But from prizes or captured goods nothing shall be received or claimed, under any pretence by him; he shall only pertinently inform himself of all sorts of prizes which may be captured anywhere within his jurisdiction, by the ships or yachts of the Company or private persons, of the time, place and persons, nations and causes, whereby these should be holden and declared to be good prizes, and obtain all accounts regarding the quantity and quality of the captured property, and cause the same, after previous valuation, to be declared good prizes by our Director and Council there.

I have neither received nor claimed anything from prizes or captured goods, but the Director has to answer for the proceeds thereof; namely, of the prizes at Caracos, the hide prize, the

three prizes brought by Captain Blauvelt, the Portuguese sugar prize captured last year, 1G51, by the IValerhond, of which the Director and Cornells van Tienhoven, with the Lords, have disposed according to their pleasure. The Director only allowed me a trifle of sugar.

11.

He shall likewise aid in observing that in cases carrying with them loss of life and property, the Judges shall be duly qualified, and be at least five in number, and he shall equally assist to procure the enforcement of the same rule, wheresoever criminal judicature shall be holden thereabout.

508 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. The Director hath, on liis own autliority, qualified and admitted as many and such counciliora as he thought proper; who were under obligations to him, and he well knew would not be opposed to him in the occasion of confiscating ships, and who had not capacity to penetrate a question, such as his present Select men, who are in his good graces, as they are devoted to him and whenever 1 contradicted him, I got a growl just as if he would eat me up. ;