The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

202 uA DESCRIPTION O'F NEW NETHERLAND.
exposed to the incursions of the natives, who in the year 1643,
while I was there actually killed some two score Hollanders and
burnt many houses and barns full of wheat.
The river, which is very straight and runs due north and
south, is at least a league broad before the fort. Ships lie at
anchor in a bay which forms the other side of the island and can
be defended from the fort.
Shortly before I arrived there three large vessels of 300 tons
each had come to load wheat; two had found cargoes, the third
could not be loaded because the savages had burnt a part of
their grain. These ships came from the West Indies where the
West India Company usually keeps up seventeen ships of war.
No religion, is publicly exercised but the Calvinist, and orders
are to admit none but Calvinists, but this is not observed, for
there are, besides Calvinists, in the Colony Catholics, English
Puritans, Lutherans, Anabaptists, here called Mnistes &c.
When any one pomes to settle in the country, they lend him
horses, cows &c, they give him provisions, all which he repays
as soon as he is at ease, and as to the land he pays in to the
West India Company after ten years the tenth of the produce
which he reaps.
This country is bounded on the New England side by a river
they call the Fresche river, which serves as a boundary between
them and the English. The English however come very near
to them, preferring to hold lands under the Dutch who ask
nothing from them rather than to be dependant on English
Lords who exact rents and would fain be absolute. On the
other side southward towards Virginia, its limits are the river
which they call the South river on which there is also a Dutch
settlement, but the Swedes have at its mouth another extremely
well provided with men and cannon, It is believed that these
Swedes are maintained by some merchants of Amsterdam, who
are not satisfied that the West India Company should alone
enjoy all the commerce of these parts. It is near this river that
a geld mine,is reported to have been found.
See in the work of the Sieur de Laet of Antwerp the table and
article on New Belgium as he sometimes calls it or the map;
Nova Jinglia, JVoviu Belgiam et Virginia.