The Governor commannded him to sende all the beaver and other skinnes on shoare to the fort, which this deponente and companye had gott in trucke with the salvages; which this deponente refusinge to doe, the Governor then demanded a particular of all the skinnes that were abord the said shippe. The principal Towns within this Government [wrote Governor Dongan to the home government], are Xew York and Albany and Kingston at Esopus. xVU the rest are country villages, the Buildings in New York and Albany are generally of Stone and brick. In the country the houses are mostly new built, having two or three rooms on a floor. The Dutch are

112 The Hudson River

great improvers of land. New York and Albany live wholly upon trade with the Indians, England and West Indies. The returns for England are generally Beaver Peltry, Oile and Tobacco when we can have it. To the West Indies wee send Flower, Bread, Pease Pork and sometimes Horses: the return from thence for the most part is Rumm, which pays the king a considerable Excise, and some Molasses which serves the people to make drink and pays noe custom. There are about nine or ten three Mast Vessels of about eighty or a Hundred tons burthen, two or three ketches and Barks of about forty Tun ; and about twenty Sloops of about twenty or five and twenty Tun belonging to the Government -- All of which Trade for England Holland and the West Indies, except five or six sloops that use the river Trade to Albany and that way.