424 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. funds. The Director busy providing materials. Meanwhile a place has been selected for is

a School, of which Jan Cornelissen has charge. The other teachers keep school in hired houses, so that the youth are not in want of schools to the extent of the circumstances of the country. 'Tis true there is no Latin school nor academy; if the Commonalty require such, they can apply for it and furnish the necessary funds. As regards the deacons' or Poor- fund, the deacons are accountable for that, and are the persons of whom inquiry should be made as to where the money is invested which they have, from time to time, placed at interest; and as the Director never had charge of it, such not being usual, the deacons, and not the Director, are responsible for it. 'Tis, indeed, true that

Director Kieft, being at a loss for money, had a box suspended in his house ; of that box the deacons had one key, and all the small fines and penalties which were levied on court days, were deposited in it. He opened it with the knowledge of the deacons, and took on interest the money, which amounted to a handsome sum. 'Tis admitted that the Excise on beer was imposed by Willem Kieft, and that on wine by Petrus Stuyvesant; and that such excise was collected up to the date of my departure. But 'tis to be observed here, that the Remonstrants have no cause to complain on that score, for