In order to present the Answer succinctly he. Van Tienhoven, will allege not only how illy it becomes the said Van der Donck and other private inhabitants to challenge and abuse, in such harsh and general terms, the administration both of the Directors in this country and of their officers yonder; and that they would have performed their duty much better, had they first submitted to their Lords and Patroons whatever Observations they might intend to offer.

But passing this by, and leaving the consideration thereof to your High Mightinesses' discretion, it must be remarked preliminarily and generally, that those persons make a great many assertions and prove nothing, so that what they shamefully state, can be as easily denied and with greater truth. Coming then to the point, we shall only notice those parts wherein either the Board (at Amsterdam) or the Director is accused and we say to the 1st Point: ;

It is denied, and will never be proved that the Company hath refused our nation land for

purposes ^of cultivation, and willingly allowed foreigners to occupy it. Tlie Company's order to act on the defensive was better and more prudent than to have recourse to hostilities, inasmuch as it had not the force to resist its hypocritical friends, and coujd^prolect its rights only by protest. Trade has long since been opened to every one and is as profitable as ever; no property has been confiscated except of those who violated their contract or the order whereunto they were bound and if any one thinks he has been wronged by confiscation, he can come and speak for ;