It was called Donck's Colony, and its proprietor, invested with all the rights and privileges contained in the charter of 1629, became a member of the order of Patroons. In 1650 a contract was made by the West India Company, with Van der Donck and others, for the transportation of two hundred persons to New Netherland. Yonkers soon became a place of considerable trade with the Indians, and vessels were here loaded for old Amsterdam.

Disputes between the company and the Patroons now became frequent and bitter. Van der Donck, from his legal skill, was prominent in these, and, in 1652, he repaired to Amsterdam to personally appear before the college of the company. It was soon found that the privileges conferred upon the Patroons had been too liberally bestowed. Good Peter Minuit was recalled in 1631 on the charge of having been too easy with the newly- created nobility. He was succeeded by Van Tvviller, and he, in turn, by William Kieft.

During Kieft's administration an Indian war, resulting from the murder of an Indian, as is related in the previous chapter, befel New Netherland, and drove the white settlers from Westchester County and threatened the complete destruction of the colony.

Kieft's administration proved unfortunate for the company. It was considered that he had unnecessarily brought on the disastrous war with the Indians, and he had done nothing to remedy the ditficulties with the Patroons. The financial affairs of the colony ' were also unsatisfactory. Very serious were the dis-