Petrus Stuyvesant, on behalf of the honorable high and mighty lords states general of the United Netherlands, together with the lords directors of the chartered West India Company, director general of New Netherland, Curasao, etc. give notice to you, Johan Risingh, as he styles himself, the former director on behalf of his highly-esteemed majesty of Sweden and the South Company in New Sweden.
That, besides the houses in the fortress Cristina, your honor has included some effects or materials in the inventory that were not placed in our hands but [ have been left in Fort Christina; therefore we hereby inform your honor and protest against being held to ] the restitution of [ any more effects or ] materials, than we have really received and signed for; for besides that we presented your honor with the fortress Christina (out of respect for the already old confederation and union between the most highly regarded crown of Sweden and their highly regarded high mightinesses), without the same having been damaged in any way or reduced by cannons. To this end also, before your honor left the same, we placed the keys in your hand; nevertheless, your honor left and abandoned it in an inappropriate manner, unguarded and unoccupied. Therefore, the damage suffered by the interested parties, are to be charged to you. Still, we shall, as much as possible, place it under the supervision of our forces and garrisons in the same river, for as much and as long as the most highly regarded crown of Sweden and the highly regarded high mightinesses shall agree to and otherwise jointly advise us about.
Secondly, we make known to your honor how your honor, coming ashore last Sunday in an intemperate manner, did injury to us in our official positions with various threats to prosecute us about everything, accusing us of infractions of the concluded capitulation because we are not accommodating and entertaining your honor and his entourage to your honor’s satisfaction, which your honor will not be able to demonstrate by the capitulation [ that we owe your honor and entourage any entertainment in any manner, but only a passport and free ] transportation to some [ part of Europe, for which ] purpose your honor and his companions [ were lodged ] upon the most admirable ship de Waagh and decent board was provided [ with the captain until the ] merchant ships, lying ready, [ should receive your honor and his baggage. From this ship your honor and his companions came ashore voluntarily [and we do not see that ] we are bound to any further [ entertainment ] by virtue of the capitulation, except by custom of courtesy and [ regard ] for your honor’s rank. I have therefore repeatedly offered to your honor [ in the ] presence of respected and reputable people the accommodations and board of my lodgings [ and ] modest circumstances. Your honor not [ appearing ] satisfied with this, I have quartered your honor elsewhere, by persuasion of others, in one of the most prominent private houses of this city, where your honor, in an intemperate manner, by threats of coming back to overrun these places and with other violent words and actions, harassed the honest people of this house in such a manner that for the sake of peace and quiet they abandoned their own lodgings for the time being. About which your honor’s usual threats, made both before and now, in an intemperate manner, against us and against this province and city in particular, should give us just reasons and cause, are, after produced proofs of honest and trustworthy persons, to bring your honor to the appropriate form of responsibility and justice, which only was done out of respect for the most highly regarded crown and your honor’s relationship thereto, and this only shows that reports of your honor’s threats have reached the ears of the skippers and fellow passengers (with whom your honor and soldiers are to leave according to the capitulation), and have made them circumspect and concerned to take on board your honor with his entourage and soldiers in such large numbers, without proper security for their ship and [ cargo, indeed for fear of being troubled they are unwilling to land your honor, agreeable to the secret and separate capitulation, made without the knowledge of your troops, in England or France, unless ] they meet by accident an English or French ship in the channel or near the headlands. Whereof we have deemed it necessary to inform your honor in timely manner through our secretary and the below named witnesses, so that your honor has not us but only his own intemperate threats to blame, in case our order concerning the separate capitulation should not be enforced. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, ady ut supra. (Was signed:) P. Stuyvesant.[1]
