Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II

fore pray lake good heart Doe not Pack and goe away if y' Enemy should hear y^ at would much Encourage them ; wee are of y Race of y® Bear and a bear doth not yeald as long as there is a droop of blood in its body we must all be soe doe give a belt of wampum

7 Brethren Be Content Look up to y"^ heavens from thence y« Judgment is come now upon us be not discouraged y^ same hand yt hath chastised us can heal us; the sunn w*^'' now hath been Cloudy and sent us this dissaster will shinne again ami with its Pleasant Beams Comfort us Be Incouraged with many Repetitions doe give a bevir skin

8 Wee are Engaged in a bloody warr with y^ french about 3 years agoe and were Incouraged to proceed and no sooner were well Entred and gott prisoners but a Cessation Came and Corlaer meaning Col: dongan hindred us to proceed and demanded y® prisoners from us we were obedient and did deliver them and layed doune y^ hatehet which if we might have gone foreward then the french would not have been in y* Capacity to doe so much mischeeffe as they doe but now \v(' must dye Such obstructions will Ruine us ; if we might have had our wills we would have prevented there planting Sowing and Reaping and brougl^t them low and mean Neverthelesse lett us be stedfast and not take such measures again lett us goe one briskly withy® warr doe give a Bever Skinn