BOOK

V.

CHAPTER IX.

Proclamation to form villages-First settlement at the Esopus-Indian name of that tract-Difficulties with the natives-Stuyvesant visits the place-Inter. view with the Indians-The settlers concentrate their dwellings-Indian free gift-The French repair to the western part of the province-Settle at the Salt Springs of Onondaga-Père Le Moyne visits New Amsterdam-Trade to the St. Lawrence opened to Dutch ships-The St. John sails for Quebec-The Onondagoes conspire against the French, who abandon the Salt SpringsMohawk delegation to Canada-Apply for an interpreter at Fort OrangeResult-Stuyvesant visits the Esopus a second time-His speech to the Indians-Their reply-The result of the talk.

THOUGH the massacre of 1655 was an occurrence to be deplored, yet, as no evil is unmixed with good, it must be 1656. acknowledged that even such a misfortune was not without its advantages. It showed the imprudence of the agricultural portion of the population living, as was hitherto the custom, each settler on his respective farm, apart the one from the other; and laid the foundation of a different system, on the part of the government, in the establishment of new settlements. In the beginning of the year succeedan. 18. ing the massacre, a proclamation went forth, ordering all who resided in isolated places to collect together and form villages," after the fashion of our New England neighbors."" Though this proclamation guided the future policy of the authorities, its effects were not immediately perceptible. Not a village existed between the Manhattans and Fort Orange for several years after it was issued.

The first Dutch adventurers had erected, in 1614, on the western bank of the Hudson, some fifty miles below Fort Orange, a small redoubt, or block-house, called the

1 Alb. Rec. xii., 169, 170, ; New Amst. Rec. The practice of living at a distance from each other, was not peculiar to the Dutch farmers. It obtained, with like unfortunate consequences, among the French in Canada, and is strongly reproved in the "Relation" of the Jesuit mission in that country, 1659, 1660.

"Ronduit," but it was not until 1652 and 1653, that CHAP. any IX. settlers took up land in that quarter. A few persons, originally residents of Rensselaerswyck, desirous to be 1657. freed from the feudal pretensions of Patroons, settled, in the course of these years, on the Indian tract called Atkarkarton, now known as the Esopus. The progress of these settlements was, however, seriously interrupted by the troubles of 1655. The country was, for the moment, abandoned. On the re-establishment of order, the farmers returned to their new homes, but each family remained on its own farm. The spirit of gain soon gave rise to many irregularities. Every boor became, as in other places, a trader, and, with a view to obtain a large amount of furs, imprudently distributed brandy and other intoxicating liquors among the savages. This proceeding naturally gave rise to serious disorders, and was followed, at last, by murder and arson; for some unruly savages, excited 1658. by drink, became quarrelsome, killed one settler, and fired May 1. the dwelling and out-houses of another. Next holding lighted firebrands to other buildings, they compelled the farmers to plough their maize patches, threatening, in case of refusal, to fire the dwellings of "the Dutch dogs""they could easily pay for killing them by a few fathoms of wampum." The white population consisted, at this period, of between sixty and seventy Christians, the progress of whose tillage may be calculated from the fact, that they had nearly a thousand schepels of grain in the ground when this outbreak occurred.' Naturally alarmed for their crops, their property and their lives, they durst not refuse compliance with the demands of their persecutors.

The Dutch word Ronduit means, literally, a small fort or redoubt. The original name, slightly varied, still designates the place. The Dutch "Ronduit" is now RONDOUT. In pronunciation these words have a strong resemblance, which perhaps accounts for the alteration in the spelling. Those, therefore, err who say that the present name is a corruption of the word redoubt. It is, with the variation already stated, the name originally given to the place.

"About eighteen miles up the North River, half way between the Manhattans and Rensselaer or Beverwyck, lies a place called by the Dutch Esopus or Sypous; by the Indians, Atkarkarton. It is an exceedingly beautiful country." Rev. Mr. Megapolensis to the Classis at Amsterdam.

3 Estimating two bushels to the acre, the number of acres of tilled land at this time in Ulster county, was about 400, or 25 to each family.

BOOK They wrote to the Director-general, imploring him to send V. forty or fifty soldiers "to save the Esopus, which, if well 1658. settled, might supply the whole of New Netherland with May 2. provisions. It will be vain to cover the well when the calf is drowned." The Director-general, accompanied May 28. by Govert Loockermans, proceeded, on receipt of this letter, with some fifty soldiers, to the seat of the disturbance. He invited the sachems of the neighborhood to meet him at the residence of Jacob Jansen Stol. The folMay 30. lowing day, being Ascension Thursday, the Dutch settlers assembled, as was their wont, at this house for religious service. The Director-general seized the opportunity to impress on the minds of those present the imprudence of continuing, as heretofore, segregated, the one family from the other. The prospect of an abundant harvest was most promising it would be unwise to attempt hostile operations against the Indians under such circumstances; for in endeavoring to obtain redress for small injuries, they would only run the risk of incurring serious losses. Scattered as they were, it was impossible to protect them all; he, therefore, recommended them to form at once a village which could be easily fortified, and thereby afford every one effectual protection from the surrounding barbarians.

The people were, at first, unwilling to act on these suggestions. They had already been obliged, three years ago, to abandon their farms. They were still poor, having expended their all in recovering from the losses they then incurred, in erecting buildings, and in bringing their land to its present condition. At that particular season, when their crops were in the ground, they could not very well remove their houses; and it would be difficult to agree on the site of a village, for every one would prefer the place which he had selected for his own residence. Besides, the village should be palisaded, and this could not well be done until after harvest. Under all these circumstances, they requested that the matter be postponed until after the crops be gathered, and that the soldiers be allowed to remain until that time.

1 Alb. Rec. xiv., 265; xvi., 7–13.

IX.

This request was at once rejected. But the Director CHAP. promised, that if they would agree to palisade at once the ground to be selected for the village, he would remain 1658. with them until the work was completed. The people demanded until the morrow for consideration. In the mean time, some twelve or fifteen savages, accompanied by a couple of their chiefs, arrived at the house where the Director-general was sojourning, with word that the other sachems were deterred from coming through fear of Stuyvesant's soldiers. On receiving assurances that no harm should befall them, some fifty additional Indians, with a few women and children, made their appearance, and seated themselves beneath an aged tree which stood without the fence, "about a stone's throw from the house." Unaccompanied, save by a couple of followers and an interpreter, General Stuyvesant went forth to greet them. As soon as he was seated, one of the chiefs arose "and made a long harangue." Going back to the period of the war waged in Kieft's time, he detailed at length its various events, and enumerated how many of their tribe the Dutch had then slain, adding, however, that they had obliterated all these things from their hearts and forgotten them.

When the chief concluded, Stuyvesant replied: These events had occurred before his time; therefore, he could not be held responsible for them. They and other savages had caused that war by killing Christians, yet he was unwilling to renew the recollection of such occurrences, as, by the peace, "it was all thrown away." "But," he asked, "has any injury been done you, in person or property, since the conclusion of that peace, or since I have come into the country?" They all remained silent. The Director-general then proceeded to enumerate, through the interpreter, the various murders, injuries, and affronts which, since his arrival, they had committed on the Dutch. "Your overbearing insolence at Esopus is known. I come to investigate this matter, and not to make war, provided the murderer be surrendered and all damage repaid. The Dutch had never solicited your sachems for leave to come

BOOK here. Your sachems have requested us, over and over V. again, to make a settlement among you. We have not 1658. had a foot of your land without paying you for it, nor do

we desire to have any more without making you full compensation therefor. Why, then, have you committed this murder? Why have you burned our houses, killed our cattle, and continue to threaten our people?"

They answered not. "Bowing down, they let their heads fall, and looked on the ground!" At length, after a considerable pause, one of the chiefs arose and thus spoke : "You Swannekins have sold our children the boisson. It is you who have given them brandy and made them cacheus,' intoxicated and mad, and caused them to commit all this mischief. The sachems cannot then control the young Indians, nor prevent them fighting. This murder has not been committed by any of our tribe, but by a Minnisinck, who now skulks among the Haverstraws. 'Twas he who fired the two houses and then fled. For ourselves, we can truly say, we did not commit the act. We know no malice, neither are we inclined to fight. But we cannot control our young men."

The Indian chief had scarcely ceased when Stuyvesant started up and hurled defiance at the young braves. "If any of your young savages desire to fight, let them now step forth. I will place man against man. Nay, I will place twenty against thirty or forty" of your hot-heads. Now, then, is your time. But it is not manly to threaten farmers, and women and children, who are not warriors. If this be not stopped, I shall be compelled to retaliate on old and young, on women and children. This I can now do by killing you all, taking your wives and little ones captive, and destroying your maize lands. But I will not do it. You, I expect, will repair all damages, seize the murderer if he come among you, and do no further mischief." "The Dutch," he continued, "are now going to live together in one spot. It is desirable that you should sell us the whole of the Esopus land, as you have often proposed, and remove farther into the interior; for it is not good for you to reside so near the Swannekins, whose