58 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1653. 



this new fort,^ but appears afterwards to have been reconciled to 

 the measure, as before Stuyvesant took his departure from the 

 river, " he had divers verbal conferences with Johan Printz, the 

 Swedish Governor, and they mutually promised not to com- 

 mit any hostile or vexatious acts against one another, but to 

 maintain together all neighborly friendship and correspondence, 

 as good friends and allies are bound to do."^ 



The doings of Stuyvesant on the Delaware were wholly upon 

 his own responsibility, not having given to the West India Com- 

 pany "so much as a hint of his intentions." The news was un- 

 expected to the directors, and they declined to give any opinion 

 on the subject until they " had heard the complaints of the 

 Swedish governor to his queen, and ascertained at her court how 

 these have been received."^ 



The erection of Fort Casimir rendered the Swedish Fort 

 Elsinborg useless for the purpose of its original design. If any 

 acts of submission were now required from Dutch vessels in pass- 

 ing that fort, the same would be exacted from Swedish vessels 

 in passing Fort Casimir. Elsinborg Avas therefore abandoned, 

 as it does not appear to have been a place of trade. The Swedes 

 allege that it had become untenable from the great number of 

 musquitos, and gave it the nickname of " Myggenborg or Mus- 

 quito Fort."^ 



Governor Printz having been accustomed to an active military 

 life, became wearied of his present position, and requested per- 

 mission to return to Sweden, at the same time soliciting a speedy 

 reinforcement, in order to be prepared for the more threatening 

 aspect that the affairs of the river had lately assumed. Not 

 waiting for the arrival of his successor, he sailed for his native 

 country during the present year, leaving the government in 

 charge of his son-in-law, John Papegoya. Some writers have 

 placed his departure in 1652,^ but this is disproved by a trading 

 commission issued by him from Fort Christina the 1st of Octo- 

 ber, 1653.^ 



In Sweden, three persons had been convicted, each of killing 

 an elk on the Island D'Auland. Two of them were sentenced 

 to run the gauntlet, each three times, — the third " to be sent to 

 New Sweden."'' This is perhaps the last Swedish criminal sent 

 to New Sweden. 



On the 20th of August of this year, Queen Christina granted 

 to Captain John Amundson Besh, and to his wife and to his heirs 



1 Holme's Ann. 356, Sub. 1651. ^ jj, y. Col. Doc. i. 590. 



3 Haz. Ann. 13.3, from Albany Rec. iv. 73. 



* Campanius, 80 ; Clay's Annals, 23. * Clay's Annals, 24. 



6 Mr. Hazard gives this document entire in his Annals, 139, as copied from the 

 Plymouth Records, Deeds, &c. 



7 Haz. Reg. iv. 374. 



