Instructions of the honorable lord director general and councilors of New Netherland given to Capt. Adriaen Post.
Whereas Capt. Adriaen Post brought over 13 to 14 of our prisoners yesterday who were delivered into his hands by Sackmaa Pennekech, for the following reasons that he was demonstrating his good faith and affection to the director general and would await again the director general’s good faith and favor in some powder and lead. Whereupon the aforesaid Capt. Post is authorized and instructed to cross over again and to respond to the aforesaid sachem on our behalf and to say that we thank Pennekech and the other sachems, who are with him, for their good faith and affection that they have demonstrated by returning the prisoners who were in his hands, and that we offer and send to him as a token of our good faith and affection two Indian prisoners, whom, although they are not of his people, but rather the one being a Wappingh[1] and the other from Esopus, or Waerinnewangh, he, Pennekech, is to accept as a token of our good faith and affection in order to repatriate each with his own people and nation, and to do his best to see that we get back the captured Dutch or Swanekes [2] who are among them or among the other sachems.
Second, he shall say to Pennekech that it is neither our custom to give anything for prisoners nor to accept anything for prisoners, but to return them with the goodness of the heart, as we hereby do with both of these prisoners, and expect the same from them; however, that it is better and customary by us to give something to the poor prisoners who have suffered much cold and discomfort and injury, so that they harbor no ill will, as we have done to their prisoners. It was for this reason that we sent no powder or lead for the prisoners released by Pennekech yesterday, but send only a little to the chief Pennekech and the other chiefs in token of our good faith, and that only so that they do their best with the other sachems to gain the release of the other prisoners, and that he is to tell where the other prisoners are and when they are to return.
However, when our other prisoners have been returned, we shall then be inclined as a token of our affection to give the sachems some powder and lead, as we shall then expect them to demonstrate their good faith and affection by gifts when we return our prisoners.
Whereas many false stories are carried back and forth by Dutchmen, who cross over without being sent by us, he is to tell Pennekech and the other chiefs that we have forbidden anyone of our village to cross over as long as the truce is in effect, except for Capt. Post or those who carry this token [ ] made by the director general’s hand, and that he is not to believe the others.
Fourth, he is to say to Penekech that we also have forbidden that any people be at the shore when he sends over envoys except for those sent by us, and when he sends envoys that he not send any bad people or ragamuffins but rather sachems or chiefs in whom the director general may have faith, and that they shall have freedom to come and go. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, ady ut supra, the 18th of October 1655.
