Know Ye, that We have received the humble petition presented unto Us, by and on behalf of Jochim Pietersz Cuyter and Cornells Melyn, setting forth that they, the petitioners, had, by permission and leave of the Assembly of the Nineteen, of the General West India Company, transported themselves in the year One thousand six hundred and thirty-nine, with wives and children, and the means of private citizens, besides a large stock of cattle from this country into New Netherland, so that they, the petitioners, had in the year 1643, after a heavy outlay, much trouble and indescribable labor, brought into good order their lands, houses and other improvements, which they were obliged to abandon in the year aforesaid, in consequence of the war that Director Kieft illegally and contrary to all public Law, had commenced against the Indians or inhabitants of New Netherland, and have accordingly lost all their property; wherefore the petitioners, together with the other six chosen men resolved, in the name of the unanimous Commonalty in New Netherland, and sent over by the Blue Cock in the year 1644, their complaints on this point in two letters to the Assembly of the Nineteen, and to the Directors in Amsterdam. The mischiefs which followed this deed of murder, massacre and other additional abominations, that Director Kieft, of his own motion, permitted at the time to be perpetrated on the innocent and guiltless Indians, which must startle the Christian heart that hears of them, may be fully seen in the original letter to the Nineteen.' The Eight chosen men were not aware that they had, in thus acting, committed any offence, but hoped that the most favorable construction would be placed on it by the Directors, who, however, the petitioners find did, on the contrary, take the letter in the worst part, and accordingly sent it by the new Director Stuyvesant, back to New Netherland to Director Kieft.