Neither could he contain himself till he had time and opportunity, but even upon his passage threatened that when he. arrived in New Netherland, he would teach them better to know their plans. As however he had promised their high mightinesses by oath, that he would punish the faults of director Kieft according to their deserts, and properly support the inhabitants; the result however has shown quite the contrary of these fine promises, according to the instructions given him by the governors (which he has shown to several persons), in which he is ordered to do as he afterwards did.

J. Is not that the same Stuyvesant who some time before at-

108 f EXTRACTS FROM A WORK

tempted to take fort St. Martin for the company, and who lost his leg in the attempt?

B. The very same; the governors looked upon that as quite a piece of Roman courage.

J. Yes, but all who attended that expedition will tell another story; how he burnt all our powder in firing salutes during the whole of the voyage, so that when the time for action arrived, there was none to be found; and, every thing relating to that expedition was so disorderly, that the like was never seen. Indeed when we broke up the seige and retired, without effecting any thing, only because of his leg, which was shot off by the first cannon shot from Fort St. Martin, we left every thing behind, and among other things 5 or 6 field pieces. Was that a fine Roman achievement? Who knows how much that expedition cost the company? Such a prudent hero deserved indeed to be advanced to director, and chosen and sent to New Netherland as redresser-General of all abuses.