The duty is high; of inspection and seizures there is no lack, and thus lawful trade is turned aside, except some little which is carried on on]y pro formd, in order to push smuggling under this cloak. Meanwhile the Christians are treated almost like Indians in chrisUans are ttoated almost like lathe purchase of necessaries which they cannot do without; this causes great '^'""• complaint, distress and poverty. Thus, for example: -- the merchants sell their

dry goods, which are subject to little loss, at a hundred per cent advance, and that freely, according as there is a demand for, or scarcity of this or that article; (27) petty traders who bring small lots and others who speculate, buy up those goods from the merchants, and sell them again to the common people who cannot do without them, often at another advance of cent per cent, more or less, according as they are persuaded or disposed. More is taken on liquors which are subject to considerable leakage, and those who purchase such from them, pursue a course similar to that stated of the dry goods, and generally with so much shrewdness, Goods are sow in that the goods are disposed by the first, second and third hands, at an advance of ^ueTiwo'and't'hreo one and two hundred, and more per cent. It would be impossible for us to advance. enumerate all the practices that are had recourse to, for the purpose of promoting self or individual interest; whilst little thought is bestowed on introducing people into the country. We intended to be silent. But the people have, moreover, been driven away by harsh and unwarrantable proceedings; their Honors, however, authorized this, for they instructed Director Kieft to pick out faults The Directors order that a partial shoBid where none existed, and to consider a partial, ^ as a complete, r ' error and so forth. ' It ""^ c.nsidcred a» a eoraplele error, and has also been seen how the letters of the Eight Men have been treated, and the ^eipie."'"™'' ""'