6 HISTORY or DELAWARE COUNTY. [1621. 



New Netherland trading company, for the emigration to America 

 of " a certain English preacher,' versed in the Dutch language," 

 then residing in Leyden, together with over four hundred fami- 

 lies both out of Holland and England, whom he assured the 

 petitioners, he had the means of inducing to accompany him 

 thither. The petitioners also asked that two ships of war might 

 be provisionally dispatched "for the preservation of the country's 

 rights, and that the aforesaid minister and the four hundred 

 families, might be taken under the protection of the government ; 

 alledging that his Majesty of Great Britain would be disposed 

 to people the aforesaid lands ivith the English nation." After 

 considerable Jelay, this petition was rejected.^ 



On the 28th of September of this year, and during the 

 time that elapsed between the incorporation of the Dutch 

 West India Company and the time it commenced its commercial 

 operations, the States General granted certain parties permission 

 to dispatch "two ships with all sorts of permitted merchandise, 

 the one to the aforesaid New Netherland, and the other to the 

 aforesaid Ne'W river, lying in latitude between eight and thirty 

 and forty degrees, and to the small rivers thereon depending, to 

 trade away and dispose of their old stock, which they have there, 

 and afterwards bring back into this country their goods, cargoes, 

 clerks and seamen, on condition that they must be home before 

 the 1st of July, 1622. "3 



The Neiv river mentioned in the foregoing extract, was un- 

 doubtedly the Delaware ; and it might be inferred from the per- 

 mission asked in respect to the old stock, ^c, that a trading post 

 had been established by the Dutch on the Delaware, prior to this 

 date. There are many facts to show that such a conclusion would 

 be erroneous, and that the Dutch had no trading establishment 

 on that river at this time. 



At the instance of the British Government, Sir Dudley Carle- 

 ton their Ambassador at the Hague, entered upon an investi- 

 gation of certain charges made against the Hollanders, of having 

 left " a Colonic" at, and of " giving new names to several ports 

 appertaining to that part of the countrie north of Virginia" called 

 by them " New England."^ 



In the prosecution of this investigation,^ which was rather of 

 a private and informal character, thp Ambassador could not 

 make " any more of the matter but that about fower or five years 

 since, two particular conpanies of Amsterdam merchants, began 



1 This preacher was the Rev. Mr. Robinson. Some of the families alluded to em- 

 barked at Delft in the May Flower and Speedwell on the 16th of July, 1620, and 

 though they were destined for the Hudson, they landed at Plymouth, and became the 

 renowned Culonj' of Pilffrims. 



2 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 22-24. 



3 lb. 27. ■• lb. iii. 6. i lb. 7. 



