History of the State of New York, Vol. I (1609-1691)

The attention of the Legislature has already been called to it, in a report made to this body during the last session, but for a very different purpose, and in an incomplete and inaccurate translation ; it is therefore reproduced here. It is a letter written from Amsterdam by Mr. Schagen, the Deputy of the States-General at the meeting of the West India Company, to the Dutch Government at the Hague, announcing the arrival at Amsterdam of a ship from New Netherland, with advices from the Dutch colonists on the Island of Manhattan ; bearing date November 5th, 1626. The followinc; is a translation of this document

« ' TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY LORDS OF THE STATES-GENERAL AT THE HAGUE

" ' Mt Lords, --There arrived here yesterday the ship called the "Arms of Amsterdam," which sailed from the river Mauritius [the Hudson], in New-Netherland, on the 23d of September. Eeport is brought that our people there are diligent, and live peaceably their ;

wives have also borne them children. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the Indians for the sum of sixty guilders ; it contains 11,000 morgens of land. They have sown all kinds of grain in the middle of May, and reaped in the middle of August. I send you small samples of the summer grains, as wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, canary seed, beans and flax.

" ' The cargo of the ship consists of 7,246 beaver skins, 178J otter 675 " 48 mink " 36 cat-lynx " 33 mink " 34 small rat " together with a considerable quantity of oak timber and nut-wood.