ticable, and there deliver to the Director, to be by him shipped hither with the ships and goods; or, if they should come here, without going there, then to give notice thereof to the company, that a proper account thereof may be taken, in order that they may pay to the company one guilder for each merchantable beaver and otter skin; the property, risk, and all other charges, remaining on account of the Patroons, or

owners.

"XVI. All coarse wares that the colonists of the Patroons there shall consume, such as pitch, tar, weed-ashes, wood, grain, fish, salt, hearthstone, and such like things, shall be brought over in the company's ships, at the rate of eighteen guilders ($7 20) per last; four thousand weight to be accounted a last, and the company's ship's crew shall be obliged to wheel and bring the salt on board, whereof ten lasts make a hundred. And in case of the want of ships, or room in the ships, they may order it over at their own cost, in ships of their own, and enjoy in these dominions such liberties and benefits as the company have granted; but in either case they shall be obliged to pay, over and above the recognition of five per cent., eighteen guilders for each hundred of salt that is carried over in the company's ships.

"XVII. For all wares which are not mentioned in the foregoing article, and which are not carried by the last, there shall be paid one dollar for each hundred pounds weight; and for wines, brandies, verjuice, and vinegar, there shall be paid eighteen guilders per cask.

"XVIII. The company promises the colonists of the Patroons, that they shall be free from customs, taxes, excise, imposts, or any other contributions, for the space of ten years; and after the expiration of the said ten years at the highest, such customs as the goods are taxable with here for the present.

"XIX. They will not take from the service of the Patroons any of their colonists, either man or woman, son or daugh

ter, man-servant or maid-servant; and though any of them should desire the same, they will not receive them, much less permit them to leave their Patroons, and enter into the service of another, unless on consent obtained from their Patroons in writing; and this for and during so many years as they are bound to their Patroons; after the expiration whereof, it shall be in the power of the Patroons to send hither all such colonists as will not continue in their service, and until then shall not enjoy their liberty. And all such colonists as shall leave the service of his Patroon, and enter into the service of another, or shall, contrary to his contract, leave his service; we promise to do every thing in our power to apprehend and deliver the same into the hands of his Patroon, or attorney, that he may be proceeded against, according to the customs of this country, as occasion may require.

"XX. From all judgments given by the courts of the Patroons for upwards of fifty guilders, ($20,) there may be an appeal to the company's commander and council in New Netherland.

"XXI. In regard to such private persons as on their own account, or others in the service of their masters here, (not enjoying the same privileges as the Patroons,) shall be inclined to go thither and settle, they shall, with the approbation of the Director and Council there, be at liberty to take up as much land, and take possession thereof, as they shall be able properly to improve, and shall enjoy the same in full property either for themselves or masters.

"XXII. They shall have free liberty of hunting and fowling, as well by water as by land, generally, and in public and private woods and rivers, about their colonies, according to the orders of the Director and Council.

"XXIII. Whosoever, whether colonists of Patroons for their patroons, or free persons for themselves, or other particulars for their masters, shall discover any shores, bays, or other fit places for erecting fisheries, or the making of salt

ponds, they may take possession thereof, and begin to work on them in their own absolute property, to the exclusion of all others. And it is consented to that the Patroons of colonists may send ships along the coast of New Netherland, on the cod fishery, and with the fish they catch to trade to Italy, or other neutral countries, paying in such cases to the company for recognition, six guilders ($2 40) per last; and if they should come with their lading hither, they shall be at liberty to proceed to Italy, though they shall not, under pretext of this consent, or from the company, carry any goods there, on pain of arbitrary punishment; and it remaining in the breast of the company to put a supercargo on board each ship, as in the eleventh article.

"XXIV. In case any of the colonists should, by his industry and diligence, discover any minerals, precious stones, crystals, marbles, or such like, or any pearl fishery, the same shall be and remain the property of the Patroon or Patroons of such colony; giving and ordering the discoverer such premium as the Patroon shall beforehand have stipulated with such colonist by contract. And the Patroons shall be exempt from all recognition to the company for the term of eight years, and pay only for freight, to bring them over, two per cent., and after the expiration of the aforesaid eight years, for recognition and freight, the one-eighth part of what the same may be worth.

"XXV. The company will take all the colonists, as well free as those that are in service, under their protection, and the same against all outlandish and inlandish wars and powers, with the forces they have there, as much as lies in their power, defend.

"XXVI. Whosoever shall settle any colonie out of the limits of the Manhattes Island, shall be obliged to satisfy the Indians for the land they shall settle upon, and they may extend or enlarge the limits of their colonies if they settle a proportionate number of colonists thereon.

"XXVII. The Patroons and colonists shall in particular, and in the speediest manner, endeavor to find out ways and means whereby they may support a minister and schoolmaster, that thus the service of God and zeal for religion may not grow cool, and be neglected among them; and that they do, for the first, procure a comforter of the sick there.

"XXVIII. The colonies that shall happen to lie on the respective rivers or islands (that is to say, each river or island for itself) shall be at liberty to appoint a deputy, who shall give information to the commander and council of that Western quarter, of all things relating to his colonie, and who are to further matters relating thereto, of which deputies there shall be one altered, or changed, in every two years; and all colonies shall be obliged, at least once in every twelve months, to make exact report of their colonie and lands thereabout, to the commander and council there, in order to be transmitted hither.

"XXIX. The colonists shall not be permitted to make any woollen, linen, or cotton cloth, nor weave any other stuffs there, on pain of being banished, and as perjurers to be arbitrarily punished..

"XXX. The company will use their endeavors to supply the colonists with as many blacks as they conveniently can, on the conditions hereafter to be made; in such manner, however, that they shall not be bound to do it for a longer time than they shall think proper.

"XXXI. The company promises to finish the fort on the island of the Manhattes, and to put it in a posture of defence without delay." [Holland Documents, Vol. 2: 98,99.]

Under this grant the feudal tenures of Europe were transferred to our soil. Colonies," in the sense in which the term is used in the above grant, were but another name for "lordships" and "seigneuries," which the French were cotemporaneously establishing in Canada, where the appendages of high and low jurisdiction, mutation fines, mo

nopolies, water courses, hunting, fishing, fowling and grinding, now existing in the charter of several patroons, form a part of the civil law of the country.

VI.

THE PATROONS' PURCHASEs, and the RATIFICATION THEREOF.

It appears from the accredited history of that day,* that upon the publication of the grant just above cited, it was found that several of the Directors of the West India Company had individually put themselves in a condition to secure a share of the privileges and advantages which that document held out to capitalists. It is alledged that seven days before it was published, the agents of SAMUEL GOODYN and SAMUEL BLOEMMART bought from the native proprietors the right of possession of an immense tract of land on what was then called South River Bay, and that their purchase was ratified at Fort Amsterdam, the following year.

In the spring of 1630, the Sannahagog tract, so called, was purchased of the natives by the agents of KILIAN VAN RENSSELAER,† another Director of the West India Company. This purchase was situated on the west side of the North River, extending from Beeren Island to Smacx Island, and being "two days' journie in breadth."

Soon after the Sannahagog purchase, the same Director purchased the lands lying north and south of Fort Orange, and extending to Moenimines Castle, at the mouth of the Mohawk; and also a tract on the east side of the river, from opposite Castle Island to a point facing Fort Orange. These several conveyances are said to have been ratified by the

O'Callaghan.

↑ Kilian Van Rensselaer was a merchant in Amsterdam, and one of the first Patroons in the State. He was the thirteenth descendant from HENRY WOLTERS VAN RENSSELAER. His first wife was Hellegonda Van Bylet, and his second was Anna Van Wely. Johannes, the eldest son by the first wife, succeeded his father as Patroon; and Jeremias, Jan Baptiste, and Rykert, sons by the second wife, in succession were Directors of "the colonie." [See Holland Documents in the Secretary of State's Office, at Albany, for the Patents.]