The Chief Mattehoorn answered, secondly -- that all Nations coming to the river were welcome to them, and that they sold their land indiscriminately to the first who asked it. ThiriTly, the Chief Mattehoorn declared that the Dutch nation have been the earliest comers and discoverers of the river, who also, first of all, settled thereon among them, and that th^ have always maintained good friendship and commerce with the Dutch adding thereunto an ;

account of presents which were exchanged between them and the Dutch Nation. As a further evidence and declaration, he also added, that one Cornelis with one eye, or a film on his eye, was the first who joming here, made his dwelling on the river.

598 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. N. B. The aforesaid did^ot fully answer the proposition of the General, wKo then, through his Interpreter, repeated and renewed the question in the following manner; that it was neither his nor his nation's custom to buy or occupy any lands which were rightfully-bought and occupied by any other nation ; he, therefore, requested, before proceeding to purchase any

more lands, first to know what lands the Swede had bought, and of whom, and what lands were now free, and who were the ri|;ht owners. The question thus put, the Sachem Mattehoorn made the following declaration That when Munuit came to the country with a :

ship, he lay before the Minquaas Kil, where he the Sachem then had a house and lived that ;

Minuyt then presented him with and gave him a kettle and other triffes, requesting of him as much land as Minuyt could set a house on, and a plantation included between 6 trees, which he, the Sachem, sold him, and Minuyt promised him half the tobacco, that would grow on the plantation, although it was never given to him.