grace , to continued healtli 
 and prosperity and to eternal salvation of heart. 
 
 From the Island of Manhatas in New-Netherland 
 this IP" August Anno 1628, by me Your Right 
 Reverend's obedient in Christ, 
 
 Jonas Michaclius. 
 
 (Endorsed.) The Honorable Learned and 
 pious Mr. Adrian Smoutius, faithful Minister 
 of the Holy Gespel of Christ in His Church, 
 dweUing upon the Heerengracht not far from 
 the House of the West-India Company, Am- 
 sterdam. By the care of a friend whom God 
 preserve. 
 
 (Sealed with a wafered signet not discernible.) 
 
,A