under more favorable circumstances might have been suitable and
very proper, the account of New Netherland would not have been so large
as it now is, caused by building the ship New Netherland at an excessive
outlay,(1) by erecting three expensive mills, by brick-making, by
tar-burning, by ash-burning, by salt-making and the like operations,
which through bad management and calculation have all gone to nought,
or come to little; but which nevertheless have cost much. Had the same
money been used in bringing people and importing cattle, the country
would now have been of great value.

(1) A ship of eight hundred tons, built in the province in
1631.

The land itself is much better and it is more conveniently situated than
that which the English possess, and if there were not constant seeking
of individual gain and private trade, there would be no danger that
misfortunes would press us as far as they do.

Had the first Exemptions been truly observed, according to their
intention, and had they not been carried out with particular views,
certainly more friends of New Netherland would have exerted themselves
to take people there and make settlements. The other conditions which
were introduced have always discouraged individuals and kept them down,
so that those who were acquainted with the business, being informed,
dared not attempt it. It is very true that the Company have brought over
some persons, but they have not continued to do so, and it therefore has
done little good. It was not begun properly; for it was done as if it
was not intended.

It is impossible for us to rehearse and to state in detail wherein and
how often the Company have acted injuriously to this country. They have
not approved of our own country-men settling the land, as is shown in
the case of Jacob Walingen and his people at the Fresh River, and
quite Recently in the cases at the South River; while foreigners Were
permitted to take land there without other opposition than orders and
protests. It could hardly be otherwise, for the garrisons are not
kept complete conformably to the Exemptions, and thus the cause of New
Netherland's bad condition lurks as well in the Netherlands as here.
Yea, the seeds of war, according to the declaration of Director Kieft,
were first sown by the Fatherland; for he said he had Express orders to
exact the contribution from the Indians; Which would have been very well
if the land had been peopled, But as it wa