Document: Deed of Fort Casimir to the burgomasters of the city of Amsterdam according to the Indian deed dated 19 July 1651

Petrus Stuyvesant, on behalf of their esteemed high mightinesses, the lords States General of the United Netherlands and the lords directors of the Chartered West India Company director general of New Netherland, Curaçao, Bonayro, Aruba and the dependencies thereof, together with the honorable lords councilors testify and declare hereby that we have today, date underwritten, pursuant to the order and directions of the said honorable lords directors, dated the 19th of December 1656, transferred, ceded and conveyed, as we hereby cede, transfer and convey to the honorable Mr. Jacob Alrichs, on behalf of the honorable lords burgomasters and governors of the city of Amsterdam director and commissary general of their colony on the South River of New Netherland, Fort Casimir, now called New Amstel, together with all the territory belonging thereto, agreeable to the first bill of sale and title-deed of the naturellen, dated the 19th of July 1651, beginning on the westside of [ Minquaes ] or Christina Kil, called in the wiltse language Suppeckongh, to the mouth of the bay or river called Boomptjes Hoeck, in the wiltse language Canaresse, and as far inland as the boundaries of the Minquaes’ country, with all streams, kils, [ creeks, harbors, bays and surfaces belonging thereto, of which territory with all its belongings and dependencies we hereby, in the name and on behalf of the said honorable lords directors, lord patroons of this province, make cession and conveyance ] to the said honorable Mr. Jacob Alrichs on behalf of the highly, esteemed lords burgomasters and governors of the city of Amsterdam, relinquishing all actual and real possession, ownership, claim and privilege and all this with and under such conditions, as have been fixed upon by the said lords directors and the honorable lords burgomasters and governors of the city of Amsterdam, substituting and constituting therefore the said Mr. Jacob Alrichs in the aforesaid quality on behalf as stated above as owner in our place, without keeping in our aforesaid quality any claim or pretense and therefore promising to keep, observe, and execute this conveyance as firm, binding, and inviolable. In witness whereof this has been signed by us and confirmed with our usual signature. Done at Fort Amsterdam in N. Netherland, the 12th of April anno 1657.[i]

P. Stuyvesant Nicasius de Sille Pieter Tonneman