the governor rejoined that the land had previously been sold by
the Indians to the Swedes, and consequently was under the petticoat
government of her Swedish majesty, Christina; and woe be to any mortal
that wore a breeches who should dare to meddle even with the hem of her
sacred garment.

I forbear to dilate upon the war of words which was kept up for some time
by these windy commanders; Van-Poffenburgh, however, had served under
William the Testy, and was a veteran in this kind of warfare. Governor
Printz, finding he was not to be dislodged by these long shots, now
determined upon coming to closer quarters. Accordingly he descended the
river in great force and fume, and erected a rival fortress just one
Swedish mile below Fort Casimir, to which he gave the name of Helsenburg.

And now commenced a tremendous rivalry between these two doughty
commanders, striving to outstrut and outswell each other, like a couple of
belligerent turkey-cocks. There was a contest who should run up the
tallest flag-staff and display the broadest flag; all day long there was a
furious rolling of drums and twanging of trumpets in either fortress, and,
whichever had the wind in its favor, would keep up a continual firing of
cannon, to taunt its antagonist with the smell of gunpowder.

On all these points of windy warfare the antagonists were well matched;
but so it happened that the Swedish fortress being lower down the river,
all the Dutch vessels, bound to Fort Casimir with supplies, had to pass
it. Governor Printz at once took advantage of this circumstance, and
compelled them to lower their flags as they passed under the guns of his
battery.

This was a deadly wound to the Dutch pride of General Van Poffenburgh, and
sorely would he swell when from the ramparts of Fort Casimir he beheld the
flag of their High Mightinesses struck to the rival fortress. To heighten
his vexation, Governor Printz, who, as has been shown, was a huge
trencherman, took the liberty of having the first rummage of every Dutch
merchant-ship, and securing to himself and his guzzling garrison all the
little round Dutch cheeses, all the Dutch herrings, the gingerbread, the
sweetmeats, the curious stone jugs of gin, and all the other Dutch
luxuries, on their way for the solace of Fort Casimir. It is possible he
may have paid to the Dutch skippers the full value of their commodities,
but what consolation was this to Jacobus Van Poffenburgh and his garrison,
who thus f