36 The Story of The Bronx 



by armed men, Van Elslant jumped bravely ashore, and though 

 at once made prisoner, did his duty and read the protest, 

 afterwards handing it to the leader of the trespassers, who 

 said: 



' ' I cannot understand Dutch ; why did not the Fiscal send 

 it in English? If you send it in English, then I shall send 

 an answer in writing. But it 's no matter; we expect the 

 ships from Holland and England which are to bring the 

 settlement of the boundary. . . . Whether we are to dwell 

 here under the States or Parliament time wall tell; furthermore, 

 we abide here under the States of England. ... If we had a 

 sup of wine we should offer you some; but we have not any. " 



Then they all fired their guns into the air by way of a salute. 

 Van Elslant tried to see all he could of their houses, but they 

 kept both the Dutchmen closely guarded and finally per- 

 mitted them to return to New Amsterdam. 



Then, indeed, were Stuyvesant and his council wrathy at 

 the treatment meted out to their messengers; though it was 

 not until the sixth of the following March that everything 

 was ready for the expedition. Captain de Connick and 

 Captain-lieutenant Nuton represented the military arm, and 

 Fiscal Van Tienhoven, the civil arm of the government. 

 They started with a body of men for Westchester, or Oostdorp, 

 as it was called by the Dutch, with orders to fall upon it by 

 night, force the trespassers to withdraw with their cattle and 

 property and to destroy the houses. 



The expedition reached Oostdorp on the fourteenth of March 

 and found the settlers under arms ready to receive it. The 

 leader of the trespassers was named W T heeler; and the whole 

 colony, if we are to believe the worthy Secretary Van Tien- 

 hoven, was composed of fugitives, vagabonds, and thieves, 

 who had been driven out of New England on account of their 



