to their governors; of which letters and protests,
minutes or copies remain with the Company's officers, from which a much
fuller account of these transactions could be made. But all opposition
was in vain, for having had a smack of the goodness and convenience of
this river, and discovered the difference between the land there and
that more easterly, they would not go back; nor will they put themselves
under the protection of Their High Mightinesses, unless they be sharply
summoned thereto, as it is desirable they should be at the first
opportunity.

(1) A misprint for 1633. The narrative below relates to the
English settlers at Hartford, founded in 1635. See De
Vries, pp. 203, 204, supra.

Of the Right of the Netherlanders to the Fresh River.

To speak from the beginning, our people had carefully explored and
discovered the most northerly parts of New Netherland and some distance
on the other side of Cape Cod, as we find it described, before the
English were known here, and had set up our arms upon Cape Cod as an act
of possession. In the year 1614 our traders(1) had not only traded at
the Fresh River, but had also ascended it before any English had ever
dreamed of going there, which they did first in the year 1636, after
our fort, the Good Hope, had been a long time in esse and almost all the
lands on both sides the river had been purchased by our people from
the Indians, which purchase took place principally in the year 1632.
Kievets-hoeck(2) was also purchased at the same time by one Hans den
Sluys,(3) an officer of the company. On this cape the States' arms had
been affixed to a tree in token of possession; but the English who now
possess the Fresh River have torn them down and carved a ridiculous face
in their place. Whether this was done by authority or not, cannot be
positively asserted; it is however supposed that it was. It has been
so charged upon them in several letters, and no denial has been made.
Besides they have, contra jus gentium, per fas et nefas,(4) invaded the
whole river, for the reason, as they say, that the land was lying idle
and waste, which was no business of theirs and not true; for there was
already built upon the river a fort which continued to be possessed by a
garrison. There was also a large farm(5) near the fort, belonging to the
Dutch or the Company. Most of the land was bought and appropriated and
the arms of their High Mightinesses were set up at Kievets Ho