Further, he "lived peaceably, and quietly under them for the space of about seventeen years; and that in all his life he never saw Mr. Adolph Philipse, to his knowledge." An old, well-respected, attorney and local resident, James Brown testified that years earlier Adolph Philipse himself had stated that "the land was never owned by him." A local judge, Judge Terbos, who even had learned to speak the language of the Wappinger, affirmed that Adolph Philipse had wanted to meet with the tribe to discuss land purchase but never did:

"...Mr. Philipse told the said Sachem that he and his Tribe must all come together and then he would agree with them for said Land and pay them for the Same: but the said Judge Terbos further adds, that he never knew, nor heard of any meeting for that Purpose, nor that they nor any of them, ever made or Executed any Deed of said Land to said Mr Adolph Philipse nor to any other Person; but ever knew and understood that said Tribe of Indians always Claimed and do Still Claim the sole Right to said Lands." 41

Tenant farmer Peter Anjuvine went on to vouch for the good character of the tribe, declaring them "remarkably Honest, Loyal, and Faithful." 42 Building on that, Spalding had this to say, "By some of these and some other Evidences, methinks it, also clearly appeared to have been the invariable Custom of these Indians, never to make an absolute Sale of the same piece of Land twice; but always (by Tradition) were Careful to keep up the Knowledge, and acknowledgement of such Lands as they, or their ancestors had sold, and very Curious in their nice Distinctions between alienated, and Unalienated Lands." 43