140 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. from the English at the East (ere all had gone to ruin); and we wretched settlers, whilst we must abandon all our substance, are exceedingly poor. These heathens are strong in might; they have formed an alliance with seven other nations; are well provided with guns, powder and lead, which they purchased for beaver from the private traders who have had, for a long time, free range here; the rest they take from our fellow countrymen whom they murder. In fine, we experience here the greatest misery, which must astonish a Christian heart to see or to hear. We turn then, in a body, to you. High and Mighty Lords, acknowledging you as our Sovereigns and the Fathers of Fatherland. We supplicate, for God's sake, and for the love your High Mightinesses bear your poor and desolate subjects here in New Netherland, that your High Mightinesses would take pity on us, your poor people, and encourage the Company thereunto, and command tiiem (to whom we also hereby make known our necessity) to forward us, by the earliest opportunity, such assistance as your High Mightinesses will deem most proper, in order that we, poor forlorn people, may not be left all at once a prey, with wives and children, to these cruel heathens. And should suitable assistance not speedily arrive (contrary to our expectations), we shall, through necessity, in order to save the lives of those who remain, be obliged to betake ourselves to the English at the East, who would like nothing better than to possess this place. And that an account of the superior convenience of sea coasts, bays, and large rivers, besides the great fertility of this place : yea, which alone could of itself provision and supply yearly 20, 25@^30 ships from Brazil or the West Indies with all necessaries. (Was underwritten :) Remaining, as we are, your High Mightinesses' faithful servants and subjects, lawfully chosen and authorized by the Hon*"'^ Director and Council and the entire Commonalty of New Netherland, (Signed) Coornelis Melyn, JA^ Evertse Boudt, ToMAS Hal, Gerrit Wolphertse, IsAK Alleeton, Barent Dirckse, Abraham Pieterse, Jochem Pietekse Kuyter.