USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware > Part 27
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" Whereas Barent Jochemsen, skipper on the vessel 'The Gilded Mill,' chiefly freighted by this city to transport colo- nists and freemen, wishes to sail directly to South River, and solicited us to grant him this request ; we deemed it becoming to acquiesce in the proposal, wherefore if he might not stop at the Manhattan, as is the letter of the usual formulary in the contract with private skippers, we desire that he may not, on his return, be troubled or molested for this reason."1
The following extracts from letters of Alricks, show the September. prevalence of sickness, and deaths among them :
New Amstel, and the surrounding country, suffered much Great sick- from sickness, as well as other causes. Alricks writes, that "our actual situation, which is certainly very distressing by an ardent prevailing fever, and other diseases, by which the large majority of the inhabitants are oppressed and broken down, besides that our " barber' (surgeon) died, and another, well acquainted with his profession, is very sick."
" But few old people died, but a great number of young children, who could not stand it. Six of us fell sick. The members of the council, Hinoyossa and Rynvelt, with the sheriff and all the schepens, had a very severe attack, and the greatest part remain yet bedridden, but I hope they may ere long recover, as the sickness now begins somewhat to abate." Besides this, " Christian Barents, who was to make the ross-mill, has died. In great distress for bread and corn." (August 9, September 5, October 7.)
The ship Mill arrived with 108 souls ; ten to eleven died September. on board, owing to the long voyage, from scurvy, and three Ship Mill ar- more since arrival. They were in want of water. No cook- rives. Deaths from her. ing took place for several days.
" Died here, Commissary Abraham Rynvelt, and left by October 28. will his estate to Commissary Van Sweringen. Also died, Death of Anthony Merman, so that here the generally prevailing sick-
Commissary ness has taken off several of our respectable inhabitants, &c. Rynvelt, besides other persons, but chiefly young ones or children ;
1 Albany Records, vol. iv. p. 278.
ness. Many deaths.
248
J. ALRICKS AND W. BEEKMAN.
1658. besides, many are yet lingering and bedridden, and who can slowly recover their former health and strength. Muskets rusty and want cleaning."1 Complains of smuggling, and proposes a watch of three or four soldiers.
The director-general and council " wanting, for the admi- October 28. nistration and promotion of the company's and our own Appoint- ment of Wil- liam Beek- affairs on South River, an expert and respectable person to command there in our absence, as vice-director and commis- man as vice- sary, and direct the whole for the best of the company, director and commissary of South Ri- ver. placing unbounded confidence in the abilities, honesty, and experience of William Beekman, schepen and elder in the city of New Amsterdam, have appointed him as our commis- sary and vice-director, to administer and take care, during our absence, of the aforesaid country, of the fortresses, the militia and freemen, issue good orders, and make those well respected and fairly executed ; to administer justice, accord- ing to his best knowledge and judgment, as well civil as cri- minal and military affairs, according to instruction. All to obey him as such, especially the present provisional commissary."
Salary.
His salary and boarding same as the late commissary Jac- quet, viz. 50 guilders per month, and 200 guilders per annum for board, in conformity to resolution, July 30.2
Oath.
He took the oath of office3 on the same day, in which he promises to be loyal and faithful, to administer justice, to maintain the reformed religion as it is preached in " Father- land" and here, in conformity to the word of God, and the Synod of Dordrecht, and promote it as much as in his power ; do every thing for security and defence of the government, and conform in every respect to instructions, of which the following is a summary :
When arrived at South River, as the company reserved Instructions. neither house nor lot, he is at first, and provisionally, to take His resi- dence. his lodgings in the dwelling-house in Fortress Altona; but as he ought generally, and especially on the arrival of vessels, to have his permanent residence at or near New Amstel, he must, as soon as possible, procure convenient rooms or a dwelling, and hire for a year at expense of company.
On the arrival of any vessels or yachts of any nation, or
1 Albany Records, vol. xii. pp. 467-476.
2 Ibid. vol. xiv. p. 314. By this resolution it appears that then Mr. Beekman was commissioned as commissary at this salary, which Jacquet also enjoyed. 3 Recorded on page 388.
249
PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
at least before their unloading, to be in or near Fort New 1658. Amstel, attend carefully to their loading and unloading, and in no manner permit any goods or merchandises to be laden or unladen, or embarked in other vessels, without examination His duties. and certainty that the recognitions have been paid from those in Fatherland or here at the commissary's office, or that the company be not defrauded of revenue.
To secure this, and prevent smuggling, he is to have all To have a the time a guard of the company there, under his orders or guard. those of a sergeant, or some other officer of the company.
In case of discovery of contraband, he is to act as auditor, With re- and seize them, in conformity to placards of director-general and council of New Amstel, prosecute the smugglers, &c. goods. provisionally, till further orders, before the council there, whose judgment he shall demand. From their decision he may appeal to Manhattans.
spect to smuggled
He is to have a share of all smuggled and confiscated His share of goods which by his industry and diligence have been disco- them. vered, as also of all fines, at the judgment and discretion of director-general and council, to whom the goods are to be sent by first opportunity, or an account of them.
He is provisionally invested with all the powers of the com- Has all pow- pany on the river, except the district of New Amstel, with er of the company, regard to all the ministers and servants of the company, who except at shall support him in his office, order all freemen of whatever New Amstel. nation, keep the first under good order and discipline, and to the second maintain and administer good justice, both in civil and military affairs, and in criminal cases of minor grade, all in conformity to former instructions, either to late commissary or to the Swedish nation, or as future circum- stances may require ; shall employ the sheriff and commis- saries already appointed, or which had previously been appointed over the Swedish nation.
" Whereas it had pleased the lords directors to extend the Respecting limits of the colony of the city of Amsterdam, upon request of the commissaries, and to favour it with the tract of land named Bompjes hoeck, (Trees Corner,) from there to the south to Cape Henlopen, and consequently authorized us to pur- chase aforesaid land from the original proprietors, and thus is he particularly commanded to act in concert with, and solicit the advice of, the honourable Jacob Alricks, or any other who shall be qualified by him for that purpose, to be-
the purchase of lands.
32
250
J. ALRICKS AND W. BEEKMAN.
1658. come well informed who the real proprietors are of aforesaid lands, to hear and weigh their pretensions, and if their de- mands are reasonable, to enter with them into an agreement about it, or otherwise inform us about it ; and if the aforesaid honourable Alricks might feel himself inclined, and has an opportunity, to erect, before winter sets in, some fortifications in the neighbourhood of Cape Henlopen, or about the Hoern- kill, or to make any buildings there, then he ought to be specially authorized and commanded to make first a purchase of the land which he should want, of which then as soon as we are informed of the situation and extent, a deed shall be prepared."
Fortifica- tions.
Take inven- tory.
"Directly on arrival, prepare correct inventory of all the effects of the company ; also a correct list of all the horses and cattle formerly belonging to the Swedish officers, how many at first, and what became of them.
Examine guns and fortifica- tions.
Examine into quantity and quality of the guns in the for- tress of New Amstel, especially their weight ; also what other materials were received by Alricks from the company, on behalf of the city.1"
Beekman's letters.
A voluminous correspondence of Beekman has fortunately been preserved among the Albany Records. As they furnish almost the only history of that period, and enter into details of many circumstances as they occurred, and are indeed chiefly official communications to Stuyvesant, we shall rely much upon extracts from them for that portion of our work.
1659.
January 6. Alricks loses his wife. Further de- tails of dis- tress.
March 28.
About this time Alricks lost his wife, by the prevailing sickness, and appears to be in great affliction in consequence of it and other causes. He says, " winter early, long, and unexpected, caused great distress ; the previously long con- tinued rain prevented the collection of fodder for the crea- tures, and continued sickness curbed us so far down that all the labour in the field and agriculture was abandoned; the guns are rusty, not having a proper place to keep them in." " One reason of want of victuals is, the lands are new." "I did see from the first, that from the few Netherland settlers who actually resided here at our arrival, scarce one obtained, during our residence, one schepel of grain; those who came with us hither, or emigrated afterwards to this place, did not 1 Albany Records, vol. xiv. pp. 389-392.
251
1659.
Settlers en- grossed with building, &c.
left for agri- culture.
PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
much more, or could effect any thing better, as the time, in the first year, was spent in building houses and making gar- dens, in which small compass of garden each individual, as well in clearing soil, in building, and carrying the materials, was so busily engaged, that the summer was passed without having thrown much seed into the ground; besides this, was No time is then obstructed by the general prevailing sickness, during two successive years, while the immoderate hot weather was another impediment."1
The following letters from the directors in Holland to Go- vernor Stuyvesant, show that the Dutch entertained constant suspicions of the fidelity of the Swedes in public trusts, espe- cially since their request to remain neutral in case of any interruption to the mutual harmony between the two nations. They say :
" We approve the orders of your honour on the South February 13. River, with the exception of the appointment of Swedish Letter from officers in that district, because that nation is not to be trusted, directors of West India P. Stuyve- sant. Dis- which may not only be presumed from its former conduct, but Company to is evident from their request to the director that they might be permitted to remain neutral in case a Swedish succour pleased with might arrive. These are, in our opinion, bold proposals from appointment of Swedish officers. They to be removed. subjects who pledged their obedience to our government and the company, when they took the oath of allegiance, and who betray the sentiments which they foster in their bosoms ; wherefore we have been yet more surprised, as it had been rather preferable to have disarmed the whole nation, than to provide them with officers, and place the arms in their hands, which they might use against us, not only by the arrival of any Swedish succour, but on any other occasion. It is there- fore required, to prevent such an event, that this mistake should be corrected, not only by removing the Swedish officers, but by replacing them with other officers of our own nation, when you ought further to take hold of the first favourable opportunity to disarm them at the least symptom of disaffec- tion. The sheriff and commissaries of the same nation ought not to be reappointed when their time is expired, and others of our nation put in their places, to render their associations fruitless, and discover their machinations with more case. It would be useful for this purpose, could you succeed, to sepa- rate them, and induce them by fair means to settle among 1 Albany Records, vol. xii. pp. 480-483.
-
252
J. ALRICKS AND W. BEEKMAN.
1659.
our own inhabitants, when we could not be endangered by them. You must conclude, from what we have already writ- ten on this subject, that we consider it of the highest import- ance, wherefore we recommend you to execute our orders with the greatest carefulness."1
Beekman's office in the colony.
They give some further instructions : Governor Stuyvesant is to "admonish Alricks, from time to time, of his duty, and particularly to assist William Beekman, who is now continued custom-house officer and auditor in the colony of the city on South River.2
Prices of ar- tillery, &c. surrendered at Fort Casi- mir.
" It is now no longer required that you transmit the weight of the brass and iron guns, with the valuation of the remain- ing ammunition and instruments of the artillery train, cattle, and other articles which were surrendered with the Fort Casi- mir, now New Amstel, to Director Alricks, as we have agreed on this point with the burgomasters and rulers of this city, who now are its legitimate proprietors ; we shall therefore be attentive to communicate to you the prices of the ammunition and other implements which occasionally may be transmitted to New Netherland, that you may have a certain rule to act on in your distribution of these articles to your neighbours."3
Alterations in conditions to colonists ; create dis- satisfaction.
About this time various alterations were made by the bur- gomasters in Amsterdam, in the conditions upon which the colonists had agreed to emigrate, and which caused much discontent when the news arrived ; provisions were only to be distributed from the public magazine among those who left Holland prior to December, 1658; merchandise to be sold only for cash, and the city to be no longer obliged to keep supplies in their magazines. Exemption from tenths, instead of continuing for twenty years, were to cease in 1678, and poundage, horn, and salt-money, ten years earlier than stipu- lated, when the director-general could impose what rate he pleased. Goods in future must be consigned exclusively to the city of Amsterdam, whereas the West India Company allowed all traders resident on South River to export wherever they pleased, except beavers and peltry, the monopoly of which was still retained by the city. Many poor folks, whilst yet they had any thing left wherewith to pay for their pas- sage, had offered it to Alricks, and besought him, with clasped hands, to accept it in payment of their debts, but he de-
1 Albany Records, vol. iv. pp. 291-292.
3 Ibid. p. 286, &c.
2 Ibid. p. 285.
PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
clined, saying, " Ye are bound to remain for four years." " We have spent, in our hunger, wretchedness, and misery, all that we saved from our small pittance ; we have nothing left wherewith to pay." "You must pay first, and then go." Numbers fled to Virginia and Maryland, where they spread the news of the weak and desperate condition of New Am- stel.1 Stuyvesant, in a letter of 4th September, complains of this conduct of Alricks to the company ; which see.
A public fast and prayer day is directed by the director- March 28. general to be observed on Wednesday, April 2, which Alricks Fast and says will be observed. " What regards the proclamation of a fast and prayer day, transmitted here to be published on the 2d of April, I delivered it to the secretary as I received it from your honour ; he will copy it in the form in which it ought to be done, and deliver it then to the gospel minister, to be published by him on that day. The minister keeps always the copies in his possession, by which it may thus always be seen what your honour commanded, and in what manner, so that in this regard every thing is performed that would be required-wherefore I enclose the declaration of the secretary on this subject."2
" The fort and several buildings are much decayed; there Condition of is no magazine to save the victuals; lodgings too small, not the fort. light, and many out of repair; the ramparts, &c. unfit for use ; beddings for the cannon in same situation ; the walls and fortifications so far crumbled down that it is easy to pass them as by the gate itself, so that another gate is required, to make some outward appearance of defence, chiefly against the Swedish nation, who are yet ardently fostering the hope to be restored to possession."3
The following fragments of a letter from Alricks to Stuy- March. vesant, show some of the causes then operating against the colony :
* * " That prevailing violent sickness, which wasted Deplorable a vast deal of goods and blood, from one year to another, and which not only raged here, but everywhere throughout this sickness, se- province, and which consequently retarded not only our pro- gress in agriculture, but threw a damp over the other under- lany of a takings. Besides that, in the ship ' Mill,' which only lately
state of the colony, from
vere wea- ther, and vil-
captain sent with sup- plies.
1 O'Call. vol. ii. pp. 376-377, who quotes Holl. Doc. vol. xv. pp. 23-27; vol. xvi. pp. 215-217. Albany Records, vol. iv. p. 290.
2 Albany Records, vol. xii. pp. 482, 491.
3 Ibid. p. 419.
Y
253 1659. -
prayer-day, April 2.
254
J. ALRICKS AND W. BEEKMAN.
March.
1659. arrived, a very short time before the severe cold weather, were embarked more than 200 souls, besides those who last spring arrived, and bringing, as appears by the lists, about 500 souls, without bringing any victuals with them, which baffles, in this respect, all our measures. It is true we re- ceived by said ship a small cargo of about 3000 guilders' worth, for the purchase of victuals. The ship Mill arriving late; the harvest, by the unfavourable season, being collected late; the little grain which was not drowned by the heavy incessant rains, but remained stifled in its growth, was sold at such excessive prices, that it often could not be purchased, where it was necessarily wanted. We were not permitted to go to Virginia nor to the north, so that our bread magazine, our pantry-room, our only refuge is to Manhattan. In this full persuasion, we despatched the galliot, which, however, by the early winter, was frozen there, and as we had only a very scanty supply, and could obtain nothing anywhere else, it actually occasioned great distress among several inhabitants, although the usual rations were distributed among the arrived colonists, and even other individuals."
Captain of a vessel loaded with provi- sions runs off with her.
Deplorable state of the colony. Hard winter.
" His honour's good intentions [for supply of provisions] being carried into execution, and that his yacht, which was before commanded by Lumis Obbes, now named the Brigantine, laden with victuals of pork, beef, maize, &c., was despatched hither, but to our misfortune, its skipper proved himself a faithless villain, and went off with the ves- sel thus provided, on privateering, to look out for a good prize, as we learned from various information ; so that it hap- pened to us as is so really said, 'misfortune goes seldom alone.' After all this, we were surprised by a dreadful and long-continued hard winter, so that no use could be made of any vessel whatever; so that sicknesses during summer sea- son, and the severe cold in winter, took away the greatest part of the year, and prevented much labour from being per- formed. The sicknesses and deaths pressed on us with such unabated violence, that a large number of men, and not a small number of our cattle perished, during that period. We will devoutly pray our God, and hope that our sins may dis- continue, and then of course the punishment shall be abated, which we are wishing from our whole heart."1
April 25.
At this early period, the discovery of mines and minerals 1 Albany Records, vol. xii. pp. 484, 485.
255
PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR-GENERAL.
appears to have been a favourite object of attention. Several notices appear on the records, such as at Esopus, and on the Raritan, but the following is noticed particularly for its con- nection with the history of this state at a later period. The directors of the company say, "We lately saw a small piece of mineral, said to have been brought from New Netherland, which was such good and pure copper, that we deemed it worth inquiring of one Kloes de Ruyter about it, as we pre- sumed he must know if the fact is as stated. He asserted that there was a copper mine at Menesink, and that between Copper the Manhattans and South River was discovered a mountain of crystal, of which he said he brought several specimens with him."1
A communication was made to the author, and is printed in his Register of Pennsylvania, volume i. page 440, from the late Samuel Preston, referring to some traditional accounts respecting the " mine-holes" and the " mine-road," as having been made at a very early period, by " a company of miners from Holland." He says, "from the best evidence I have been enabled to obtain, I am clearly of opinion that Menesink The earliest was the oldest European settlement of equal extent ever made settlements in Pennsyl- in the territory afterward named Pennsylvania." The pre- vania. ceding remarks respecting the discovery of the mines, may possibly show the origin of these mine-holes, and thus verify the later traditional account.
It had been decided by the Dutch, if practicable, to make a purchase of the Whorekill. The following extracts from Alricks to Stuyvesant, show the progress of this business :
" We further understood that the cargo destined for the May 14. purchase of the Whorekill was now arrived, at which we re- Cargo in- joice, but that no guns were shipped, as these were not ob- tended for the purchase tainable at the Manhattans ; wherefore I solicit your honour of Whorekill that I may be permitted to supply them from the smuggled arrived. guns which were arrested in the ship Weigh-scales, which I would perform with pleasure, if it was possible, but as these guns had been a long time in the magazine, and became wet, but principally as several of the new colonists were without guns, and were intended to be armed ; so it was deliberated upon this point in our meeting, and resolved to open the cases, which having performed in presence of D'Hinoyossa and Rynewell, it was discovered to contain 35 small guns,
1 Albany Records, vol. iv. p. 304. See also, Reg. Penns. vol. i. p. 428.
1659.
mines at Menesink.
256
J. ALRICKS AND W. BEEKMAN.
1659.
Distribution of guns from the " Weigh- scales." Se- veral burst.
with brass bandlures, of which then was said that each cost in Holland 3 gl. 5 st., and it was concluded that these should be delivered to the ensign, Anthony Rademan, to be distributed among the citizens who were without. When this was effected, several of these guns, when used, burst. This was communicated to the directors, of whom several were among the directors of the company, with the addition, that he who would reclaim these guns might be referred to the attorney-general, and that so as those were, they were here necessary, so might the city's account with the company be charged with it."
Difficulties with the vessels, and their passes and searches. Beekman is complained of as causing detention by his ab- sence.1
May 24.
Beekman and D'Hino- yossa at Whorekill to purchase land. English claim.
Messrs. Beekman and D'Hinoyossa departed 23d of last month for the Whorekills; were there on 30th, and despatched a savage to the chiefs in the country, desiring them to come down, with a view to agree with them. Alricks writes, " Now I hear some rumours that the English pretend that this river country is their property ; that they intended to send ten persons hither to claim it, and place them in possession, with which several discontented persons would coincide to effect this plan, as there are here persons boasting to have seen let- ters written from Virginia to the Swedes, that they might remain here as a free colony under the English."2
June 14. Orders to fortify and garrison can- not be com- plied with.
Alricks again alludes to the sickness for two years, hard winter, unfavourable summer, and no ship arriving with vic- tuals, as an excuse for not complying with certain directions, and says, " more so as I am commanded by my principals, in their letters, to secure another place besides this, to fortify and garrison it, which cannot be undertaken, much less ac- complished, without great expense, towards which the small cargo of the ' Mill' avails little, as all the victuals are to be purchased at a high price-for maize, 6 gl. per schepel."3
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