USA > Delaware > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 10
USA > New Jersey > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 10
USA > Pennsylvania > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
' Gregorius van Dyck came over in the second expedition to New Sweden, in 1640. In 1646 he accompanied Commissary Hendrick Huygen in penetrat- ing the wilderness to the west, as far as the country of the Minquas, and indu- cing trade between the Indians and the Swedes.
1644]
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1644
113
Bengt Hindrichsonn 1
Anders Andersonn
1
Jacob Swensonn
1
Walle Looer
1
Joenn the Tailor .
1
Knut Liliehock
1
17
[III] At the Skyllerkill [Plantation].
Officers:
Lieut. Månns Klingh 1
The working-people, who plant tobacco on the planta- tion in the Skyllerkill:
Påfvell Jonsonn . 1
Swenn Larsonn
1
Hindrich Matzonn
1
Matz Pipere
1
Ambrosius Erichsonn
1
1
Anders Daalbo Päder Kåck
1
8
[IV] At the Upland [Plantation].
Officers:
Pader Liliehock
1
Elias the Tobaccoplanter
1
Mickell Nilsonn the Blacksmith .
1
The following laborers plant tobacco on the plantation at Upland:
Hindrich Matzonn 1
Matz Hansonn
1
Iffwer Hindersson
1
Johann Andersonn
1
Hanns Månsonn
1
Eskill Larsonn
1
114 NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA [1644
Lars Bior[n]sonn. 1
Bertill Eskilsonn 1
Johann Erichson 1
Jacob Spaniol 1
Cleme[n]t Jörensonn
1
14
[V] At Tinnakumgh.
Officers:
Governor Johann Printz 1
Placed over the provisions and accounts:
Carll Johansonn 1
The secretary Knut Personn
1
The gunsmith Master Niklaus
·
1
The gunner, in charge of the small copper cannon on Tinna- kungh:
Swenn Waass . 1
The soldiers who daily follow, travel [with], and serve the governor:
Elias Gyllenngrenn 1
Hanns Lüneburger
1
Jörann Snöhuitt . 1
Lars Andersonn 1
Anders Andersonn
1
Nils Anderssonn .
1
Johann Andersonn
1
Månns Nilsonn
1
The laboring-people, who are appointed to cut hay for the cattle, and also in the meantime to follow the governor in the little sloop:
Anders Bonde
1
Perr Andersonn
1
Antoni Swart .
1
Oloff Erichsonn
1
17
·
115
1644]
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1644 The following have died in New Sweden in 1643, 1644.
Officers:
Sept. 7, 1643, the preacher Mr. Regardh1 at Kirstina 1 July 18, 1643, the corporal Carll Hackensonn at Elfz- borg 1
Soldiers:
June 10, 1643, Mickell Kyrssner at Kirstina 1 July 3, 1643, Mans Larsonn at Elfzborgh . 1 5, 1643, Erich Hindersonn at Kirstina 1 Aug. [3], 1643, Rutkiert the German at Kirstina 1 Nov. [?], 1643, Johenn Hartman at Tennakungh 1 March 4, 1643, the following soldiers were killed by the savages between Kirstina and Elfzborgh: Mårthenn Bagge 1
Mårthen the Finn . .
1
The following laborers of the Company have died:
July 9, 1643, the freeman Jonns Påfvelsonn at Uplandh 1
" 12, "
10, Carll Marckusonn at Elfzborg Mårthenn Bior[n]sonn at Up- landh
1 1
" 29,
Matz Jörensonn at Kirstina .
30,
Joen Isacksonn at Elfzborgh 1
" 31, the peasant Per Mickellsonn at Elfzborgh 1
31, the peasant Larss Andersonn from Alandh at Elfzborgh
1
Aug. 13,
[the peasant?] Påfvel Påfvelson at Elfzborgh 1
14,
Jacob Tommesson at Kirstina 1
" 30,
Peder Oloffzon from Giefle at Elfzborgh 1 1
31,
Joen Jerpe at Elfzborgh
Dec. 10,
11,
Zachriss Andersonn at Kirstina 1 Påfwell Personn at the Skyl- lerkill 1
" Rev. Reorus Torkillus, the first preacher among the Swedes and the first Lutheran clergyman to serve in America. See Amandus Johnson, Swedish Settlements, p. 697.
1
116 NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA [1644
March 1, 1644, the freeman called Johann the Finn was drowned at Uplanndh 1
" 7, an Englishman, with a Swedish wife, was murdered by the savages 2
" 4, " Giert Elekenn, killed by the savages be- tween Fort Kirstina and Elfzborgh . .
1
The following return home to Sweden:
Officers:
Christer Boije
·
. 1' .
The preacher Mr. Israell
· 1
The barber Mr. Zim?
· 1
Soldiers:
Esbiörn Mårthensonn
1
Påfvell Smaal
1
Dated, Christina, June 20, 1644.
Total 121 JOHEN PRINTZ.
1 Rev. Israel Fluviander.
'Timon Stidden, barber-surgeon.
REPORT OF GOVERNOR JOHAN PRINTZ, 1647
INTRODUCTION
FOR the greater part of the interval of three years between the writing of the preceding and of the present report by Gov- ernor Printz, the colony of New Sweden had been allowed to shift for itself, the people at home being largely occupied in a war with the Danes. Yet, in spite of these handicaps, the work of the settlement, it will be observed, made a fair degree of progress.
This report exists in two manuscript forms, in Swedish, as signed by Printz. They are in the Riksarkiv (Royal Ar- chives) in Stockholm. Three transcripts of these are in the col- lection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, one of each being used in a translation made by Dr. Gregory B. Keen, published in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History, VII. 271- 281 (1883). The translation, as revised by Dr. Amandus Johnson from these transcripts, is here reproduced.
A. C. M.
REPORT OF GOVERNOR JOHAN PRINTZ, 1647
Report to the Right Honorable West India Company in Old Sweden, sent from New Sweden, February 20, 1647.
1. FROM June 20, in the year 1644, when the vessel Fama went from hence, to October 1, 1646, when the vessel Haij' arrived, two years and four months elapsed; and the whole of this time we received no letters, either from the Kingdom or from Holland. This last vessel was four months on the way, losing her sails, topmasts, and other implements, and fared very badly. The master of the ship, the mate, and all the people, except one man, were sick; so that, according to their report, they would have despaired, if they had not reached land when they did. Not until the month of December was the vessel in repair, and the people recovered; and, the winter commencing at the same time, they were obliged to stay here until the ice broke up. Now, however, on the subscribed date, the ship is dispatched with 24,177 pounds' of tobacco, in 101 casks, of which 6,920 pounds were planted in New Sweden, and 17,257 pounds were purchased. May God Almighty grant her a happy passage home!
2. The cargo has been safely delivered, according to the invoice accompanying it from Peter Trotzig, excepting eight kettles, one plank, three axes, and fourteen ells of frieze want- ing in the measure; fourteen pairs of stockings and 180 ells of frieze were ruined on shipboard; likewise, part of the Norren- berg goods were much rusted, which (except what the com- missary has received to sell amongst the savages) are to be sent at the very first opportunity to North England' for sale.
3. Concerning the improvements of the country: (1) Fort Elfsborgh has been tolerably well fortified. (2) Fort Chris- tina, which was very much decayed, has been repaired from 1 Shark. 'Swedish pounds. " New England.
120
121
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1647
1647]
top to bottom. (3) The Fort in Skylenkyll, called Kårsholm is pretty nearly ready. We are filling and working at it every day. So that, if we had people, ammunition, and other neces- sary resources, we should certainly not only be in a position to maintain ourselves in the said places, but also be enabled to settle and fortify other fine sites. Again, 28 freemen are settled, and part of them provided with oxen and cows, so that they already begin to prosper; but women are wanting. Many more people are willing to settle, but we cannot spare them on account of the places wanting them. The country is very well suited for all sorts of cultivation; also for whale fish- ery and wine, if some one was here who understood the busi- ness. Mines of silver and gold may possibly be discovered, but nobody here has any knowledge about such things. The Hol- landers boast that three years ago they found a gold mine be- tween Manathans and here, not in any place purchased by us, but nearer to New Sweden than to New Netherland. Hitherto, however, they have not got any gold out of it. There is no appearance here of salt, or of silkworms, because the winter is sometimes so sharp, that I never felt it more severe in the northern parts of Sweden.
4. The people have all the time been in good health; only two men and two small children have died. The reason that ' so many people died in the year 1643 was that they had then to begin to work, and but little to eat. But afterward we gave them, besides their regular rations, board to apply on their wages, and they have done well from it. Still, all of them wish to be released, except the freemen. And it cannot be otherwise. If the people willingly emigrating should be com- pelled to stay against their will, no others would desire to come here. The whole number of men, women, boys, girls, and children now living here is 183 souls, according to the annexed roll.
5. In the year 1645, November 25, between ten and eleven o'clock, the gunner Swen Wass, set Fort New Gothenburg on fire; in a short time all was lamentably burnt down, and not the least thing saved, except the barn. The people escaped naked and destitute. The winter immediately set in, bitterly cold; the river and the creeks froze up; and nobody was able to get near us (because New Gothenburg is surrounded by
122
[1647
NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
water). The sharpness of the winter lasted far into the month of March; so that, if some rye and corn had not been un- threshed, I myself and all the people with me on the island would have starved to death. But God maintained us with that small quantity of provision until we got the grain from the field and were again relieved. By this sad accident the loss of the Company, testified by the annexed roll, is 4000 rix- dollars. The above-mentioned Swen Wass who caused the fire, I have brought to court, and caused him to be tried and sentenced; so I have sent him home in irons, with the vessel, accompanied by the whole record concerning him, submis- sively committing and referring the execution of the verdict to the pleasure of Her Royal Majesty and the Right Honorable Company.
6. Again, I have caused a church to be built in New Goth- enburg, decorating it according to our Swedish fashion, so far as our resources and means would allow. Also in the same place I have rebuilt a storehouse, for the provisions and as many cargoes as may be sold there on the Company's behalf. Further, to prejudice the trade of the Hollanders, I have built a fine house (called Wasa)' on the other side of Kårsholm, by the road of the Minquas,' so strong that four or five men, well provided with guns, balls, and powder, will be able to defend themselves there against the savages; seven freemen, sturdy fellows, have settled in that place. Again, a quarter of a miles higher up, by the said Minquas' road, I have built another strong house, five freemen settling there. This place I have called Mondal,' building there a watermill, which runs the whole year, to the great advantage of the country, particularly as the windmill, formerly here, before I came, would never work, and was good for nothing. Now, when the great traders, the Minquas, travel to the Dutch trading-place or house, Nas-
1 So named for the royal family of Sweden.
"The Great Trading Path of the Minquas Indians led from the Susquehanna River, doubtless from the White Minquas or Susquehanna Fort on the west side of the river at the mouth of Conewago Creek, York County, just below the stop- page of navigation at the Great Falls, across Lancaster, Chester, and Delaware counties to Kingsessing Creek or the Upper Minquas Kill at Schuylkill River.
' About one and two-thirds English miles.
. On the present Cobbs Creek near the Blue Bell Inn on the road from Darby to Philadelphia.
123
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1647
1647]
sau,1 they are obliged to pass by those two places, which (please God) hereafter shall be provided with cargoes.
7. Concerning trade, in the year 1644, when the ship Fama went from here, there was very little of the cargo left in store; and, as we have been without merchandise ever since, not only has the Right Honorable Company suffered the great damage of losing 8000 or 9000 beavers, which have passed out of our hands, but also the Hollanders have drawn the principal traders (the White and Black Minquas) from us; and we shall be able only with great difficulty to regain them. But as soon as this vessel' arrived I dispatched Commissary Hindrik Hughen, with the watchmaster Gregorius van Dyk and eight soldiers, to the country of the Minquas, fifty German miles" from hence, offering them all sorts of presents, by which means they were induced to negotiate, and we received assur- ance from them that they would trade with us as before, especially as the commissary promised them to give more than the Hollanders. Whether they keep their word will be seen in the future.
8. It is of the utmost necessity for us to see how we can get rid of the Dutch from the river, for they oppose us on every side: (1) They destroy our trade everywhere. (2) They strengthen the savages with guns, shot, and powder, publicly trading with these against the edict of all Christians. (3) They stir up the savages to attack us, which, but for our prudence, would already have happened. (4) They begin to buy land from the savages within our boundaries, which we had pur- chased already eight years ago, and have the impudence here and there to erect the seal of the West India Company, calling it their arms; moreover, they give New Sweden the name of New Netherland, and are not ashamed to build their houses there, as can be learned more at length from the Dutch Gov- ernor's letter, here annexed, and from my answer to it; in
1 The Dutch Fort Nassau (1623-1651), near the mouth of Big Timber Creek, in the present Gloucester County, New Jersey.
"The Haij.
' About two hundred and thirty English miles. It is given as five German miles (or about twenty-three English miles) in one transcript, but that seems an error. In 1648 the Swedes carried goods from Fort Christina thirty German miles (about one hundred and thirty-eight English miles) into the country of the Minquas.
124
[1647
NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
short, they appropriate to themselves alone every right, hoist high their own flags, and would surely not pay the least atten- tion to Her Majesty's flags and forts, were they not reminded by a couple of cannon. So that if they are not kept out of the river, either by mutual agreement or other means, they will disturb our whole work. The better to accomplish this intention of theirs, some of the Hollanders have entirely quitted the Christians, resorting to the Minquas, behaving with much more unseemliness than the savages themselves. I have several times written to their Governor about all these improprieties, and also caused their arms to be cut down, but it did not make any difference: they see very well that we are weak; and, with no earnestness on our side, their malice against us increases more and more. And all the people, who are doing this mischief, are merely Dutch freemen, provided with their Governor's passport, and trading on their own ac- count, paying duties therefor, the Company itself not trading at all, and deriving very little advantage from this. As to the English Puritans, with whom I had most to do at first, I have at last been able, with the authority of Her Majesty, to drive them from hence; and they have not been heard from for a long time, except that one Captain Clerk1 was sent here last year, from North England, to try to settle a few hundred families under Her Majesty's flag, which I, in a civil way, re- fused, referring the matter to Her Majesty's further resolution.
9. The commissary's report will show our provisions and state here in New Sweden. It is a pity that for a long time we have had very little traffic and profit, while the expenses and the wages are the same. Still, could we get rid of the Hollanders, and be left alone in our trade, by successive car- goes the loss would be easily repaired in a short time. What profit we have derived from foreign cargoes, besides our own, can be seen in the commissary's account; I think it may be about 10,000 rix-dollars.
10. The cattle roll will give information about the offspring; the two head of cattle which were here before me, and the three I brought with me. It shows they have increased to ten in all, that the purchased cattle are fourteen oxen and one cow, and that one part is divided amongst the freemen, and 1 Not identified.
125
1647]
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1647
the other part is in the use of the Company. And, whereas the freemen need cattle as the principal instrument for the cultivation of the land, I intend next May to buy some in Vir- ginia, particularly as the Governor there has written to me, also offering his assistance in other ways.
11. I have caused the barge to be fully constructed, so that the hull is ready and floating on the water; but the com- pletion of the work must be postponed until the arrival of a more skilled carpenter, the young men here declaring they do not know enough to finish it. Again, we want a good engineer, house carpenter, mason, brickmaker, potter, cooper, skilful gun- and locksmiths, and blacksmiths, a chamois-dresser, tanner, tailor, shoemaker, ropemaker, wheelwright, and exe- cutioner; all these are of great necessity here, and, above all, a good number of unmarried women for our unmarried free- men and others, besides a good many families for cultivating the land, able officers and soldiers, as well as cannon and ammunition, for the defence of the forts and the country. And, when the Hollanders and other nations are aware that Her Royal Majesty has such a royal earnestness in this behalf, I think they will be careful, because when I came here, four years ago, they immediately abandoned the bad intentions they had formerly exercised against our people, but afterward, since so little has been done for the affair, they have once more grown overbearing.
12. The savages in Virginia, New Netherland, and North England have made peace with the Christians, and our own savages have been quiet ever since. Thus, if the Hollanders were not here, we should soon be on good terms with them; but the savages now have war amongst themselves, more to the prejudice than to the advantage of the beaver-trade.
13. As before stated the officers, as well as the common soldiers, not settled in the country and not yet willing to settle, want to be released; particularly Commissary Hindrik Hugen, whom I myself now, for the third time, have with great diffi- culty persuaded to stay until the arrival of the next ship; he ought to be replaced by a very able commissary. Again, the minister Magister Johan Campanius wishes to be dismissed, and we need at least two clergymen in the places already settled. Again, the freemen desire to know something about
-
126
[1647
NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
their privileges, for themelves and their descendants; likewise the criminals, how long they must serve for their crimes; as to all which I humbly asked to be informed more circumstantially in my former Reports of 1643 and 1644.
14. Whereas a letter from Postmaster-General Johan Beijer, dated Stockholm, March 17, 1645, apprises me that the ves- sels Calmar Nyckel and Fama had arrived in Holland, and that my Report was lost on the way (if this really be the fact), I only recapitulate herein what goods were sent home in re- turn by the Fama, annexing a copy of Captain Peter Pawel- son's receipt for the said goods. These were: 1300 whole beavers, 299 half-beavers, 537 third-parts of beavers great and small together, 2136 beavers; again, tobacco, 20,467 lbs. in 77 hogsheads; again, my own tobacco, which partly I re- ceived in payment from foreigners, and partly I planted my- self, 7200 lbs. in 28 hogsheads, sent home to the shareholders in Sweden, that they may either reimburse me at eight stivers a pound, or graciously allow me to sell it elsewhere.
15. In the sixth paragraph of my above-mentioned Report, sent from here in 1644, I mentioned the necessity of erecting a trading-house for various kinds of merchandise, namely, for clothing, shoes, different sorts of stuffs, linen cloth, thread, silk, fine and coarse cloth, divers colors for dyeing, buttons, Leyden ribbons, hats, belts, swords, tanned leather, etc. Those goods are very vendible here, and in Virginia and New Eng- land, and can be sold at a profit of 100 per cent. The house is also needed for all sorts of provisions, both for our own people, and for foreigners. A judicious and faithful man, however, must be put over it and all provisions, who may give each of our people what he wants, on account of wages. Thus the people can be paid every month entirely out of the profit, without the Right Honorable Company's diminishing its principal, but perhaps making money, everything here being extremely dear: for example, one barrel of malt (Swedish measure) costs seven to eight rix-dollars, one pound of hops half a rix-dollar, one pound of pork ten stivers, one barrel of corn six rix-dollars, which last could be sown in this country, brewed, baked, and afterwards sold to the people with advan- tage; I have paid 54 rix-dollars to the English for one barrel of beef: in short, everything is dear.
127
1647]
REPORT OF GOVERNOR PRINTZ, 1647
16. In the ninth paragraph of my above-mentioned Report I also spoke about the zewandt trade in North England, and said that a trusty man ought to be sent to purchase zewandt for us there, because it can be had cheap in that country, while here we are obliged to pay to the English and Holland- ers a double price in good beavers, and yet we cannot always get it. It is not possible to keep up the Indian trade by means of cargoes only, because the savages always want zewandt besides, this being their money.
Again, I have several times before solicited a learned and able man: first, to attend to the judicial business, sometimes very intricate cases occurring, in which it is difficult, and never ought to be, that one and the same person appear in the court as plaintiff as well as judge; and, secondly, to act as secretary, especially in the Latin language, for many times it has hap- pened (as is proved by the annexed paper) that I have re- ceived Latin letters from all parts; these it would be well to answer in Latin, as really I have done as best I could, but I submissively entreat if it is possible, for the future, to be re- leased from such work through the assistance, as above stated, of a competent person.
17. I have caused some waterfalls to be examined suitable as a site for saw-mills, below the dam by the newly built grist- mill, as well as in three other places, where there is plenty of oak. But we want a man who can superintend the saw-mill; also, windlasses and blades for saws. If such saw-mills were erected (which might easily be done), every year we might cut and make ready a goodly quantity of planks, besides making compass and pipe timber, which could be very advantageously bartered in the Flemish Islands for wine, which might be either carried to the Kingdom, or sold in Virginia for tobacco. But for this purpose a proper vessel ought to be kept here by the year, which at times could cruise to the West Indies, and by this means the country could be annually provided with victuals.
18. If we are able to renew our friendly relations with the White and Black Minquas (as we are assured and may hope we shall), the trade with these will commence next April, and continue the whole summer until fall. Our present cargo may be sold during that time; therefore, it will be a matter of
128
NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
[1647
necessity, to be provided with new cargoes next November, and about that time we may be able (with God's help) to have on hand a great deal of goods for the return cargo.
19. In the fourteenth paragraph of my former Report I submissively asked in what way the extra entertainment of foreign guests coming here shall be paid. We have in such things been as sparing as possible; however, the amount of the disbursement increases more and more, and the accidental revenues which are collected here and which have been assigned for this use will in no wise suffice.
20. The freemen already settled want to be paid the rest of their wages; and, whereas their intention is to continue to cultivate the land with that money, I think it advisable to pay them for the good of the country, and as an example for others. But their wives and relations in the old country should not be allowed to draw any of their wages, unless these can show the account from here, because every day we are obliged to give them more or less, according to their wants, and some are already fully paid.
21. The bookkeeper, Carl Johansson, who chanced to get into a misfortune in Kiexholm,1 and for that reason was sent over to New Sweden, has been here six years, and has behaved very well the whole time. Three years ago I not only ap- pointed him to take care of the stores, but also trusted him to receive and revise the commissary's monthly accounts, pay- ing him ten rix-dollars a month as wages (to be ratified graciously by the Right Honorable Company), which service he in like manner has ever since faithfully performed. Now his submissive request is, by Her Royal Majesty's and the Right Honorable Company's favor, to be allowed to go home to the Kingdom for a while, with the next ship, to stay as long as it may please Her Royal Majesty, to settle his affairs there. His purpose for the future is to serve Her Royal Majesty and the Right Honorable Company willingly and faithfully, to the best of his ability, so long as he shall live, either here in New Sweden, or wheresoever else he may be assigned to duty.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.