Delavan : The Guyon House 117 



" We received among other papers and enclosures, by the last 

 ships, also an extract from your resolutions, dated January 24th, 

 and a letter to the Director-General referring to it, in which you 

 seriously recommend to us, to treat with kindness the French 

 families, which were to arrive here from Rochelle and from St. 

 Martin, to allot to them good parcels of land and assist them in 

 every way. Your faithful servants shall not fail to obey your 

 directions : we shall promote this work, so highly recommended 

 by you, by all possible means and above all others, as far as our 

 responsibility to you permits ; you and the coming emigrants may 

 be sure of it. Seven or eight persons of that nationality came 

 over for that purpose by the last ship, the ' Eendracht/ to view 

 the land. As far as the shortness of their stay here allowed, they 

 have done it, and being most pleased with Staten Island, some 

 of them, among them one Jean Collyn, addressed themselves to 

 us and we said, for the better promotion and speedier execution 

 of the plan they had resolved that he should return in person by 

 one of the ships and report to the others : he therefore requested 

 our recommendations to you, that you would favor them with as 

 favorable conditions and as much assistance, as possible and fair ; 

 especially that you would please to allow your answer to a peti- 

 tion, made to you on the 14th of April, 1661, to take effect, so 

 that they could be provided with a good French preacher, which 

 would help to promote the undertaking. They informed us, that 

 the preacher at St. Martin was willing and could easily be per- 

 suaded to come here, if your Honors or perhaps we ourselves 

 were to encourage him by a letter. In their name we request you 

 to write such a letter and to save you and us the trouble of repeti- 

 tion, we have given them a copy of this recommendation not 

 doubting, that for the best of the country, you will favor them 

 with whatsoever your wisdom deems advisable" (28). 



On the 27th day of August, 1664 (O. S.), New Netherland 

 was surrendered by the Dutch to the English. A graphic ac- 

 count of the surrender may be found in a letter of Domine 



