1623.]

TWO NEW FORTS BUILT.

55

living trees of the adjacent forest, the first houses built in the town of New Plymouth.

While this little colony was struggling with privations under which one-half of their number prematurely perished, a great change was taking place in the commercial relations of the Dutch with the North American continent. The Amsterdam licensed trading company, which had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly of this lucrative traffic, was superseded by a great national association, which, under the title of the Dutch West India Company, was incorporated with exclusive privileges of trade and settlement.

To that portion of the continent embraced between the Delaware Bay and Cape Cod, was now given the name of New Netherland. In 1623, the first ship sent out by the new company arrived in the North River, and during the same year two new forts were built; one called Fort Nassau, on the Delaware River, and the other Fort Orange, on the west bank of the Hudson, where the town of Albany now stands.

In 1624, Peter Minuits arrived at Manhattan Island, as Director or Commercial Governor of New Netherland. He brought with him in two vessels a number of Walloons, or French Protestants, so called from their ancestors having fled from religious intolerance in their own country, and settled upon the banks of the river Waal, in Guelderland. These Walloons, the first perma

nent colonists of New Netherland, established themselves on Long Island, at Walle-Bocht, or Foreigners' Bay, now called Wallabout.

During the six years that Minuits was governor of New Netherland, he was actively engaged in extending the commercial operations of the company; but although the territory over which he claimed jurisdiction was recognised as a "delightful land, full of fine trees and vines," its colonization proceeded slowly, until some of the directors, among the most prominent of whom were John De Laet and Kilian Van Renselaer, formed an association for that especial purpose.

In the mean time, the quantity of furs exported by the vessels of the company had been doubled within the first four years. The trade with the natives extended northward to Quebec, Fort Orange constituting the chief mart for the interior of the province. A coasting trade was also carried on by small vessels, which gradually extended itself from Cape May to Cape Malabar.

Six years after the settlement of New Plymouth, Governor Minuits attempted, for the first time, to open commercial relations with that colony. Letters were accordingly written to the people of New Plymouth, congratulating them upon the success which had attended their efforts to establish a plantation in the wilderness, and offering to supply them with any wares they should be pleased to deal for. The answer being friendly,

1627.]

EMBASSY TO PLYMOUTH.

57

Isaac de Razier, secretary of New Netherland, "a person of a plain and genteel behaviour," embarked with great formality on board a small vessel called the Nassau, attended by a bodyguard of soldiers and trumpeters, to support the dignity of his mission. Landing on the north side of Cape Cod, he crossed over to the southern shore, where he met with a boat despatched to receive him and his retinue, and crossing the bay, entered Fort Plymouth, "honourably attended by a noise of trumpeters."

Meeting with a welcome reception, he remained several days, but failed in his efforts to arrange a treaty of peace and commerce, as Governor Bradford and his council doubted the claim of the Dutch to the country they occupied, and recommended that so important a treaty should be agreed upon between their respective nations. This expression of opinion did not, however, mar in the least degree the good feeling existing between De Razier and his Puritan friends. With considerate kindness he offered them the assistance of the New Netherland troops against the French, if it should at any time be required, and urged them to abandon the barren soil of Plymouth for the more fertile banks of the Connecticut.

When he took his departure, he was accompanied to his vessel by a number of the colonists, who purchased from him some articles of mer

chandise for their own use, and a quantity of seawan, or Indian shell money, to exchange with the natives for peltry and provisions.

In 1629, a scheme of colonization was drawn up by the directors of the Dutch West India Company, and ratified soon after by the States General. Under this charter of liberties and exemptions, any person who within the space of four years established in New Netherland, at his own expense, a colony of fifty persons, acquired the right to purchase from the Indians an extent of territory stretching sixteen miles along one side of a navigable river, or eight miles on each bank, running as far inland as he thought proper. The land thus bought and settled, he was entitled to hold as absolute proprietor, with the honourable appellation of Patroon, or Lord of the Manor. All other persons willing to emigrate on their own account, were at liberty to take up as much land as they had the ability properly to improve. The company reserved to itself the trade in furs, and the possession of the island of Manhattan, promising to complete the fort without delay, and to supply the colonists with negro slaves; but binding themselves to do so no longer than the traffic might be found convenient or lucrative.

This charter of privileges was no sooner promulgated, than several of the directors of the company bestirred themselves to take advantage of its provisions. Two of them, Godyn and

1630.] RENSELAERWYK AND PAVONIA.

59

Bloemart, in anticipation of its passage, had already commissioned their agents in America to purchase from the natives the tract of land extending from Cape Henlopen to the mouth of the Delaware, a distance of thirty-two miles.

In

May, 1630, they made a second purchase of the country around and including Cape May, sixteen miles in length, and the same in breadth, from the Indian owners of that territory. These two tracts received the name of Swanandael, or the Valley of Swans.

This

In April, the agent of Kilian Van Renselaer, in consideration of certain cargoes or parcels of goods, purchased the lands on both sides of the Hudson River, above and below Fort Orange, subsequently known as Renselaerwyk. territory, with additions made a few years afterward, was twenty-four miles in length and forty-eight in breadth, and included the present counties of Albany and Renselaer, with a part of Columbia. During the months of June and July of this year, Pauw, another of the directors, obtained in a similar manner a grant of Hoboken and Staten Island, to which he gave the name of Pavonia.

Companies were soon after formed for the speedy settlement of these manors. De Vries, one of the owners under Godyn's patent, established a colony of thirty persons at Swanandael, or Valley of Swans, a short distance from Cape Hen