Document: Order to ensign Smith to proceed with soldiers to the South river and report on state of affairs there

The director general and councilors of New Netherland, having to date received no answer to their express letters dispatched to Vice Director Jacquet in the South River on the 12th of this month; and not being able to satisfy themselves concerning the the long delay of the Swedish ship Mercurius, not knowing the cause of its delay there or why it has not arrived here; in addition, many conflicting reports have been coming in, some saying that they have heard from the Indians that there has arisen some mishap between our people and the aforesaid Swedes or Indians in the South River. Whereas the director general and councilors, upon further deliberation and consideration, finding the welfare of the aforesaid South River and the departure of the aforesaid Swedish ship Mercurius with everyone on board to be of great concern to the country’s welfare and the special interests of the honorable Company, have deemed it advisable, in order to have accurate and true intelligence of the situation there, to order and to send the ensign Smith overland with 12 to 16 armed men with orders to report by Indian or other means as soon as possible from the aforesaid river whether the ship Mercurius has departed or not, and how other business of the Company is proceeding there; with the additional order that the ensign return to this place with his men as soon as possible, according to the instructions issued to the ensign. Ady ut supra. (Was signed:) P. Stuyvesant, Nicasius de Sille, La Montagne, C. van Tienhoven. 28 April 1656.