Document: Minute of council

[ 27th of January ] [1]

[ At the meeting of the honorable high council, his honor the director general being absent, held at Fort Amsterdam, ][ Fiscal Cornelis van ] Thienhoven [ reported ] that he [ had been informed on Friday ] the 22d of January that George Baxter coming from New England had crossed the East River on the ice at the White Stone and arrived at his residence at Gravesande on Long Island; and that he, the fiscal, was informed by a schepen of Breuckelen and other reliable people that it was certain that the English had returned victorious from Canada to Boston in New England; in addition, the lord protector of England had given the general of the English and the colony in New England a patent and commission to take Long Island from the Dutch nolens volens, and to bring it under their jurisdiction; also that this was to happen in May at the latest. Although there is no doubt that this report was fabricated and contrived by some people unfavorably disposed to the Dutch nation, [ especially because ] neither the honorable lords, our gracious sovereigns, nor those of the colony of New England have given us slightest knowledge of it at the conclusion of the recent peace between our respective superiors. Nevertheless, the fiscal declared that it was his duty to inform the high council of it so that the truth of the matter might in time be ascertained and such orders issued as deemed necessary to prevent such designs. The high council having heard the report of the fiscal, have resolved that the matter shall be investigated as much as possible; that presently because all the rivers are frozen, the ground and roads are full of snow, and therefore it is hardly possible to travel anywhere by water or land to gather intelligence about English designs. However, as soon as the water is free of ice [ and the land of snow, some members of the council with one of the magistrates of the city shall go to Long Island where else it may be necessary to ] inquire [ civilly and secretly into the matter, using as a pretext a visit to ] Oyster Bay within the boundaries of New Netherland to order the withdrawal from this jurisdiction, [ the Englishmen who have settle there during the troubles ] of last year, [ and in case of ] refusal to protest against them [ in due form. ] Thus resolved the 19th of January 1655, and confirmed the 27th of the same in New Amsterdam in New Netherland.