202 BUREAU OP AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 191 



In a letter dated February 20, 1647, Printz repeatedly refers to the 

 Black and White Minqua and to their position in the fur trade. 



Concerning the trade in the year 1644, when the ship Fama went from here, 

 [it can be said that] there was very little of the cargo left in store ; and as we have 

 been without merchandise ever since, not only has the Right Company suffered 

 the great damage that 8 [000] or 9000 beavers have passed out of our hands, 

 but besides, the Hollanders have drawn the principal traders (who are the White 

 and Black Minquas) from us, that we shall be able only with great difficulty to 

 regain them. . . . 



The Savages now have war amongst themselves in many places, more to the 

 prejudice than to the advantage of the beaver-trade. . . . 



If we are able to renew our friendly relations with the White and Black Minquas 

 (as we hope and are assured we shall), the trade with these will commence next 

 April and continue the whole summer until fall. [Johnson, 1930 pp. 132, 136-7, 

 140.] 



In a letter of April 26, 1653, Printz seems to refer to these same Indians, 

 but uses different names, 



. . . from the fur trade [there is] no profit any more, and especially now since 

 the Arrigahaga and Susquahannoer (from whom the beavers come) begin to fight 

 one another. [Ibid., p. 188.] 



Later authors provide still further details, Adriaen Van der Donck, 

 writing in 1653, makes it clear that the name "Minqua" refers to an 

 Iroquoian-speaking people. 



Their various tongues may be classed into four distinct languages, namely, 

 Manhattan, Minquas, Savanoos, and Wappanoos. . . . With the Minquas we 

 include the Senecas, the Maquaas, and other inland tribes. , . . 



He also informs us that 



The beavers are mostly taken far inland, there being few of them near the 

 settlements — particularly by the black Minquas, who are thus named because 

 they wear a black badge on their breast, and not because they are really black. 

 [Van der Donck, 1841, pp. 206, 209.] 



In 1662 William Beeckman, writing from Tinnekunk [or Altena, 

 now New Castle, Del.] to the New York authorities to inform 

 them about the status of the Susquehannock-New York Iroquois 

 war, stated that 



. , . five Mincquas chiefs had arrived there and were expecting assistance 

 shortly of 800 Black Mincquas, 200 in fact having arrived, to fight the Sinnecus 

 In the Spring. [Fernow and O'Callaghan, eds., 1853-87, vol. 12, p. 419; Hazard 

 1852-1935, vol. 7, p. 742). 



We also have an interesting comment by Peter Lindestrom in his 



"Geographia Americae," compiled from notes collected between 1654 



and 1656, to the effect that: 



This country extends inland of which we do not [know] the limit, but it is 

 supposed to be a continent. Neither have the Swedes yet had any trade or 

 intercourse with savages, or any other savage nation who lived further in the 



