This was a violation of the sixth and twenty-sixth articles of the charter of Freedoms and Exemptions of 1629, and the Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, on the 10th September, 1643, sent written orders to van Curler, to see that van der Donck desisted at once, being his "sworn officer," and if he did not, that he should " be degraded from his office and left on his bowerie to complete his contracted lease without allowing him to dej^art." This effectually put an end to the project of the Katskill Colonie, van der Donck continued to perform his duties, and matters grew much easier with van Curler. On the 18th of January, 1646, van der Donck's house burned down, at which very time he was negotiating for a sale of his lease to one Michael Jansen, to which, as the Patroon's Commissary, van Curler had to assent. A new quarrel at once arose, as to Avhether the loss should fall on the Patroon as van der Donck claimed, or on the latter as van Curler insisted. The matter was tinallv referred to the Patroon in Holland van der Donck left the island, and lived in a hut near Fort Orange, till spring, and then came down to New Amsterdam.' In the previous year, 164-5, he had been of great assistance to Director Kieft in advancing the requisite funds, and settling the terms of peace with the Indians, which closed the wicked war that Kieft had wantonly begun two or three years before, and which proved so disastrous to New Netherland.^ The Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, died at Amsterdam later in 1646, and with his death the connection of van der Donck with that Patroonship ceased, Nicolas Coorn succeeding him in his office by the appointment of the executors of the late Patroon, Johannes van Wely and Wouter van Twiller.