30 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



debts were contracted, it is evident that this is Melyen's account 

 with Baron Van der Capellen concerning the latter's colony on 

 Staten Island." (The New York Historical Society Collections 

 1913; Melyn Papers 1640-1699 p. 106. The original manuscripts 

 and ancient copies are in the possession of the New York Histor- 

 ical Society.) 



27. 1654. loth Feb. 1654. A calculation was made in session (at 

 New Amsterdam) how to procure means to resist and prevent 

 piracy. It was proposed to fit out a vessel with 40 men, and it 

 was proposed to tax Staten Island for two men. (Records New 

 Amsterdam i: 159.) 



28. April 15th 1654. "Also, that his Honor would speak or write 

 to Cornells Melyn of Staten Island about it, [defense against 

 piracy] who had said some time ago, that he was ready to lend a 

 helping hand." (Records New Amsterdam i : 186.) 



29. 1655. " And a few days later cleared Staten Island of people 

 and houses." Extract from letter of Cornells van Tienhoven, 

 14th November 1655 in reference to the massacre by the Indians 

 Sept. 15th, 1655. (Col. Doc. 13: 57-) 



30. Van der Capellen in a remonstrance dated 4th October 1656 

 states "that in August 1655 his Colonic had a population of over 

 90 souls, with II bouweries in progress, and that all his people 

 that did not make their escape, were killed by the natives, and 

 all his houses and the barns appertaining to the bouweries on 

 Staten Island were burned." (Col. Doc. i : 638.) 



31. "Adriaen Post said and declared, that all the houses had been 

 burned during the well known affair with the savages Anno 1655 

 and that no other property had been left, except a few heads of 

 cattle, which he himself had hunted up, after having been re- 

 leased from captivity." (Extract from a letter of Stuyvesant to 

 Directors in Holland, 21st July 1661 ; Col. Doc. 13: 206.) 



32. " Noble and Mighty Sir : 



My Lord Schepen Bontemantel: 

 . . . We ran out to sea for the Menades on the 12th, and on 



the 17th happily arrived within Sandy Hook. On the 21st we 



sailed for the North River of Staten Island, by the watering 



place, and saw that all the houses there, and about the beer house, 



were burned up by the Indians. . . . 



I remain your Honor's Obedient Servant, 



Johannes Bogaert 



Laus Deo, Ship de Waegh (The Balance). Schrijver 



the 31st October, 1655." (Extract from letter in Historical 



Magazine 1858: 259.) 



