The general direction of the royal archives being entrusted to the Minister of the Interior, the application was promptly referred to the Baron Schimmelpennick, the head of that department; and an interview was accordingly had with His Excellency, who at once informed me that he would give directions to the officer in charge of the archives to afford me all facilities for the purpose of fully carrying out the objects of my commission, and which had been directed by the King himself to be as liberal in their extent as the exigencies of the service would allow. " The government records at the Hague are placed under the supervision of an '

«' Yonkheer J. C. de Jonge, a gentleman of great intelligence and Archivarius," at present urbanity, and from whom I received numerous marks of kindness and courtesy, which I am happy to acknowledge. M. de Jonge, on my presenting myself at the archives, pointed out the various depositories in which the documents presumed to relate to the subject of my research were contained and gave directions that every book and paper, known or supposed ;

to contain information affecting our Colonial history, be submitted, without reserve, to my inspection, and every arrangement made that could facilitate my labors. " ' The archives of the Netherlands, it is believed, constitute one of the richest depositories of historical information to be found in Europe ; commencing with the period of the Union of Utrecht, in 1579, and extending down to the French Revolution. They are contained in