years commencing the first January XVl^ and fifteen next coming, or sooner, to the exclusion of all others, either directly or indirectly sailing, resorting to, or frequenting the said Newly discovered and found Countries, harbors or places, from these United Netherlands, within the said three years, on pain of Confiscation of the ships and goods wherewith the attempt shall be made contrary hereunto, and a fine of Fifty thousand Netherland Ducats for the benefit of the aforesaid discoverers or finders; provided, that their High Mightinesses do not hereby intend any prejudice or diminution to their previous Charters and Concessions; And their meaning also is, that in case any difference or misunderstanding happen to arise or proceed from this their Concession, the same shall then be decided by them. Therefore, they order and command &c.

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' Orufiiial Oirli nguntliic .

Tlirn yiars rram lAe Krstrk^ vr Jaiiuan ,MSi-oj u lauy /uin- lit,, piUoOKl iy Cii/ifain Ifrndru' ;pC^, .»- .i^yaita^ «/ «» „ j<^p*ij,r^(l«^ n««.i-i«ii^ yia^,ri--^ »»«- a4 <»Tj»-».T-i<i^^ nhrn hr majr /lit m-illen Rtpm-I «u Hit , at August 16M I )

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HOLLAND DOCUMENTS: I. 11

Grant of Exdusive Trade to Neio Netherland. [ From the Mioute on a half sheet of paper, in the Eoyal Arohieves in the Hague ; File, Loopende. ]

The States General of tlie United Netherlands to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas Gerrit Jacobz Witssen, antient Burgomaster of the City Amsterdam, Jonas Witssen, Simon Morrissen, owners of the Ship named the Little Fox whereof Jan de With has been Skipper; Hiins Hongers, Paulas Pelgrom, Lambrecht van Tweenhiiyzen, owners of the two ships named the Tiger and the Fortune, whereof Aedriaen Block and Henrick Corstiaenssen were Skippers; Arnolt van Lybergen, Wessel Schenck, Hans Claessen and Berent Sweertssen, owners of the Ship named the Nightingale, whereof Thys Volckertssen was Skipper, Merchants of the aforesaid City Amstelredam, and Pieter Clementssen Brouwer, Jan Clementssen Kies, and Cornells Volckertssen, Merchants of the City of Hoorn, owners of the Ship named the Fortuyn, whereof Cornells Jacobssen May was Skipper, all now associated in one Company, have respectfully represented to us, that they, the petitioners, after great expenses and damages by loss of ships and other dangers, had, during the present year, discovered and found with the above named five ships, certain New Lands situate in America, between New F'rance and Virginia, the Sea coasts whereof lie between forty and forty five degrees of Latitude, and now called New Netherland: And whereas We did, in the month of March last, for the promotion and increase of Commerce, cause to be published a certain General Consent and Charter setting forth, that whosoever should thereafter discover new havens, lands, places or passages, might frequent, or cause to be frequented, for four voyages, such newly discovered and found places, passages, havens, or lands, to the exclusion of all others from visiting or frequenting the same from the United Netherlands, until the said first discoverers and fiuders shall, themselves, have completed the said four Voyages, or caused the same to be done within the time prescribed for that purpose, under the penalties expressed in the said Octroy &c. they request that we would accord to them due Act of the aforesaid Octroy in the usual form :