The history of the city of Albany, New York, from the discovery of the great river in 1524, by Verrazzano to the present time.

S8

THE HISTORY OF ALBANY.

shelter the assailants. To keep the unoccupied ground
around the fort free from further obstruction, he requested
the authorities of Rensselaerswyck, on the twenty-third
of July, not to erect any more buildings near the fort.
"We request, by virtue of our commission, the commandant and court of the said colony to desist and
refrain from building within a cannon-shot from the fort,
until further orders or advice from our sovereigns or
superiors, or to present to us special consent and authority
signed by our sovereigns or superiors aforesaid, for both
above and below [the fort] there are equally suitable, yea
better building sites."
The implication that the patroon of Rensselaerswyck
could not exhibit any document containing proof of his
proprietorship of the ground immediately surrounding
the fort, highly incensed Van Slechtenhorst, who in a
protest, dated the twenty-eighth day of July, claimed
that the ground belonged to the patroon, who had purchased it from the Indians. He also asserted that "the
trading house of the patroon stood for a few years undisturbed on the border of the moat of the fort or trading
post," and that the land "all around the fort " had been
for many years in " the quiet possession" of the patroon,
who still occupied it. "Now comes General Petrus
Stuyvesant," writes the irate director of the manor,
"and attempts with improper means to prevent the
infant patroon from improving or building on his own
ground, which is over five hundred paces from the fort
or trading post, within which space there are eight houses
standing on the patroon's land; and he threatens to batter down these buildings with forcible means. * * *
Therefore do I officially assert and protest * * * that
I am obstructed in the performance of my duty and
business.