Document: Declaration of Jan Evertsen Bout and Claes Jansen regarding the burning of Jochem Pietersen Kuyter's house

Jan Eversz Bout, aged about forty-four years, and Claes Jansz, baker, aged about thirty-six years, testify at the request of Mr. Willem Kieft, director general of New Netherland, before the honorable fiscal, that on the 7th of March last, we heard an Indian named Ponkes, say of his own free will in the Indian language (which we perfectly understood) that the Indians, our enemies, did not burn Jochim Pitersz’ house and that no Indian was ever heard to say so, although, as he said, whenever they have done any mischief, they boast of it, but that as far as the Indians know, the Dutch themselves burned and removed the house, for fear of being killed there. All of which the depon[ ents... ] [1]