Director, pursuant to the tenor hath come hither by order of the abovenamed of the writ of mandamus in case of appeal, granted to Cornelis Melyn by their High Mightinesses on the 2Sth April 1G48, praying to be informed how and in what manner the proceedings therein will be commenced and completed. Whereupon deliberation being had, it is resolved and concluded that the aforesaid petition shall be referred to Messrs. Huygens and other their High Mightinesses' deputies for the affairs of the West India Company for inspection, consideration and examination of the rciro acta, and to confer thereupon with the Directors of the West India Company here, and to report on the whole subject to their High Mightinesses.

Petition of Joost Teunissen.

[ From the Original in the Koyal ArchlTes at the Hague ; file 'West Indie. ]

To the High and Mighty Lords, the Lords States General of the United Netherlands. High and Mighty Lords. Joost Teunissen, baker, burgher and inhabitant of New Netherland, most respectfully represents that he, the petitioner, was on the 22"'' May, Anno 1648, nine days before Whitsuntide, cast into prison by order of Director Stuyvesant, without the presence or attendance of the Fiscal and without the knowledge even of the Council, and that he, the petitioner, was accused with having sent to Fort Orange, powder, lead and guns, which articles were afterwards effectually sold to the Indians. Whereupon the Director threatened to cause

HOLLAND DOCUMENTS: IV. 327 him, the petitioner, to be subjected to torture, to which intent he had his, the petitioner's house, twice searched by the entire Council, himself also overhauling all the barrels, bales, cases, corners, stores, etc., the petitioner remaining meanwhile, for the space of thirteen long days, in the aforesaid close con6nement at the gate, and in the place where felons deserving death are usually imprisoned, without any one, even his own wife, being admitted to him, or communication with him ; and when, after minute search, nothing was to have any, the least discovered whereupon the Fiscal could institute proceedings against the petitioner, and detain him on suspicion, he is finally released, on the iterated request of good friends, on condition of giving Isaacq Foreest and Sibout Claessen as bail, to answer whatever the Fiscal might from time to time deem proper to institute against the petitioner and after the petitioner was kept ;