, which is in our opinion ambiguous, thus reading: "1642.
Willem Kieft, Director General, has caused the congregation to build
this church."(1) But whatever be intended by the inscription, the people
nevertheless paid for the church.

(1) The inscription was in existence till 1835. This third
church stood near what is now called the Bowling Green. The
inscription, though susceptible of misconstruction, is not
really ambiguous. Its proper interpretation is: "1642,
Willem Kieft being Director General, the congregation caused
this church to be built."

We must now speak of the property belonging to the church, and, to do
the truth no violence, we do not know that there has ever been any, or
that the church has any income except what is given to it. There has
never been any exertion made either by the Company or by the Director to
obtain or establish any.

The bowl has been going round a long time for the purpose of erecting
a common school and it has been built with words, but as yet the
first stone is not laid. Some materials only are provided. The money
nevertheless, given for the purpose, has already found its way out and
is mostly spent; or may even fall short, and for this purpose also no
fund invested in real estate has ever been built up.

The poor fund, though the largest, contains nothing except the alms
collected among the people, and some fines and donations of the
inhabitants. A considerable portion of this money is in the possession
of the Company, who have borrowed it from time to time, and kept it.
They have promised, for years, to pay interest. But in spite of all
endeavor neither principal nor interest can be obtained from them.

Flying reports about asylums for orphans, for the sick and aged,(1) and
the like have occasionally been heard, but as yet we can not see that
any attempt, order or direction has been made in relation to them. From
all these facts, then, it sufficiently appears that scarcely any proper
care or diligence has been used by the Company or its officers for
any ecclesiastical property whatever--at least, nothing as far as
is known--from the beginning to this time; but on the contrary great
industry and exertion have been used to bind closely to them their
minions, or to gain new ones as we shall hereafter at the proper time
relate. And now let us proceed to the consideration of what public
measures of a civil character had been adopted up to the time