causes, will not give us, henceforth, so much trouble, and will prefer to live under us with freedom of conscience, rather than risk that in order to be rid of our authority and then again to fall under a government from which they formerly fled. These two reasons, we hope; will serve your Honors for speculation in the disposal of our forces and aid greatly in executing our intention and maintaining our conquests by means of the above force, without any difficulty, until a final agreement shall be concluded on. The settlement of the Boundary itself, so long attempted, begins now also to put on another aspect, partly through our efforts and partly through other circumstances and actions between the East India Company and ours, which happened with the English some time since on the coast of Africa and in the East Indies. We and those of the East Indies having had various engagements with the English on account of the trade to one place and the other, their High Mightinesses have been importuned by the English with divers complaints, yea, and threats. These being brought forward in the Assembly of their Noble, Great Mightinesses, the Lords States of Holland and Westfriesland, were referred to and examined by a Committee, who have reported that their High Mightinesses will be always troubled with such questions unless a general settlement of Boundaries between both nations, in all parts of the world, be agreed upon. This being drawn up on the 3d or 4th instant, when our Commissioners, then at the Hague, afforded all the assistance in their power; their Noble Mightinesses adjourning on the 5th to the 29th, on account of the Easter Holidays, the matter will be brought in on their re-meeting and supported at least by evidence wherever practicable. We shall then press it with all means in our power, so that we hope, in a short time, your Honors will be relieved from threatening danger. Meanwhile, we heartily wish that we had here authenticated copies of all contracts entered into with the Indians regarding the property of the lands, in order to be assisted thereby in the discussions on the Boundary question; howbeit we are perfectly aware that in the case of a dispute de limitibus imperij, it will, for the most part, be decided, especially as far as our discovery and occupation will be substantiated, that whosoever, be they English or others, shall purchase property from Indians or others within the limits of our authority, are even so subject to our jurisdiction; and, accordingly, the English under our authority, settling on their own purchased lands and residing within the limits of our jurisdiction, shall be constrained out of those documents alone, to afford us satisfaction. The Swedish expedition of Admiral Hendrick Gerritsen Zeehelm, being wonderfully obstructed by the hand of God, relieves you from all apprehension and dread of his arrival, and us from much trouble in carrying out your advice. For said Admiral having sailed from Sweden in the month of first ran aground before Landts croon; having miraculously got off, he passed the Sound and with his attendant ship struck on the island of Anont,2 where the smallest vessel was wrecked, with all her stores. The larger having touched the reef a little, 'twas found necessary to run for Gottenburgh; her compasses being unshipped by the aforesaid grounding, she again ran ashore on this voyage. But finally being dismantled at Gottenburg all the hands were discharged. So ended that voyage. In case he resume it we shall take good care, according to your advice, to request the ship-of-war from the Admiralty. Having now answered your Honors' letter of the last of February, as far as time permits, we shall take the earliest opportunity to have the papers received by us with the aforesaid despatch translated, examined and answered, insomuch as this has been omitted herein, and 1 1 Near Helsinberg, in Denmark, at the north entrance of the Sound. "Sic. Quere? Anholt. - ED. then communicate what we, in that regard, have resolved to lay before their High Mightinesses, and what we have accomplished. Charles II. to the Governors of New England. Extract from the letter sent by his Majesty of England to the government of "CHARLES REX: Trusty and well beloved, we greet you well. Having taken very much to heart the welfare, &c." Subscribed: Given at our Court, at Whitehall, the 23d April, 1664, in the XVIth year of our reign. Beneath was: By his Majesty's order. That we may protect our subjects of our several plantations from the invasions of their neighbors and provide that no subjects of our neighbor nations, how allied soever with us, may possess themselves of any lands or rivers within our territories and dominions, as we are informed the Dutch have lately done, to the prejudice of our good subjects of those our plantations and to the obstructions of trade, which, in time, may prove very mischievous to our good subjects there. And, therefore, we cannot but be confident that when our Commissioners have imparted unto you our pleasure in this particular and the benefit and advantage which, with God's blessing, must accrue to yourselves from the same besides the preventing many growing inconveniences to your peace and prosperity, you will join and assist them vigorously in recovering our right in those places now possessed by the Dutch and reducing them to an entire obedience and submission to our government. In which case our desire and pleasure is that they should be treated as neighbors and fellow subjects, and enjoy, quietly, what they are possessed of by their honest industry.1 1 For the above letter in full, see, post, III., 61. —ED. Resident Appelboom to the States-General. [From the Original in the Royal Archives at the Hague; File, Duitschland. ] Whereas the undersigned Resident of his Royal Majesty of Sweden, since he had the honor to appear at your High Mightinesses' Assembly, hath several weeks ago requested a conference with your High Mightinesses' Deputies, which was granted to him shortly afterwards, and the same was postponed from time to time, and howbeit he hath learned by private visits that an answer shall be given him before he, the Resident, hath explained himself in such conference concerning what was given him exclusively in command, said Resident, in order to consume the least time, hereby will make known to your High Mightinesses the contents of what he hath had to submit at such conference, respectfully requesting that your High Mightinesses may be graciously pleased to pay attention thereunto, and to allow him, the Resident, to be furnished with a wished for answer and declaration thereupon, as your High Mightinesses, in your profound wisdom, shall deem most suitable for the maintenance of just friendship and correspondence between both States. Dated at the Hague, the 19th June, Anno 1664. (Signed), HARALD APPELBOOM. To the Committee of the States-General. Noble and Mighty Lords. The credentials of his Royal Majesty, my most gracious Lord, delivered to their High Mightinesses on the 26th of May, have sufficiently assured their High Mightinesses that his Royal Majesty hath nothing more at heart than to meditate on the old and reliable friendship and alliance which existed continuously between his Royal Majesty's ancestors and their High Mightinesses for nearly time immemorial, and that consequently his Royal Majesty hath an exceeding great desire to cultivate mutual confidence and correspondence, and, on the other hand, with the consent of both sides, to remove all whatever might be found hindersome and injurious thereto. 1° And whereas, in regard to the so called Elucidation of the lately concluded Treaty of Elbing, divers incongruities, obscurities, difficulties, contradictions and impossibilities now and then have manifested themselves, which give a shock to the ancient friendship in sundry instances, his Royal Majesty hath instructed me to hold a conference thereupon with their High Mightinesses or with you, Noble Mighty, in their name, to remove all such obstacles to friendship, and with conjoined hands to lift up what, through the iniquity of the times, may be wrongly introduced. Immediately on proposing the Elucidation in the year 1660, serious debates arose thereon between the Royal Commissioners and their High Mightinesses' Ministers, and the difficulties and inconveniences contained in the aforesaid Elucidation were pointed out to their High Mightinesses' Ambassadors, but as the said Ambassadors, at that time, alleged the precise orders which they had on the subject, promising to make a report of the objections, and held out a hope that this State would perceive their justice, and that everything would be redressed, therefore, fully confiding in justice and such like promises, at the time, we would not interrupt the negotiations of friendship on that account, nor insist on those objections, but did proceed to the conclusion of the negotiation. Experience afterwards demonstrated the injury done by the Elucidation to the maintenance of friendship. His Royal Majesty, in order to obviate such obstacles, hath appointed Commissioners to treat thereof with Mr. Heinsius,' their High Mightinesses' Resident. Who, after holding some conferences, excused himself, when his Most Illustrious Majesty most graciously instructed me to resume here the conference thereupon, and by the production of pregnant reasons, to invite their High Mightinesses to revoke and rescind the aforesaid obscure, offensive and in many places impracticable acte of Elucidation, whereunto it is hoped their High Mightinesses will not offer any objection. 2o Respecting the second point: Their High Mightinesses are now again, as they have heretofore been, requested to pay the subsidy promised by the treaty of the year 1640. True, indeed, it is that said treaty was directed principally against Denmark, but that article has been extended by the late treaty of Elbingh, against all others, and his Royal Majesty having been since attacked by the Muscovite, the Emperor, Denmark and Brandenburgh, the promised subsidies must also be regulated and multiplied by the number of enemies. 3o The third point opposes the Dutch Sound dues (Veylgelt2), which, being imposed on Baltic wares and trade, mostly oppressing the kingdom of Sweden, their High Mightinesses were requested also to abolish the same, as it was not fair that one ally should be thus indirectly aggrieved by the other. 4o Furthermore, I hereby hold, as renewed, the request of good and prompt expedition, reparation and satisfaction in the complaints heretofore so frequently made, and again repeated in regard to the Royal Swedish American and African Company and the matter of the Grootjan, &c. Confident that their High Mightinesses will at once issue orders for the removal of all such like unfriendly acts. H. APPELBOOM. Dated at the Hague, 19th June, 1664. (Signed), Folio 15. Resolution of the States-General. [From the Register of West India Affairs, 1664-1670, in the Royal Archives at the Hague.] Thursday, 19th June, 1664. Read to the Assembly a certain Memorial of Mr. Appelboom, resident of the King of Sweden, and a certain other writing exhibited with it and addressed to Mess" Huygens and the other their High Mightinesses' Deputies for the affairs of Sweden, setting forth, in 1 NICOLAAS HEINSIUS, one of the Dutch poets, was born at Leyden in the year 1620. After completing his studies, he made the tour of France and Italy, where he occupied himself in comparing the published editions of the Latin Poets with the ancient MSS. On his return, he settled in his native city; in course of time, his reputation as a poet came to the ears of Queen Christina, of Sweden, who, in consequence, invited him to Stockholm, where he was appointed Resident by the StatesGeneral. After filling that post for several years, he returned to Holland and settled at Vianen, where he died in the year 1681, in the 61st year of his age. Besides his own poetry, he wrote notes on the works of Ovid, Claudian, Valerius Flaccus and Vellejus Paterculus (Kok, XX., 516), which also contains his portrait. -ED. * In the year 1645, their High Mightinesses ordered that all ships and wares going from Holland to the Baltic and coming thence to Holland, should pay a veylgelt, in proportion to the tolls levied in the Sound by the King of Denmark, the proceeds of which went to support the fleet maintained for the protection of Dutch trade to that sea. Aitzema, 4to., XI., 487. substance, the points whereupon he desires a conference with them, according to foregoing resolution of the committee (resolutie commissoriael); the first, respecting the Elucidation on the lately concluded Elbing treaty; the second, the payment of the subsidies promised by the treaty of the year 1640; the third, the Dutch Sound dues (reylgelt); the fourth, and last, the reparation and satisfaction of the complaints heretofore made in regard to the Royal Swedish American Swedish American and African Company. Which, being considered, it is resolved and concluded that the retroacta in the aforesaid respective affairs be looked up by the Agent de Heyde, and when afterwards written out, shall be handed to the said Deputies of their High Mightinesses, to be used in the aforesaid conference according to circumstances. and African Company. Resident Appelboom to the States-General. [From the Original in the Royal Archives at the Hague; File, Duitschland. ] The undersigned Resident of his Royal Majesty of Sweden hath many years ago, and namely on the 22nd March, of the year 1656, by express command of his Royal Majesty, made known to your High Mightinesses that those of the West India Company of this country had, the year before, attacked unexpectedly and with force of arms, the Swedish Colony planted on the South river of Florida, in America, sacked their forts, expelled their inhabitants and thus thoroughly stripped the Swedish Company of their district, which they had purchased on the aforesaid South river from the natives and right owners of the country, and possessed optimo jure et titulo several years in peace. Which information and complaints have not been followed, as they ought, in justice, to have indeed been, by any satisfaction or redress, at that time nor since, nor up to this moment; therefore, the aforesaid Resident doth now, on further instructions from his most excellent Royal Majesty, hereby renew his previous complaints, and consequently amicably requests your High Mightinesses to be graciously pleased to order the aforesaid West India Company to restore the aforesaid wrested lands to the Swedish Company in integrum, and reimburse it all losses and damages it has suffered, and that so much the more and the speedier, lest his Royal Majesty's subjects may experience still further prejudice in their rights and properties, as it was understood from that side that the said West India Company of this country were themselves now questioned by others in those parts. As this will be conformable to equity and mutual friendship and alliance, so doth his Royal Majesty indubitably expect it from your High Mightinesses. Furthermore, the aforesaid Resident doth also request a speedy and desirable answer on the points by him now recently handed in to your High Mightinesses' Deputies, and whereupon they, without doubt, will make a report to your High Mightinesses' assembly. Done at the Hague the 27th June, 1664. (Signed), HARALD APPELBOOM. |