Bouses, and repeatedly extorted money from the settlers, who have already paid you for their farms. You have added threats

and insults, and

finally

forced the colonists, at

much expense,

to break up their establishments and concentrate their

dwellings.

Various other injuries you have committed since that time, not

For all this we demand compen withstanding your promises. sation ; to enforce which, efficient measures will be taken, unless the terms we now propose be acceded to."

The demand was a bold attempt at extortion the terms of The Indians were required to make a free peace not less so. ;

surrender of all the Esopus lands so far as they had been ex plored by the Dutch, as indemnity for the expenses which the settlers

had incurred in removing their dwellings and fortifying by the In

their village ; the relinquishment of all claims held

dians against the settlers for labor or furs, and the payment to the latter of several hundred fathoms of wampum for damages.

The Indians regarded the terms as hard, and stated that they had already been deprived of many of their maize fields without Such a demand was unexpected, and as many compensation. of their sachems were absent, they asked time for consultation. Stuyvesant generously agreed to allow them one night to con sider what course they would pursue.

The next day (Oct. 16), the council again assembled, and the sachems expressed a willingness to make reasonable com pensation for injuries. They would relinquish part of their claims against the settlers, and give some lands to those who had