On the 11th of March, 1650, he and the other delegates, concluded a contract " to charter a suitable fly boat of two hundred lasts, and therein to go to sea on the 1st of June next, and convey to New Netherland the number of two hundred passengers, of which one hundred are to be farmers and farm servants, and the remaining one hundred such as the Amsterdam Chamber is accustomed to send over, conversant with agriculture, and to furnish them with supplies for the voyage," on condition that the contractors should be allowed four thousand guilders from the export duties on New Netherland freights, "to pay present expenses," and the further sum of seven thousand guilders from the peltry duties at New Amsterdam ; and in case of failure by the contractors they were to restore the four thousand guilders, aud forfeit, besides, two thousand guilders more of their own funds.*

Van Couwenhoven and Bout returned to New Netherland with a copy of the "Provisional Order," arriving there on the 28th of June,^ leaving van der Donck in Holland to complete the business of the delegation, and return when the redress was actually voted. Failing to obtain action, van der Donck, on the 14th January, 1651, presented the States-General, with a further petition "again praying that a speedy and necessary redress may be concluded on, in regard to the affairs of New Netherland."

Stuyvesant declined to obey the " Provisional order," except in some minor matters, and opposed it by strong despatches to the company, while his Secretary van Tienhoven was already in Holland fighting van der Donck strenuously before the authorities there. On the 10th of February, 1652, nothing having been finally determined, still another rc])resentation of the contumacy of Stuyvesant, and the continued bad state of New Netherland, and the necessity for an act of redress of their grievances was made by van der Donck.