Mahican chiefs arrived from Fort Orange, on whose mediation a portion of the Dutch captives were restored but to proposals for peace the Indians would not listen unless they were paid " for the land, named the Great Plot," and rewarded with pre ;

sents at their Shawangunk castle within ten days.

Scouting parties

were then sent out by the Dutch, who succeeded in bringing in a few prisoners, from whom it was ascertained that the Indians had fallen back to their castle ; that

this castle

was " defended

by three rows of palisades, and the houses in the fort encircled by thick cleft palisades with port holes in them and covered " with the bark of trees ; that in form it was quadrangular, but " that the angles were constructed between the first and second

rows of palisades," the

third

row of palisades standing " full

eight feet off from the others towards the interior ;

"

" the whole stood " on the brow of a hill surrounded

and that

by table

land. 2

An expedition for the reduction of this castle was at once "

organized, consisting of ninety-one men of Kregier's company ; thirty men of Lieutenant Stillwell's company ; Lieutenant Couwenhoven with forty-one Long

island

Indians," acting under

*

Ante, p. 60; Brodhcad, i, 711.

Documentary History, iv, 49.

Appendix.

THE INDIAN TRIBES

1656 ; six Manhattan Indians ; thirty-five vo the from lunteers settlers, "and seven of the Honorable Com " two with pieces of artillery and two wagons." pany's negroes," their treaty of