In the meanwhile the Indians secreted without molestation their fish caught this last summer on the river, of which they had uninterrupted use at their pleasure. Our fields lie fallow and waste; our dwellings and other buildings are burnt; not a handful can be planted or sown this fall on all the abandoned places. The crop, which God the Lord permitted to come forth during the past summer, remains on the field, as well as the hay, standing and rotting in divers places ; whilst we poor people have not been able to obtain a single man for our defence. We are burdened with heavy families have no means to provide ;

necessaries any longer for our wives or children. We are seated here in the midst of thousands of Indians and barbarians, from whom is to be experienced neither peace nor pity. We have left our Fatherland, and had not the Lord our God been our comfort, must have perished in our wretchedness. There are amongst us, who by the sweat and labor of their hands, have been endeavoring at great expense, to improve their lands and gardens; others with their own capital, have equipped with every necessary their own ships, which have been captured by the enemy in coming hither, though they have continued the voyage with equal zeal, and at considerable cost. Some, again, independent of tiie Company, have brought hither large numbers of families in vessels of as great burden, freighted with a large stock of cattle, and have erected handsome buildings on the spots selected for their people cleared the forest and the ;