36 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1643. 



tributary to them ; so that they dare not stir, much less go to 

 "war against them.''^ 



The Minquas Indians, as a tribe, belonged to the Five Nations. 

 They resided upon the Conestogo, but their visits to the Dela- 

 ware for purposes of trade or to fish were fi'equent. 



It will thus be seen that the early settlers on the Delaware, 

 had two classes of Indians very different in character to deal 

 with ; the one a constant inhabitant of the country whose presence 

 was familiar to them and caused no uneasiness ; the other, an 

 occasional visitor whose stay amongst them, when the object of 

 it was not well understood, excited apprehensions for their safety. 

 The Lenape lived in small tribes, generally occupying the tribu- 

 taries of the Delaware. Each tribe was frequently known to the 

 settlers by the Indian name of the stream it occupied. 



In returning from a digression that seemed necessary, to pro- 

 ceed with our narrative, we will confine our observations more 

 closely hereafter to the small district of country under notice. 



Governor Printz possessed many qualifications that fitted him 

 for the position he occupied. His plans were laid with good 

 judgment, and were executed with energy. He managed the 

 trade of the river with the natives so as to monopolize nearly the 

 whole ; and while the jealousy of the Dutch, on this account, 

 was excessive, he succeeded during his whole administration, in 

 avoiding an open rupture with that government. But he was 

 imperious and ha'ughty, and sometimes gave offence, especially 

 in personal interviews, when a milder course would have better 

 befitted the occasion. 



Though the Swedes had erected a fort on the Jersey side of 

 the river, they never placed so high an estimate on their title to 

 the land on that side, as to that on the western shore. As a 

 consequence, most of their settlements were at first made on this 

 side of the Delaware, up which, and the Schuylkill they were 

 gradually extended. These rivers and our numerous tide-water 

 creeks, constituted the highways of the Swedish settlers, and it 

 was in close proximity with these streams their habitations were 

 erected. 



The annual pay of the Governor was 800 Rix dollars,^ which 

 of course did not include his rations. In addition to this, and in 

 remuneration of the long and excellent services that he had ren- 

 dered to the crown of Sweden, and was then rendering, his 

 sovereign, by a deed of gift executed on the 6th of November, 

 1643, granted to him and his heirs, the whole Island of Tinicum.^ 



If we can rely upon the statement of De Vrics who visited the 

 Governor on the 13th of October, 1643, and remained with him 

 several days, he was a man of enormous dimensions, weighing 



' Campanius, 158. '^ Haz. Reg. iv. 314. ^ Appendix, note A. 



