579 



THOMAS) NEW YORK'S POLICY TOWARD THE INDIANS 



Upon the Petition of Philipp Pietersen Schuyler That hee may have Liberty to 

 Purchase a oertaine Parcell of Land of the Natives, lying au.l being near rtor A bany 

 as in the said Petition is exprest; I do hereby grant Liber.>- unt., the ^-'l '" ^ P 

 Pietersen Schuyler «o to do of which when hee shall brn>g a *1- ^"^'''-f ' " ' 

 Le, hee shall iave a Patent for the said Lands by Authority from h.s Royale H.gh- 

 nesse the Duke of Vorke for the farther Confirmation thereof. Given under my hand 

 at ffort James in New Yorlc on Manhatans Island this 30'" day of March l.,6:.^ ^^ 



Upon the petivon of Johannes Clute and Jan Hendrick ISiuyns That they may have 

 leave and Liberty to Purchase of the Indyans, a certaine parcel of Land lying and 

 being on the west side of y- North River and against Clave Rack near ffort Albany 

 as in their Peti.on is exprest and that they may likewise Plant the «^">e. I/J° 

 kerebv Grant leave and Liberty unto the said Johannes Clute and Jan llendrick 

 Bruyns to make Purchase, thereof and to Plant it Accordingly as is desired of 

 which, when they shall bring unto mee a due certificate. They shall ^---^ ^^ 

 for th^ said Lands by Authority from his Royall Highnesse the Duke of ^orke for 

 their farther Confirmavon therein. Given under my hand at ftort James in New 

 Yorke this 1"» day of April 1665. Ricnf . NicOLi-S. 



Whereas Jan Cloet, Jan Hendrieksen Brnyn and Jurian Teunissen ha^'e produced 

 before the Court of Albany the consent given to their petition, of his Honour the 

 Governour of New York, to purchase from the Indians a certain parcel of land situate 

 on the west side of the North river opposite to the Claverraek near I ort Albany. 



Therefore appeared before me, the undersigned Secretary of Albany, five savages, 

 named Sachamoes, Mawinata, also called Schermerhoorn, Kees.e Wey, I apenna, 

 Maweha, owners and proprietors of the said land, representing the ofher co-owners, 

 ,,.ho dec.are.l in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, that they have sold 

 ceded and transferred, as they herewith cede and transfer the same to ^^""^^-"^ 

 actual possession of and fo, the benefit of the aforesaid Jan Cloct and Jan Hen- 

 drieksen Bruvn, to wit, the laud called Caniskek, which stretches along the river 

 tm the land ..^ Pieter Bronk down to the valley, lying near the po nt of the mam 

 land behind the Baeren Island, called Machawameck, and runs into the woods both 

 at the North and South ends to the Katskil road. The price for it is a certain sum 

 to be paid n. merchandise, which they, the sellers, acknowledge to have received 

 from the purchasers to their full satisfaction ; they therefore renounce their former 

 claims and declare Jan Cloet and Jan Hendrieksen Brnyn to be the lawful owners 

 of the land, promising, etc. ,.„^^:t 



Thus done at Albany in the presence of Harmen Bastiansen and Hendrick (,errit- 

 sen, called in as witnesses, the 20>" of April 1665 Old Style. 



lu another case Colonel Nicolls, acting as " Governor under his Royall 

 Highnesse the Duke of York," purchased a tract of the " Sachems and 

 people called the Sapes Indyans." , „ ,. , 



It is perhaps proper to notice a statement by Macauley ' alluding to 

 an earlier transaction not relating directly to the colony, which, how- 

 ever shows the disposition of the Dutch to purchase sucli 1<"h1'^ as 

 thev wished to settle or occupy: "Between the years 1610 and 10.0, 

 about twenty persons belonging to the [Dutch East India] Company 

 went from the fort on Dunn's island, below Albany, to Ohnowalagantle, 

 now Schenectady, where they entered into a compact with the Mohawks, 

 from whom they bought some land on which they erected a trading 



house." 



• Op. cit., p. 284. 



