ge of God, and among
others very little, though they relate many strange fables concerning
Him.

They are in general much afraid of the Devil, who torments them greatly;
and some give themselves up to him, and hold the strangest notions about
him. But their devils, they say, will have nothing to do with the Dutch.
No haunting of spirits and the like are heard of among them. They make
offerings to the Devil sometimes, but with few solemnities. They believe
in the immortality of the soul. They have some knowledge of the sun,
moon and stars, of which they are able to name many, and they judge
tolerably well about the weather. There is hardly any law or justice
among them, except sometimes in war matters, and then very little. The
nearest of blood is the avenger. The youngest are the most courageous,
and do for the most part what they please. Their weapons formerly were
the bow and arrow, which they employ with wonderful skill, and the
cudgel, but they now, that is, those who lives near the Christians or
have many dealings with them, generally use firelocks and hatchets,
which they obtain in trade. They are exceedingly fond of guns, sparing
no expense for them; and are so skilful in the use of them that they
surpass many Christians. Their food is coarse and simple, drinking water
as their only beverage, and eating the flesh of all kinds of animals
which the country affords, cooked without being cleansed or dressed.
They eat even badgers, dogs, eagles and such like trash, upon which
Christians place no value. They use all kinds of fish, which they
commonly cook without removing the entrails, and snakes, frogs and the
like. They know how to preserve fish and meat until winter, and to cook
them with corn-meal. They make their bread of maize, but it is very
plain, and cook it either whole or broken in a pestle block. The women
do this and make of it a pap or porridge, which some of them call
Sapsis,(1) others Enimdare, and which is their daily food. They mix this
also sometimes with small beans of different colors, which they plant
themselves, but this is held by them as a dainty dish more than as daily
food.

(1) Probably a misprint for sapaan. For the next word, the
manuscript has Duundare.

By whom New Netherland was first Possessed and what its Boundaries are.

That New Netherland was first found, claimed and possessed by
Netherlanders, has already been stated; but inasmuch as a dispute
has arisen, not only