Noble, Honorable, highly Esteemed, Wise and very Prudent Lord:
My Lord, your letter dated 16 January reached me on the 26th in the evening. I will postpone reporting on the outcome of the La Grange affair because presently we are frozen in and suffering bad weather.
I am sending you my account books in which you can see that we have no bread grain in storage but we are supplied with other necessary foodstuffs. I request that you supply us with some Osnaburg linen as soon as possible for the purchase of grain, because salt does not trade as well for grain in the spring as it does in the fall.
My Lord, to the best of my knowledge I have never neglected to inform you concerning affairs at the colony of New Amstel (if worth writing about); especially, during the tenure of these violent and bloodthirsty chieftans. D'Hinojosse is selling everything he can lay his hands on, even the gunpowder and musket balls from the magazine. I know that a good deal has been sold to Augustyn Heermans, together with a lot of nails belonging to the City. He recently sold his house, in which the schoolmaster Arent Everssen lives, to Jan Webber; he also offered to sell to the same Webber a structure in the fort where he has installed a brewery. He proclaims daily that he expects much assistance because letters from the fatherland have indicated that two ships are coming in the spring to strengthen the place.
I cannot find out what he achieved with Governor Calvert at Augustine Heermans' house. Gerrit van Sweringen has recently returned to Maryland. It is said that he is collecting the tobacco which both of them received in trade for the City's millstone, galliot and other property belonging to the City, and to exchange it there for English goods at the ships which will then be traded again for bacon and meat as provisions for the newly arriving City's colonists. Upon his departure, Jan Webber earnestly requested and received a release from his security because they threatened to arrest him. As of today (to my knowledge) no one has heard from him, and many claim that he will forget to return.
D'Hinojosse still considers us his deadly enemies because when on the 18th of December Dr. Jacop, the City's surgeon, proposed at a meeting that Dr. Timen Stidden be given his position, which he had previously obtained permission to fill, d'Hinojosse said to him, "Why do you propose a man who is a friend of Beeckman whom we acknowledge as our enemy, indeed, deadly enemy?" Also at the 18th December meeting there was a Willem Symons who was discharged from his service here two years ago and went to live in the colony. After having lived here again for about ten weeks, the same Willem had a dispute with his neighbor's wife in the colony and summoned her before the court because of it. When he came in d'Hinojosse said to him, "You can?t get my justice here because you are neither a colonist nor a inhabitant and you have moved back to Christina"; truly an unheard of practice.
The galliot has been hauled to shore again because of the torrents of drifting ice. D'Hinojosse will not allow it to depart because all the cattle have not been delivered. The 30 head received have been distributed to one person or the other.
About three or four weeks ago, d'Hinojosse had an argument with Mr. Factoor and others at Francoys Kregier's house about the depositions taken here at Altena. He said that he was still persisting in the matter and would continue even though his superiors gave him no satisfaction.
His daily activities hardly indicate that he is on the verge of leaving.
My Lord, since Claes de Ruyter tells us that the smallpox is drifting down the river with the Indians, against which we are preparing ourselves, and since I have not had the pox I humbly request that you send as soon as possible some theriacal mithradate, senna leaves as well as other purgatives and cooling medicinals useful thereto, because we are presently burdened with eight children and we would suffer much misery in that case with them. You would oblige me greatly because no medicinals can be obtained here.
I had written this far by 29 January, when I expected de Ruyter to return from New Amstel, but he was delayed by a change in the weather. He just arrived here last evening with Mr. Huygen who has been frozen in there for three or four weeks. The aforesaid Huygen is determined to move the gentlemen of New Leyden out of there as soon as there is open water.
A certain Pickaer Fransman, who has been living here at Altena for three or four weeks with his family, has sold his house and property in the colony and transferred the proceeds to Mr. d'Hinojosse in order to reduce his debt (he says that he still owes f200 payable on sight). The aforesaid Pickaer has learned that you need a gardener and therefore requests permission to come to your place with de Ruyter. I could not refuse him this because d'Hinojosse never informed me to look after him concerning the City's claim.
In closing, I commend you to God's protection and remain, after wishes for a long life and desireable administration, together with cordial greetings.
