Document: Letter from Jacob Alrichs to director Stuyvesant

Noble, Honorable, Esteemed, most Wise and very Prudent Lord:

My Lord, in my previous letters dated 18 November last year as well as 24 January and 13 March of this year,[1] I advised and informed you, from dire necessity, of the great inconvenience caused by the lack of provisions which as before continues with much grief although we had trusted and hoped (especially now that I have leased out the galliot, at your request, for the service of your inhabitants there, with special propositions and promises of the lessees) that in times of need one would provide me by the first vessel with some provisions on the account of the lessee's charges. This has not only been delayed by the early and prolonged winter but also not followed as of yet by any late arriving vessel, which causes us great difficulties and inconveniences us exceedingly here. For this reason as well as for the promotion of the matters concerning the Hoere Kill, it has been deemed necessary that Mr. Hinojossa come over by land, by which occasion he will have once again petitioned and implored you to do all that is possible to extend us a helping hand in the above-mentioned...

[ Remaining six lines of page torn away. ]

...announcement of a general day of fasting and prayer which we shall hold and celebrate here on the day appointed for it, being next Wednesday. I would have wished, if it had not been a disservice to you there, that better and other arrangements could have been made for the use of another vessel in place ot the galliot (by which our inconveniences would have been reduced immensely). But may the almighty God be pleased to assist us with His grace and blessing, and help us with such means, as the same may be allowed to come to us through His wisdom.

J. Alrichs