Document: Examination in council of ensign Dirck Smith on a charge of having sold a gun to an Indian

[several lines lost] [ ] J de La Montagne. The lord general asked the ensign Dirck Smith where his brother’s gun was? He answered that (when the recent foreign wilden named Sinnekens were here) he asked the lance corporal[i] whether guns might be sold to the wilden, who responded, “Ten had been sold at Pieter Cocq’s and at the Haaghe Juffr;[ii] if they can do such business, why shouldn’t we be able to sell one gun?” Therefore he sold his brother’s gun to the aforesaid wilden for 6 beavers, saying further that he hoped it wouldn’t be considered wrong because so many guns have been sold to the wilden here; also, that it has been said that there was consent to sell some munitions of war to these recent foreign wilden; also, that they traded large amounts to the wilden down south, namely Elmerhuysen and Jacquet and many others [two lines lost]

The lance corporal was summoned to the session and appeared. He was asked why he advised others to sell guns, as the ensign has declared above.

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source: New York State Archives. New Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 8.