Bleecker, attached to the American Legation at the Hague, and was to some extent familiar with the peculiar duty he was expected to perform. In order, however, to avoid what was felt to be the chief inconvenience in the execution of his mission, namely, the procuring of duplicates of documents already in the possession of the State, the Agent spent several weeks in a careful examination of the principal historical records in the Secretary's office at Albany. They were at that time, to a great degree, in the comparatively unarranged and confused condition already described ;

and the investigation of them was necessarily imperfect and unsatisfactory. There was no catalogue or abstract sufficient to indicate their dates or contents. Notwithstanding these unfavorable circumstances, copious notes and memoranda were made by the Agent, and every precaution was taken to secure the means to assist and guide his judgment as far as possible, when he should be engaged in his investigations in the foreign archives.

Previous to his departure for Europe, the Agent received the following instructions from the Governor:

GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

" STATE OF NEW-YORK; >

"Executive Department,) " Albany, March 2'ttk, 1841.

"To John Romeyn Brodhead, Esquire :

" The Legislature of tliis State having on the 2d day of May, 1S39, passed an act for the appointment of an Agent to visit England, Holland and France for the purpose of procuring the originals or copies of such documents and papers, in the archives of those governments, relating to the Colonial and other history of this State as are important to illustrate that history, and you having been duly appointed such Agent, and being about to proceed in the execution of your duties, it seems to be proper that I should communicate to you the views entertained by the Executive in relation thereto.