Document: Bond of Edmund Scarburgh that he shall not within four weeks enter the South Bay or the South River or approach within six miles thereof

Before me, Cornelis van Ruyven, secretary in the service of the General Chartered West India Company, appeared Edmund [ Sch ]arburgh, residing in Ha[ c ]co M[ a ]cco in Virginia, who, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses promises that he will not within four weeks from date, either directly nor indirectly, enter the South Bay and the South River, nor touch land within six miles south or north thereof, much less sail into, anchor in, or lie at the roadstead of the said bay or river, except it happened, which God forbid, that by God's wind and weather he were compelled to touch at the South Bay, in which case they shall not be permitted to run in farther than is necessary to save their lives, without sending any person from on board ashore, or allowing any one to come aboard. Also, that during said time neither he nor his crew will directly or indirectly, by sea or land, by the present or any other bark or sloop, or even by any man in the world, furnish or give any intelligence to those living in the aforesaid countries.

For the observance of all that is hereinbefore written, he, Scharburgh, binds himself in the sum of five thousand pounds sterling to be paid for the behoof of the West India Company in case he or any of his crew were hereafter found to have acted contrary hereto, submitting to that end his person and property, present and future, to the control of all courts, judges and justices.

For greater security and observance of what is written above, Mr. Tomas Willeth offers himself as surety and co-principal in solido that all that is above written shall be observed and effected by Edmund [ S ]charburgh and his people, binding to that end his person and property, submitting the same to the control of all courts, judges and justices in witness whereof the parties and the witnesses have signed this. Done at Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 29th of August anno 1655.

Edm: Scarburgh
Tho. Willett
Claes [ Ptsen? ]
Roeloff Carstense
Cornelis van Ruyven