582 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



iii safety to that country, as he made every preparation to execute his purpose, 

 hy commencing to build on that spot and cultivate the soil ; so because he is 

 delighted with thai Bituation, as because it shall enable him to reap all the advan 

 tages of the aforesaid valleys, without which all his great expenses which he 

 made at the saw kill, would be in vain and his prospects in future profits would 

 be obscured, while all his toils and labors would have been rendered useless with 

 respect at least to himself, and whereas the supplicant is informed that some 

 greedy land speculators arrived in 1652, to obtain a grant of these lands in a clan- 

 destine manner; so it is that the supplicant now addresses himself to your honors, 

 with great respect that it may please them to resolve that the supplicant shall not 

 be dispossessed of these lands and valleys, by any individual under any pretext 

 whatsoever, by which doing, &c, &c"« 



On the 26 May, 1652, occurs an octroy, granting to Adriaen Van der 

 Donck, Patroon of the Colony of Colendonck, power to bequeath his said 

 fief of Colendonck : — 



' ' The States General of the United Netherlands, to all who shall see or hear 

 these presents, send health. Be it known, that we, at the humble request of Ad- 

 riaen Van der Donck, of Breda, Patroon of the Colony of Nepperhaem, called by 

 him Colendonck, situated in New Netherlands, within the limits of the priviledged 

 West India Company, aud having taken into consideration the 5th article of the 

 freedom granted by the assembly of the nineteen of the said company, to all those 

 who shall plant in New Netherlands, aforesaid, have granted, consented and 

 priviledged, grant, consent and privilege, out of our sovereign will by these our 

 letters, that he may dispose, bequeath and order the aforesaid, his fief named 

 Colendonck, either by codicil by form of testament, or last will, before a notary 

 and witnesses, superintendence within the property situated in the same, as or 

 otherwise as it shall please him, to the profit of his children, if he have any, or 

 other strangers," &c, &c.b 



About this period, the Patroon commenced the compilation of his 

 celebrated book, entitled "Beschyvinge van Nieuw Nederland," or a des- 

 cription of New Netherland, the copyright of which, bears date, this 

 17th May, 1653.° 



This work is dedicated "To the Illustrious, Most Wise and Prudent Lords, the 

 Honorable Ruling Burgomasters of the far-famed commercial city of Amsterdam. 



Why mourn about Brazil, full of base Portuguese? 

 When Van der Donck shows so far much better fare ; 

 Where wheat fills golden ears, and grapes abound in trees ; 

 Where fruit and kine are good with little care; 

 Men may mourn a loss, when vain would be their voice. 

 But when their loss brings gain, they also may rejoice. 



a Alb. Kec. vol. vili. 79. 



b Holland Doc. No. xxv. 118. 



c Holl.Doc. No. xii, 4; No. xiil, 42; No xiv, 43; No.xv,p.44; No. xvi.45; No. xvil,47. This 

 book ti.is been recently translated from the original Dutch, by the Hon. Jeremiah Johnson- 

 See I vol. new series N. Y. Hist. Soc. 



