ng that they would have him, dead or alive.

He succeeded in the darkness, in escaping by the back door, and in
finding his way to the house of his son-in-law. The mob broke in,
ransacked his house in every corner, poured down their own thirsty
throats a large quantity of brandy which they found there, and
dispersed without committing any further depredations.

Stillwell hastened to New Amsterdam, to enter his complaints there,
and to seek protection. The other magistrates wrote, throwing all the
blame upon him, accusing him of having acted in a violent manner and
of causing "a great hubbub in the town." "We are," they wrote, "the
loyal subjects of the Dutch government, but not of sheriff Stillwell,
who is the greatest disturber of the peace who ever came among us."

The excitement was great. Threats were uttered of retaliation if
Christie were not released. But the Dutch council in New Amsterdam
approved of the conduct of its sheriff. Christie was held firmly.
Dispatches were sent to all the towns in western Long Island, where
there was a considerable English population, ordering that any
seditious persons who should visit their settlements, should be
arrested and sent to New Amsterdam. They then sent an express to
Governor Stuyvesant in Boston, that he might bring the question of
these disorderly measures before the General Assembly there.

But the governor could obtain no redress and no promises of amendment.
The Massachusetts authorities would not hold themselves bound to the
faithful observance of the treaty of 1650. They said that it was
subject to his Majesty's approval and to any limitations which might
be found in the charter granted to Connecticut. They refused to submit
the question to any arbitrators whatever. The New England colonists
were conscious that the power was in their own hands, and they were
disposed to use it.

In the meantime the English residents in the settlements on western
Long Island were not idle. The following very emphatic petition was
got up and signed by twenty-six individuals:

"The humble petition of us the inhabitants of Jamaica,
Middleborough and Hempstead, Long Island, whose names are
subscribed, to the honored General Court, to be assembled at
Hartford on the 8th of October 1663, humbly showeth,

"That forasmuch as it has pleased the all-disposing
Providence to appoint unto us our dwellings in these parts
of the country, under the Dutch