1644.] HISTORY OF Delaware county. 37 



over four hundred pounds.^ At the time of this visit by De 

 Vries, the Swedish fort at " Verchens kill" was not "entirely 

 fiiiisheil," and there were "some liouses" at Fort Christina. The 

 vessel in which De Vries made his visit, was laden with Madeira 

 wine, a portion of which the skipper exchanged with the Gover- 

 nor for heavers. 



John Pape<roya, who had sometime since returned from New 

 Sweden, was recommended to Governor Printz by a letter from 

 the Qeeen and her council, dated at Stockholm on the 2nd of 

 November, 1643.- The Governor was recommended "graciously 

 to employ him" in those affairs "to which he might think him 

 adapted," and " to give him as much as will be possible and 

 reasonable his protection, in order to his advancement." The 

 suggestions contained in the letter were construed most liberally 

 in favour of the bearer ; for not long after his arrival in New 

 Sweden, he became the son-in-law of Governor Printz, and took 

 the position of second in command to him. 



Campanius informs us, that in the beginning of Governor 

 Printz's administration, "there came a great number of criminals 

 who were sent over from Sweden. When the European inhabitants 

 perceived it, they would not suffer them to set their foot on shore, 

 but they were all obliged to return, so that a great many of them 

 perished on the voyage. "^ The same author says, that it " was 

 after this forbidden, under a penalty, to send any more criminals 

 to America, lest Almighty God should let his vengeance fall on the 

 ships and goods, and the virtuous people that were on board." 

 This part of the statement is not strictly correct, for reliable 

 evidence exists that an individual was sentenced to be trans- 

 ported to New Sweden nearly ten years subsequently.^ 



The settlement of the country proceeded very slowly under the 

 Swedish dynasty, while trade was pushed to an extent never 

 before known upon the river. This was a source of great annoy- 

 ance to the Dutch, as the trade of the river was lost to them in 

 proportion as it was acquired by the Swedes. In the language 

 of Van der Donk, they '' would regret to lose such a jewel by the 

 devices and hands of a few strangers."^ 



It is by no means wonderful, that the Dutch should become 

 alarmed at the progress the Swedes were making in securing the 

 trade of the river, for during the year 1644 they freighted two 

 of their vessels, the Key of Calmar and the Fame, with cargoes 

 that included 2,127 packages of beaver, and 70,421 pounds of 



» N. Y. Hist. Col. iii. 123. 

 » Haz. Reg. iv. 214. 



' Campanius, 73, related on the authority of Nils Matton Utter, who after hi» return 

 home, served in his Majesty's Life Guards. 



♦ Haz. Reg. iv. 374. 



* See his description of New Netherland in N. Y. Hist. Col. N. S. i. 142. 



