All these are now laid in ashes through a foolish hankering after war ; for it is known to all right thinking men here, that these Indians have lived as lambs among us until a few years ago, injuring no one, affording every assistance to our nation, and had in Director van Twiller's time (when supplies had not been sent for several months), furnished provisions to several of the Company's servants, as they state, until supplies were received. The Director hath, by various uncalled for proceedings, from time to time so estranged them from us, and so embittered them against the Dutch nation, that we do not believe any thing will bring them back, unless the Lord God, who bends all men's hearts to his will, propitiate them. Thus hath the Antient very truly observed "Any man can create turmoil, and set the people one :

against the other; but to establish harmony again, is in the power of God alone." A semblance of peace was attempted to be patched up last spring with one or two tribes of Savages towards the North by a foreigner ' whom we, for cause, shall not now name, without one of the Company's servants having been present, whilst our principal enemies are left unmolested. This place hath borne little fruit for the Commonwealth and our Lords' reputation, and we now daily experience what we observed in the 5"" article of our previous letter to the Hon*"" XiX. For these savages had no sooner their maize in pits but they began to murder