26 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1640. 



cattle and other things necessary for the cultivation of the 

 country ; (who,) designs departing from Holland to America or 

 the West Indies, and there establishing himself in the country 

 called New Sweden."^ 



The Fredenhiirg was doubtless the vessel, whose opportune 

 arrival, saved the colony of Fort Christina from its impending 

 fate. This relief, so absolutely necessary to the salvation of the 

 colony, was a mere incident, as the Fredenburg was not dispatch- 

 ed for that purpose, but as a pioneer in the establishment of a 

 kind of patroonship of Hollanders under the authority of the 

 crown of Sweden. The grant for this purpose, which bears even 

 date with the passport of Captain Powellson, was made to Henry 

 Hochhanmer & Co., and embraced lands on both sides of the 

 Delaware without bounds, except that they were to " limit their 

 possessions to four or five German miles from Fort Christina."^ 

 We learn from a letter of the same date, addressed " to the 

 Commandant or Commissary and other inhabitants of Fort 

 Christina in New Sweden," that a grant of lands was at first, 

 made to a Mr. De Horst and others, Avhose operations were re- 

 stricted to the north side of the river, and " to there found a 

 colony." The "gracious intention" is also expressed, in this 

 letter, of sending to the colonists of Fort Christina from " Got- 

 tenburg next spring, if it pleases God, one or two vessels with 

 all sorts of provisions." God's pleasure, in giving relief to the 

 infant colony, seems, in this instance, to have anticipated the 

 "gracious intentions" of her Swedish Majesty. 



Passports for other vessels connected with the Hochhanmer 

 settlement or patroonship were granted in blank at the same 

 time, and an agent named Jost De Bogardt was appointed, who 

 accompanied the expedition. From his commission and the 

 obligation he assumed, it appears that he was to act as the gene- 

 ral agent of the government on the river, and was not to let any 

 opportunity pass, " of sending to Sweden all information which 

 may be useful to her Majesty and the crown of Sweden." As 

 he was under the pay of the government, at the rate of 500 

 florins or 200 rix dollars per annum, Avith a promised increase of 

 100 florins in case of new proofs of his attachment and of his 

 zeal to promote the welfare of the Swedish crown, and also re- 

 compense " in a royal mnnner," according to circumstances, it 

 is fair to infer that Mr. De Bogardt went out in the capacity of 

 a spy; and as he was a Dutchman, it is most probable that one 

 important part of his duty was to watch over the doings of the 

 government of New Netherland. 



' English translation of Swedish documents in possession of the American Philo- 

 sophical Societ^^ procured by the lion. .Iciniithan Russell when Minister of the U. S. 

 to the Court of Sweden. Haz. Reg. iv. 177, <ic. ^ Haz. Reg. iv. 177. 



