mmediately stood to their arms. It is undeniable that the Indians
seemed ever disposed to cherish kindly feelings when justly treated.

These kind hearted savages fifty in number, notwithstanding all the
wrongs which they had endured, came forward and one of them,
addressing the governor, said,

"In token of our good will, and that we have laid aside all
malice, we request the Grand Sachem to accept as a free
present, the land on which he has commenced his settlement.
We give it to grease his feet, as he has undertaken so long
and painful a journey to visit us."

The labor of three weeks completed the defences. The buildings were
reared within the enclosure. A strong guard-house, sixteen feet by
twenty-three, was built in the northeast corner of the village. A
bridge was thrown across the creek, and temporary quarters were
erected for the soldiers. The energetic governor having accomplished
all this in a month, left twenty-four soldiers behind him to guard the
village, and returned to Manhattan.

In 1658, the little settlement of New Amstel presented quite a
flourishing appearance. It had become a goodly town of about one
hundred houses, containing about five hundred inhabitants. As many of
these were Waldenses, Swedes and emigrants from other nationalities,
they seemed to think themselves independent of the provincial
authorities at New Amsterdam. The governor therefore visited the place
in person, and called upon all to take the oath of allegiance.

There was great jealousy felt by the governor in reference to the
encroachments of the English. They were pressing their claims
everywhere. They were establishing small settlements upon territory
undeniably belonging to the Dutch. English emigrants were crowding the
Dutch colonies and were daily gaining in influence. Though they
readily took the oath of allegiance to the Dutch authorities, all
their sympathies were with England and the English colonies.

The Directors of the Company wrote to Stuyvesant recommending him

"to disentangle himself in the best manner possible from the
Englishmen whom he had allowed to settle at New Amstel. And
at all events not to admit any English besides them in that
vicinity, much less to allure them by any means whatever."

There were many indications that the English were contemplating
pressing up from Virginia to the beautiful region of the Delaware. The
Directors urged Stuyvesant to p