Copy
8 September
Honorable, Wise, Prudent and Very Discreet Gentlemen, the Honorable Director General and High Councilors of New Netherland, Greetings.
Your Honors. We hear here daily strange reports from Heemstede, Nieu Tuyn [1] and elsewhere to the effect, that the Indians intend to pick out the Dutch from among the English in order to destroy them, demanding of the English at Gravesande, that they should separate from us so that they might not be in the same danger of life and property. Also, last night, when we were all under arms, a letter was read to us to the same effect, of which we send herewith a copy to your honors, and we have a great many other reports too long to relate, but all tending to make us depart from here, as we have been publicly admonished by Tilton and the magistrates, that it would be best for us and the preservation of our lives, if we separated from them and moved to the Manhatans by which means, so they claim, the English would also remain safe; if we would not remove, they would nevertheless do their best for us. We think this a poor consolation, if the Indians should come. It is also reported, that the Indians of the north and of the neighboring places are making great preparations to carry out their plans quickly, so that they urgently request, we should separate from them to save our lives and that as speedily as possible. These incessant solicitations have made us perplexed and surprised, as we do not know what to do and what not to do or to whom we should turn, except, after God Almighty, to your honors, who, we trust, will assist us with their wisdom and power, as the present emergency requires it, since, as it already seems, the water is almost up to our lips. But if we do leave here, Long Island would be entirely bereft of Dutch people. Then they would claim that it is theirs. How the matter will play itself out, we are unable to comprehend, for they are running back and forth among one another day and night, on foot and on horseback, by which your honors can in your wisdom conceive what we may have to expect. Yesterday Tilton and the schout of Nieu Tuyn came, today they went away again together. If your honors are resolved to save Long Island and us, a reasonable force could do much or enough here, but if your honors wished to have us at the fort, then we will be unable to feed ourselves with our wives and children. It would then be necessary, to send a well-armed vessel to Antony Jansen’s place, in order to take aboard as much provisions and other things as possible; we shall leave to your honors’ wisdom and discretion; a matter, which we trust will thereby be looked after for our best, and we expect your honors’ advice and orders, according to which we shall govern ourselves. In the meanwhile we are and remain your most esteemed honors’ subjects. (Was signed:) Jacobus van Curler, Jan Tomassen, Huybert Jansen Stoock, Jacob Hellakas, Luycas Van der Liphorst, Barent Baltes, X the mark of Hendrick Cornelissen, [ lost ] the mark of Jan Jacobsen, X the mark of Willem Willemsen, the mark X of Cornelis Beeckman. (Dated:)
Gravesande, adi ut supra. 3[ ] September 1655.
