presume to abuse" his acquired rights, and erected a fort on Beelen Island. A claim of "staple right" was set up, and Nicholas Koorn was appointed "Wacht-Meester," to levy a toll of five guilders upon all vessels passing by, except those of the West India Company, and to make them lower their colors to the merchant patroon's authority. This annoyance soon manifested itself, for while the Good Hope, a little yacht, Captain Loockermans, was passing down from Fort Orange to Manhattan, "a gun without ball" was fired from the new fort, and Koorn cried out, "Strike thy colors!" "For whom?" demanded the captain of the vessel. "For the staple right of Rensselaer!" was the reply. "I strike for nobody but the Prince of Orange, or those by whom I am employed!" retorted the testy Dutchman, as he slowly steered on. Several shots followed. "The first," according to the old account, "went through the sail, and broke the ropes and the ladder; a second shot passed over us; and the third, fired by a savage, perforated our princely colors, about a foot above the head of Loockermans, who kept the colors constantly in his hand." For this daring act Koorn was forthwith called to answer before the Council at Fort Amsterdam, when he pleaded his patroon's authority. Van der Huyghens, the Schout-Fiscal (Sheriff), also protested against "the lawless transactions" of the patroon's wacht-meester. Still, the patroon's agent tried to justify his course, "inasmuch as this step had been taken to keep the canker of freetraders off his colonies." Nevertheless, he was fined, and forbidden to repeat his offense. At length the pitiable condition of the New Netherland colony attracted the attention of the Dutch Government. Its originators, as before mentioned, had become nearly, if not entirely, bankrupt. To use their own official words, "the long-looked-for profits thence" had never arrived, and they themselves had no means to relieve "the poor inhabitants who had left their Fatherland;" accordingly, the bankrupt Company urged the "StatesGeneral" for a subsidy of 1,000,000 of guilders to place the Dutch province in good, prosperous, and profitable order. That body directed an examination to be made into the affairs of New Netherland, and also into the propriety of restricting its internal trade to residents, with the policy of opening a free one between Brazil and Manhattan. Upon making this investigation, it was found that New Netherland, instead of becoming a source of commercial profit to the Company, had absolutely cost that body, from the year 1626 to 1644, "over 550,000 guilders, deducting returns received from there." Still, "the Company could not decently or consistently abandon it." The Director's salary, the report continues, should be 3,000 guilders, and the whole civil and military establishment of New Netherland 20,000 guilders. As many African negroes, it thought, should be brought from Brazil as the patroons, farmers, and settlers "would be willing to pay for at a fair price." It would thus appear that our Dutch forefathers had some thing to do with the slave trade, as well as the Eastern and Southern colonies. Free grants of land were to be offered to all emigrants on Manhattan Island; a trade allowed to Brazil and the fisheries; the manufacture and exportation of salt were to be encouraged, and the duties of the reve nue officers "sharply attended to." Such was the business condition of New Netherland in the year 1645. The five previous years of Indian wars had hardly known five months of peace and prosperity. Kieft, perceiving his former errors, concluded a treaty of amity with the Indians, August 30th, 1645. In two years, not less 1645. than 1,600 savages had been killed at Manhattan and its neighborhood, and scarcely one hundred could be found besides traders. 1647. The insufficient condition of the fort as a place of defense became the subject of serious consideration after this war, and the authorities in Holland, listening to the importunities of the colonists, gave directions for its improvement, requiring, however, that the people should contribute, to some extent, towards the labor and expense involved. In 1647, the subject was discussed in the Council of the Director-General, and a resolution was passed that the fort should be repaired with stone laid in mortar, "by which means alone," it was stated, "a lasting work could be made," inasmuch as the earth to be procured in the neighborhood was entirely unfit to make it stable with sods, unless it were annually renewed, nearly at the same expense; and, as this project required a considerable disbursement for labor in carrying the stone, etc., it was found expedient to consult the inhabitants, to learn the extent to which assistance. would be afforded by them. In communicating their resolve to the people, the authorities referred to "this glorious. work, which must increase the respect for the Government, as well as afford a safe retreat to the inhabitants in case of danger." The suggestion was, that every male. inhabitant, between the ages of sixteen and sixty years, should devote, annually, twelve days' labor, or, in lieu thereof, contribute for each day two guilders (eighty cents). But the project was found too expensive for the means at hand, and the completion of the work with stone was abandoned for the time, the work being repaired with earth as before. Nor does it appear that it was, as yet, protected by any inclosure from the inroads of the vagrant cattle, as the Director is found, from time to time, expostulating with the city authorities against permitting swine, goats, and other animals, to run at large in the town, from which great destruction to the works. of the fortress ensued.* Soon after the peace, in 1647, Kieft, having been recalled, embarked for Holland, carrying with him specimens of New Netherland minerals (gathered by the Raritan Indians in the Neversink Hills), and a fortune estimated by his enemies at 400.000 guilders. Dominie Bogardus and Van der Huygens, late Fiscal, were fellowpassengers in the richly-laden vessel. The ship, having been carelessly navigated into the English Channel, was wrecked upon the rugged coast of Wales, and went to pieces. Kieft, with eighty other persons, including Bogardus and the ex-Fiscal, were lost; only twenty were saved. Melyn, the patroon of Staten Island, floating on his back, landed on a sand-bank, and thence reached the main-land in safety. * This matter came to be considered of so great importance, that, in 1656, Governor Stuyvesant again communicated with the Holland authorities respecting the improvement of the fort, and received from them a favorable response, stating that they had no objection to have the fort surrounded with a stone-wall, and were willing, in the ensuing spring, to send "a few good masons and carpenters to assist in the work," enjoining the Governor, in the meanwhile, to have the necessary materials prepared and in readiness when the mechanics should arrive.- Valentine's Manual. CHAPTER II. 1647. On the 11th of May, 1647, Governor Stuyvesant, as "Redresser-General" of all the colonial abuses, arrived at Manhattan, to enter upon an administration which was to last until the end of the Dutch power over New Netherland. Well might the new Governor write home that he "found the colony in a low condition." Disorder and discontent were everywhere apparent, the public revenue was in arrears, and smuggling had nearly ruined legitimate trade. Such were the auspices-sufficiently gloomy-under which the last of the Dutch Governors entered upon his administration. Far from despairing, however, the sturdy Dutchman put his shoulder at once to the wheel. Publicans were restrained from selling liquor before two o'clock on Sundays, "when there is no preaching," and after nine o'clock in the evening; to the savages none was to be sold. The revenue, greatly defrauded by smuggling furs into New England and Virginia for shipment to England, was henceforth to be guarded by stringent laws. The introduction of foreign merchandise by vessels running past Fort Amsterdam during the night was also to be stopped; and all vessels were obliged to anchor under the guns of the fort, near the present Battery. For the purpose of replenishing the treasury, an excise duty was now, for the first time, levied on wines and liquors; the |