Document: Ordinance against boarding ships arriving at New Amsterdam before the same are entered

Whereas the director general and council have certain information and knowledge that, notwithstanding the former order and prohibition issued in the time of the honorable director general Kieft,[1] some inhabitants attempt with skiffs, boats, canoes and other craft, to go on board of ships and yachts arriving from fatherland and elsewhere, before such ships, yachts and barks come to anchor before this city New Amsterdam, according to order, as a result many frauds and much smuggling can arise and have heretofore arisen; [ therefore ] in order to prevent the same the director and council do order that pursuant to a previous resolution no one, of whatever capacity he may be, shall go with any skiff, boat, canoe or other craft to board any arriving ships, or come ashore with any boat from such ships or yachts, before and until such arriving ships, yachts or barks have anchored before this city New Amsterdam, and have reported to the director general and council from where they are coming and under what commission, on pain of forfeiting such skiff, boat or canoe and two pounds Flemish to be paid for each person who shall be found to have acted against this [ order ], and if hereafter it may be discovered that such persons, yachts or canoes have conveyed any goods, packages or parcels to or from such vessels, they shall, in addition to the foregoing fine, be arbitrarily punished according to the circumstances of the case.

Thus done in the council of the director general and council of New Netherland, the 27th of June 1652.[2]