1G53.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 59 



and their heirs, "a tract of hmJ in New Swetlen extending to 

 Upland kill." This grant has been supposed to embrace the 

 present site of Marcus Hook, but this is not probalde.' 



On the same day, another grant was made by her Swedish 

 Majesty, to the " brave and courageous Lieutenant Swen 

 Schute," and to his wife and to his heirs, "a tract of country in 

 New Sweden, viz., Mockorhulteykyl, as far as the river, together 

 with the small island belonging thereto, viz., the island Karinge 

 and Kinsessing, comprehending also Passuming."- 



To those acquainted with this region of country it will not be 

 difficult to give the above grant an approximate position, but I 

 have not met with anything that enabled me with any degree of 

 certainty to decide upon the island embraced in the grant. 



It is a remarkable fact that on the 6th of October, just about 

 the time Governor Printz sailed for Sweden, Director-general 

 Stuyvesant wrote to the directors of the West India Company, 

 that " the Swedes on the South river would be well inclined to 

 repair among us, in case we will take them under our safe- 

 guard;" adding, "that hitherto, and until we receive further in- 

 formation from your honors, we decline their proposal, inasmuch 

 as we know not whether it would be well or ill received.''^ It 

 will be remembered that a colony of Hollanders, before the 

 arrival of Printz, had settled under Swedish jurisdiction, in the 

 neighborhood of the place where tl^ Dutch had erected their 

 new Fort Casimir. From these sucli a proposition may have 

 been received ; but it is highly improbable, that the regular 

 Swedish settlers on the river participated in making it. 



In November of this year, the Swedish College of Commerce 

 granted to John Amundson a commission as a captain in the navy. 

 He was about to embark on board of a galliot belonging to the South 

 Company for New Sweden, and when arrived there, part of his 

 duty was to consist in superintending carefully, " the construction 

 of vessels, in order that they may be faithfully built. "^ This is the 

 same person to whom the grant of land " extending to Upland 

 kill" was made, Besh or Besk in the name of the grantee, being 

 the place of his residence. The appointment of this officer 

 would indicate that the Swedish government designed to establish 

 the business of building ships in New Sweden. The land gran- 

 ted to Capt. Amundson, was at at a point on the river well 

 adapted to that business, and was probably selected with that view. 

 The letter from the Queen,'* granting Governor Printz leave to 



1 Ilaz. Reg. iv. .374 ; Ferris' Original Settlements on the Delaware, 133 ; see also 

 Uaz. Ann. 138 and 454. If this grant had extended from Upland kill so as to have 

 included the site of Marcus Hook, it would have iueludtd a front on the river of four 

 miles, which is exceedingly improbable. See Appendix, note B. 



-' Haz. Reg. iv. 274. 3 n. y. Col. Doc. i. 600. 



♦ Ilaz. Reg. iv. 374. 5 ibi.j. y. u. 



