Alrick, &c. "Director-General of the colony of South River, of New-Netherland, and the fortress of Casimer,' now called Niewer Amstel, with all the lands depending thereon, according to the first purchase and deed of release of the natives, dated July 19, 1651, beginning at the Minquaa, or Christina Kill, in the Indian language called Suspuough, to the mouth of the Bay called Bompt- Hook, in the Indian language Cannaresse, and so far inland as the bounds of the Minquaas land, with all the streams, &c. appurtenances and dependencies."

In the year 1659, William Beekmen, agreeable to order," purchased Cape Henlopen, and commenced a settlement under the protection of a fortress.

At this time Maryland began to claim the lands upon South River, as a part of the government of Lord Baltimore, and Gov. Findal sent Col. Utie, as commissioner to Niewer Amstel, to demand an immediate evacuation of the lands in question. Beekman, and his council asserted their claim, on the part of the Dutch West-India Company, and demanded proof of his lordship's title; at the same time he appealed to the decision of the republics of England and Holland. Col. Utie disregarded this appeal, and continued to urge his claim, and demanded an evacuation of the premises; but as he had no military force, his plea was vain, and he returned to Maryland.

In the spring of 1660, Gov. Stuyvesant sent Nicholas Valeth, and Brian Newton, as ambassadors to Gov. Berkeley, (then governor of Maryland,) with full powers to open a trade, and conclude an offensive and defensive league. Gov. Berkeley gave this mission a kind reception, and sent Sir Henry Moody in his turn, to conclude the league with Gov. Stuyvesant, and the governor at the same time used his arts and cunning to persuade Gov. Berkeley to acknowledge the legal title of the Dutch, to the lands in"

question. In this state of things, Gov. Stuyvesant wrote the following letter to the Dutch West-India Company, which I shall insert at large, to shew the historical facts it 'contains.

"We have not yet begun the fort on Long-Island, near Oyster Bay, because our neighbours lay the boundaries a "mile and a half more westerly than we do, and the more as your honours, by your advice of December 24th, are not 'inclined to stand by the treaty of Hartford, and propose to sue for redress on Long-Island, and the Fresh Water River, by means of the States' ambassador. Lord Sterling is said to solicit a confirmation of his right to all Long-Island, and importunes the present king to confirm the grant made by his royal father, which is affirmed to be already obtained. But more probable, and material is the advice from Maryland, that Lord Baltimore's patent which contains the south part of the river, is confirmed by the king, and published in print that Lord Baltimore's natural brother, who is a rigid Papist, being made governor there, has received Lord Baltimore's claim, and protest to your honours in council, and has nów more hopes of success. have advice from England, that there is an invasion intended against these parts; and the country solicited of the king, the duke, and the parliament, is annexed to their dominions; and for that purpose they desire three or four frigates; persuading the king that the company possessed and held this country under an unlawful title, having only obtained of King James leave for a watering place, on Staten-Island, in 1623.-Dated, &c. 1661."

We

C The settlement of this part of Virginia called Maryland, under the patent of Lord Baltimore, had been prevented by the known Chatholic principles of the Baltimore fam

ily, together with the civil wars in England, and the reign of Cromwell down to the accession of Charles II.

The government in England being settled, Charles Lord Baltimore, son of that Lord Baltimore who had obtained. the original patent in 1632, now arrived within Delaware Bay, to take possession of his colony, August 1663. Three ships arrived about the same time, with Dutch planters from Holland, and here the parties were at issue. The next year, 1664, King Charles II. granted to his brother the Duke of York, all that extent of country in America, łying between Novascotia and Delaware-Bay, and his patent is thus defined.-viz. "all that part of the main land, beginning at a certain place called or known by the name of St. Croix, next adjoining to New-Scotland in America, and from thence extending along the sea coast, unto a certain place called Pemaquie, or Pemaquid, and so up the river thereof, to the furtherest head of the same, as it extendeth northward, and extending from thence to the river Kimbequin, and so upwards, in the shortest course to the river of Canada, northward; and also all that island or islands, commonly called Meitowacks, or Long Island, situated and being to the west of Cape Cod, and the Narrow Highgansetts, abutting upon the main land between the two rivers, there known by the names of Connecticut and Hudson's River; together also, with the said river called Hudson's River, and all the land from the west side of the Connecticut River to the east side of the Delaware-Bay, and also all those several islands called or known by the names of Martin's Vineyard, Nantucks, otherwise Nantucket, to gether," &c.

I have inserted this patent at large, that I might place before my readers that absurd instrument, which has given so much vexation in America. The Duke of York conveyed to John Lord Berkeley, and Baron of Stratton, and Sir George Carteret, of Saltrun in Devon, all that part of VOL. II.

6

his patent lying between Hudson's River, on the east, and Delaware River, or Bay, on the west, and extending south to Cape May or the main ocean, at the mouth of Delaware Bay; and northward to the northernost branch of Delaware River, in 41 deg. 40 m. N. latitude. This patent embraced the colony of New-Jersey, and fixed its name, in allusion to the Isle of Jersey, from whence the Carteret family sprang.

Thus we have laid the foundation for the colonies of New-York and New-Jersey. These two colonies are so interwoven in their connections that I shall carry forward their history together, generally. About the time of the above grant of New-Jersey, a number of settlers from NewEngland, and Long-Island, moved into New-Jersey, and settled Elizabethtown, Newark, Middletown, and Shrewsbury; these, with an emigration from Scotland, gave life, and vigour to the settlements in New-Jersey. In 1665, Philip Carteret was appointed governour of New-Jersey, and came over to Elizabethtown, which he made the seat of his government. Governor Carteret instituted a government free and independent, founded upon a legislative assembly, after the manner of New-England. This free government invited settlers from England, and all parts of this country, even from New-England, and thus New-Jersey flourished rapidly, until the conquest of the Dutch in 1673. This conquest will be noticed in its place.

In August, 1664, a small squadron arrived from England, and touched at Boston, where Col. Nichols, who had the command of the expedition, solicited aid of the governor, against the Dutch Colony at New-York; but the governor declined, and the squadron sailed for New-York, at the same time requesting Gov. Winthrop to furnish aid from Connecticut, to support the expedition; but this was not obtained. Nichols, with his little squadron entered the harbour of New-York, which so alarmed Gov. Stuy

vesant, that he sent an officer on board to demand the cause of the visit. Col. Nichols replied by summoning the governour to surrender the fort to his Britannic majesty. The governour, struck with astonishment at such a message, in a time of peace between England and the States-General, assembled his council to deliberate on a reply, and at the same time resolved to fight, if he should be attacked; after hearing the pacific advice of his council, he returned a long historical narrative of the claims of the Dutch, and refused to comply with the summons.* Col. Nichols, who had learnt the advice of the council, and the disposition of the people, replied to the governor's answer, by issuing a proclamation, promising liberty and protection to the people, and beating up for volunteers upon Long-Island, to carry the fortress by force; the commander of the squadron was ordered at the same time to bring his ships to bear upon the fort, and begin the attack. This alarmed the governor and he sent a flag to request a mutual appointment of commissioners to settle the question. Col. Nichols replied that he would treat of nothing but a surrender of the fortress, and the next day the governor offered to surrender the fort, upon condition that the Dutch and English limits should be settled by the Crown and the States-General. This offer was accepted, and commissioners were named, who were agreeable to the parties, and met at the governor's Bowery on the 27th of August, drew and signed the articles, which Col. Nichols accepted; but the governor hesitated three days, and then ratified the articles and resigned up the fort, together with the province, to the Crown of England. The commissioners of the Crown, after the reduction of the colony of New-York, became very vexatious at times to the NewEngland states, by interfering in their civil affairs, and oc

See the letter at Appendix A. at the end of the volume.

1