THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH. 26 1 



of wampum, in conformity with the customs of the red men, or punish 

 the murderers, as justice and good policy demanded."" 



Sept. A. D. 1 641, the boy had now attained the age of manhood. 

 "His uncle's spirit was still unappeased — his murder was unavenged. 

 His voice was heard in the roaring of the storm — in the rustle of the 

 leaves — in the sighing of the winds ; and full of the conviction that that 

 spirit could not find rest until vengeance should be had, the young 

 Weckquaeskeeck sought for a victim to offer to the manes of the dead. 

 Shrouding his evil purpose under the cloak of a friendly or business visit, 

 he called at the house of one Claes Cornelisz Smits, the 'raad-maker,' an 

 aged settler resident on the west side of the river, under pretence of 

 making some purchases. The old man suspecting no harm, (for the 

 Indian had been in the habit of working for his son,) set some food be- 

 fore him, and proceeded to get from a chest, in which it lay, the cloth 

 which the other wished to purchase. The moment he stooped, the sav- 

 age seized an axe, struck him dead, and then withdrew, having rifled the 

 house of all its contents. a 



" This aggression on an old and helpless man excited, when it became 

 known, considerable feeling at Fort Amsterdam." 6 " Director Kieft 

 promptly demanded satisfaction from the chief" of the Weckquaskecks. 

 " But the sachem," who was doubtless Mongockonone, " refused to 

 make any atonement. He was sorry that twenty Christians had not 

 been immolated; the Indian had but avenged, after the manner of his 

 race, the murder of a relative whom the Dutch had slain nearly twenty 

 years before. On the receipt of this answer, armed parties were sent 

 out to retaliate ; but they returned, having effected nothing."^ 



Aug. 29, 1 641, it was proposed to wait "until the hunting season 

 when it was suggested that two expeditions should be got up; one to 

 land in the neighborhood of the ' Archipelago,' or Norwalk Island — the 

 other, at Weckquaskeck." 



Notwithstanding the impatience of Kieft to attack the Weckquas- 

 kecks, he could not obtain the consent of his council until Feb. 18, 

 1642. Having now received their sanction, " he ordered Hendrick 

 Van Dyck, ensign in the Company's service, who had been already over 



a O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N. p. 105. On the 29th of August, 1641, the following proposals 

 were made by the Director General and Council to the heads of families residing at and near 

 New Amsterdam : " When the Indian warriors are absent on their hunting expeditions, then 

 we may divide ourselves into two parties, one to land at Rapels and the other at Weckquaes- 

 keeck and take them by surprise on both sides. The Director to supply as many negroes as 

 he can spare, and arm them with a tommahawk and small half pike." Valentine's Manual, 

 1865, p. 53T. 



b O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N. p. 240, 1. 



c O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N. p. 241. Journal van Nieuw Nederlandt, Hoi. Doc. v. 314. De 

 Vries corroborates the statements in the text. 



d O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N. p. 242. 



