PAPERS RELATING TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
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offered to subscribe, and it was signed, as appears therefrom, by 15 persons, and the oath we read tothem was taken by the 3 Magistrates and. signed by one of the Inhabitants named George Reith.One of the settlers present named Anthony Gill would not sign either the one or the other. Wetold him, therefore, in the name of the Director General & Council of N. Netherland, pursuant toour Instructions that he should depart within three days from Oostdorp and within 3 weeks fromthe Province of N. Netherland, which he said, he should do. Six persons were gone from home toother places, viz. Edward Waeters, Richard Pointom, Samuel Barret, Jonathan Writh, Tomas Stie-vens, Rochier Wyls, and one was sick, Robbert Roos. These are all the present Inhabitants ofOostdorp, but they told us that 3 @ 4 families more would Uton come.
The preceding being accomplished, divers of the Inhabitants made the following complaints whichthey requested us to present to the H r General & Council, in order that a timely remedy may be ap-plied :—
Firstly, regarding the insolence of the Indians; that they daily threaten to destroy them if theyrepair under the Dutch which some told us proceeded from Mr. Pel who purchased that piece ofland from the Indians on this condition, as they said, that the Indians should deliver it to him un-embarrassed, and maintain him in it against all who may have claims to it, and that the said Pel nowdaily importuned the Indians to return his money, or otherwise that the Indians according to Deedof Sale, should free him from the Dutch nation who claim it as their property.
Secondly, That the Heer General had promised them when his Honour had them removed thence,that each should have his arms restored. This, they said, was not done, but that many among themyet missed their arms—one a snaphammer and the other a pistol, and some a musket whereby theywere deprived of arms ; Request that the said promise may be fulfilled.
Thirdly, That they were never well supplied with arms and were stripped, as aforesaid, of thefew which they had ; therefore, should the Indians make any attack on them, they must immediatelysurrender; they, consequently, request that the Village be provided with some muskets, powder,lead & match w 7 hich they would preserve in a Magazine for the Town.
We promised to Communicate the whole of this Remonstrance to the H r Director General &Council.
The business being completed and leave taken, we went to M r Ferris’ who invited us to break-fast. This done, the tide being favorable after breakfast, we resolved to depart though it rainedhard. We, accordingly took our leave both of the inducted Magistrates and Inhabitants generally,and rowed according to our Calculation about 12 o’clock out of the Kill; passed Hell-gate with a ta-vourable tide and landed about 3 o’clock at the Manhatans; reported our return and delivered thesein Amsterdam in N: Netherland the 1. January, 1657.
Brian NewtonC. V RuyvenCarel van Brugge
This first Jannuary A 0 1657 : In east towne in the N. Netherlands .
Wee hose hands are vnder writen do promes to oune the gouernor of the manatas as our gouernorand obay all his magastrates and lawes that ar mad acordin to god so long as we liue in his Juridiction.
Robbert Basset bis
his
George X Reithmark
John FinchJohn WilsonRichard HortonThomas Taylor
Hendrick f*j CornelyssenmarkThamis MartinNick LookerlyJohn QuimbieJosiah GilberObodiah Gilbert
Jonathan Llockwood
his
Robert x Meackermarkhis
Jeffery X fferrlamark