belongeing to any marchant or marriner either En glish Dutch or other nation admited to be planters or Inhabitants within any of the vnited Colonyes you will nesesitate vs to vindicate the English Rights and to Repaire such damages, by all suitable and Just meanes. Wee shall add noe more, but to preuent mistackes, professe, and desier you will beleue that wee shall neither protect or countenance any vnrighteous course in any of ours to your preivduce nor Impose or any way inovate Either in poynte of Customs, or in the Liberty of our harbours, or otherwise till wee doe or might vnderstand your minde and resolucion in the former particulers The vtmost of our aime being but to remoue what might hinder or slacke the peace and that neighborly corespondencie that wee desier intierly to preserue betwixt the English Colonies and the dutch plantacion in these parts but if you refuse or delay either to retourne an answer or to giue dew and meete Satisfaction in the promises your selfe will hinder the meeteing which wee all desier from which wee may doe and hope we expect reall and Lasting fruite and will not then blame vs if by all iust meanes, wee seasonably provide for our owne safety and Conveniency. Thus desiering you will bee pleased with your first opertunity to returne your minde and answer hearein to Mr. Eaton Gouernor of Newhauen Colony, from whome that our Councells and Cource bee accordingly ordered, we expect the Isew of these our proposalls we tacke Leaue and rest

Your Loueing Friends Plymouth September 16th, 1648.

Mr. William Westerhowse marchant and now a Planter at Newhauen as formerly at Plymouth did now againe deliuer in a petition to the Comissioners informing and complaining against the dutch Gouernor of the Monhatowes that contrary to the tenor

and import of his owne Comission sent to the said Westerhowse at New Hauen and vpon pretence that Newhauen is within the Patent and Jurisdiction of the Dutch hee did iniuriusly seize within Newhauen Harbore a shipe and goods belonging to him the said William Westerhowse to the vallew of 20001. as it cost in Holland and though for Satisfaction hee hath made seuerall addresses vnto the said Dutch Governor yet hetherto hee can obtaine nothing from him; hee therefore desired healpe and Releife from the Vnited English Colonies and as at Newhauen hee had formerly moued that some dutch Vessels then within the Harbore might bee attached or arested to bring his Cause to a further and due triall the which the Governor of Newhauen thought not fitt to graunt. till hee had first aduised with the rest of the Comissioners so now hee propounded and desired that hee might haue Comission from the Vnited Colonies to recover his lose and damnage as hee should find opertunity by way of Reprissall.

All which being duely weighed and considered the Comissioners as formerly so still found just Cause to witnes against the vnjust seizure to the greate lose and damnag of Mr. Westerhowse and iniurius to the English Colonies the shipe beinge taken out of New Haven harbor vpon pretence of the Dutch Title and enterest to and in all the lands, harbors, Riuers, &c. from Cape Henlopen to Cape Cod or point Judeth; yet they thought it not conuenient to graunt Mr. Westerhouse (a straunger, and no planter in Newhauen when the shipe was seised) a Comission of Mart or Reprissall, and though they haue not denied Justice to Strangers by way of atachment or arrest to bring the cause to hearing and iust Tryall, yet thay thought fitt first to signify the Offence to the Dutch Governor and accordingly to bring seuerall other questions and differences depending; They wrote to him as followeth,

HONERED SIR

FROM Plymouth September 1648 wee wrot vnto you largly and in Sundry particulers what might trouble or settle a comfortable and safe peace betwixt vs; youer answere wee Receued long sence from Newhauen but found it in sundry Respects deffective and vnsatisfying, you are alltogether sylent concerning the dangerous Trad of Guns, Powther, Shott, &c. driuen with the Indians at Aurania Forte which is also by som of youers to our great Prejudice carried on and continewed within the English Jurisdictions; Gouert Lockerman hath giuen much offence therein presuming posably that no Indian Testimony how full soeuer will pase and bee taken against him; how farre our marchants are freed from Customs Recognitions &c. inward and outward and whether those burdens bee vtterly abolished or onely suspended for the present you informe not; what Restraints are continewed vppon Trad and in what Cases our marchants lyable to Confiscation of goods you are not pleased to answare; though it bee just and necessary our marchants should know both theire duty and danger; and the Governor of Newhauen did lately desire it from you; We acquainted you with Mr. William Westerhouse his grevance and Complaint with his offer to cleare himself from being either Rebell or fugetive to or from his native Cuntry; in youer answare you refer him to the Justice of Holland. Time doth not yet abate his sence of that lose hee now againe attends and petitions the Comissioners for som way of satisfaction and Redrese and desires libertie to atach or arrest such vessell or vessells of youers as come into any of the harbors belonging vnto the Vnited Colonies that hee may bring his Cawse to a fayre and just hearing and Tryall; in these particulers wher hee is a planter and where his occasions lye; wee denye not Justice to Strangers of any nation yett wee thought it suttable

to the amytie and Corespondence wee desier to hould with youer selfe and the Jurisdiction not to graunt it till wee had acquainted you with his request and the equitie thereof. Wee cannot but assert the English Title and iust Right both to the Newhauen Lands and Harbor and to all the English Plantations and theire apurtenances from Cape Cod or Point Judeth both on the mayne and the Islands which are possessed by the English at present vnder theire Gouernment as anciently graunted by the Kings of England to theire subiects and sence duly purchased from the Indians and peacably planted and imployed by the Inhabitants of the Vnited Colonies respectively and accordingly cannot but witnes against the iniuries and hostile seisure of a shipe made by you in Newhauen harbor vppon an vniust pretence of title and Enterest in the place: wee haue perused the lettres you sent both to the honered Governor of the Massachusetts and of Plymouth with what by way of answare you wrote to the Governor of Newhauen concerning Delaware bay wee haue formerly heard and considered the Right and Title our Confederats of Newhauen haue to sundry tracts or parcells of Land within Delaware bay by you called the south Riuer with the Iniuries thay receued from youer predesseser Mons. Kieft in anno 1643: Mr. Winthorpe Gouernor of the Massachusets and Presedent of the Comissioners wrot the apprehension and sence the Comissioners had of his proceedings and receved his answare but without satisfaction: our frinds of Newhauen will neither encroch vppon youer Limmitts nor any way desturbe youer peace but they may not let fale the English Right and Enterest there.

These with other differences might haue been considered and ether issewed or prepared for Europe had you been pleased to haue giuen vs a meeting at Boston as was propounded and desired but that not suting your conueniency wee shall bee constreyned to proDd

vid for our owne safty and first finding the Trad of guns, powther and shott with the Indians soe mischeueous to vs all and yet so hard to bee discouered and proued wee must nessesarily wright after youer Coppy and forthwith forbid all Trad direct or indirect with any of the Indians within the limitts of any of the Vnited Colonies vnder the Penalty of Confiscation of vessels and Goods if thay be there found so trading or after proued to haue transgressed and offended therin, to all persons but such as are Inhabitants within the said English Jurisdictions and subiect to theire lawes and Gouernment; Wee shall add no more at present But againe desier youer answare may be returned to the Gouernor of Newhauen that from him the rest of the Comissioners may vnderstand youer mind in the premisses soo wee take leaue and rest youer loueing frinds.

Boston August the sixt 1649 Stile Angl.

The 13th. present the Dutch Gouernor being arived two Daies before vpon a Desire (as hee expressed) to treat with the Comissioners presented the following writinge..

HONORED SIRS,

SIX Considerations, concerning the publick welfare haue moued to vndertake (this to mee) troublesom Journey to meete youer Worshipps heere and alsoe two particulares the one conserning myselfe the other one of the Inhabitants, which I haue thought convenient to propose in Writing that all Inconveniencies by uerball speaking either out of hastinesse or otherwise may be prevented; but principally that I may giuè account to my Souereignes the High and Mighty States Generall of the Vnited Belgick Provences and the Honourable Lords Bewint-hebbers of the West India Companie.