In the eventuality of war it would become a particularly important part of Dutch policy not merely to provide for the protection of the new provinces in America and their prospective inhabitants, but to cope with the formidable Spanish maritime power in American waters, and as far as possible prey upon the rich commerce of Spain with that quarter of the globe and even wrest territory from her there. To this end it was more than idle to consider the rechartering of a weak aggregation of skippers and their financial sponsors as the sole delegate and upholder of the dignity and strength of the republic in the western seas. If hostilities were to be renewed it would be indispensable to institute an organization in connection with New Netherland powerful enough to encounter the fleets of Spain on at

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HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

ion alleast an equal footing. A perfect pattern for such. anTheorganizat creation of a ready existed in the Dutch East India Company West India Company on similar lines to meet the expected need was the grand scheme of statecraft which caused the States-General to reject the solicitations of the worthy traders of the New Xetherland Company for a continuation of their valuable monopoly. This was, moreover, no newly devised plan. In 1604, two years after the establishment of the East India Company, and long before the first appearance of the Dutch tlag on the American coast, the aconception of a West India Com] .any was carefully formulated in paper drawn up by one William Usselinx and presented, progressively, to the hoard of burgomasters of Amsterdam, the legislature or " states " of Holland province, and the States-General of the nation. In this document Usselinx proposed the formation of "a strong financial corporation, similar to that exploiting the East Indies, for the fitting out of armed vessels to attack the fleets of Spain and make conquest of her But it was deemed inexpossessions in the American hemisphere."1 pedient to sanction such a venture at the time.