THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

1
 

Commissioners sent to take possession ot New York, and by this
channel reached the ears of Thomas Willett, Such a conclusion
merely points to an English origin, and does not Indicate the
source from which Sir Joseph Williamson obtained it,"

In John Porey's (Poory's) manuscript description of Plimiouth
Colony, written about 1622, now preserved In the John Carter
Brown Library and recently (1918) printed by Houghton, Mifflin
Co., and edited by Champlin Burrage, on p, 35, in a letter from
Pory to the Lord of Southhampton, occurs the following passage:

"For whenas your Lordshipp knowes, thdr voyage was in¬
tended for Virginia, being by letters from Sir Edwine Sandis and
M' Deputie Ferrar recommended to Sir Yardly, then gouernour,
that he should glue them the best advise he could for trading In
Hudsons river, whether it were by conirarietle of winde, or by the
backwardnes of their maister or pilot, to make (as they thought it)
too long a joumey, they fell short both ot the one and the other,
arriueing first at that statlie harbour called Cape Cod, , . . "—
See Aug,, 1622.

Thomas Dudley, in a letter to the Countess of Lincoln, begun
at Boston on March 11, 1631, but not completed until March iS,

"Concerning the English that are Planted here: I find that
about the Year 1620, Certain English set out trom Leyden in Hol¬
land, Intending thdr Course for Hudson's River,

"These being much Weather beaten and wearied with seeking
the River, after a most tedious Voyage, Arrived at length In 3
small Bay, lying North-East from Cape Cod; where Landing about
the Month of December, by the favour of a calm Winter, such as
was never seen here since, begain to Build their Dwellings in that
place, which now is called New-Plimouth."—Massachusetts or
The First Planters of New-England, The End and Manner of their
cominglhither, and Abode there: In several Epistles (Boston, 1696), 9.

162I

In this year, war was renewed between Spain and the United
Provinces of The Netherlands,

Capt, John Mason, in a letter dated Apr, 2, 1632, endorsed
by Secretary Coke, and probably addressed to him, says: "In y^
yeare of or Lord God 1611 or thereabouts certaine Hollanders were
upon the coast of New England trading w* yc Indians betwixt
Cape Codd and Bay de la Warre, , , , The sayd Hollanders as
Interlopers tell Into y^ middle betwixt the sayd plantaEons and at
their returne of their voyage aforesayd, published a Mapp in y^
Low Countries of y^ sayd sea coaste comprehended betwixt
Virginia and Cape Codd, und' y^ tytle ot New Netherlands, giving
y^ name of y'' Prince of Aurange to y^ countrie and river ot Mana¬
hata, where y^ Dutch are now planted, (wch jayd countrey was
many yeares before discovered by the Englishmen in thdr voy¬
ages to Virginia) and giveing other Dutch names to other places to
y^ Eastward of y^ sayd Manahata river as tart as Cape Codd: all
wch had been formerly discovered and traded into diverse tymes
by seVaU Enghshmen, as may be proved. And S' Samueil Argall
Kn' w'*" many English planters were p'pareing to goe and sitt
downe in bis lott of land upon y*' sayd Manahata river at the same
tyme when the Dutch intruded, w^h caused a Dcmurre in their
pceding untill King James, upon complaint ot my Lord of Arundell
w^-h sr Ferdinando Gorges Kn* and the said Sr Samueil Argall
(formrly Govr of Virginia) and Cap' John Mason) of y^ sayd Dutch
Intmders in An° 1621 had, by his Ma*'" order a Ire to y* Lord
ot Dorchester their Ambassador at y^ Haeue, questioned the
States of y^ Low Countries for that matter,  [Cf. ante, 1620, Sum-

"Wltich y= Lords y'' States by answer (as I take it) ot their am¬
bassador Sir NoweU Catrone did disclayme, disavowing any such
act that was done by their people w'h thdr authority: wch my Lord
of Arundell and I thinke yi= Lord Baltimore (then Secretary of
State) doc remember, and Sr Ferdinando Gorges and Captaine
Mason can witnesse y^ same. Neverthdesse y^ yeare following,
wCh (as I take it) was 1622, the sayd Dutch under a pretended
authority from yS West India Company of Holland, maintayned as
they sayd by commission from y^ said Prince of Aurange did
return to y" foresayd river ot Manahata and made plantation there,
fortifying themsdves there in two severall places, and have built
shipps there, whereof one was sent into Holland of 600 tunnes or
thereabouts. And albeit they were warned by yo Enghsh planta¬
tion at New Plymouth to forbeate trade and not to make any
 

: in those partes, letting them know that they were the   c.1611
of y^ King ot England, yctt nevertheless with proude   —
macious answers (saying they had commission to fight
against such as should disturbe their settlement) they did persist          )

to plant and trade, vilefying o^ Nation to the Indians and extolling
their owne people and countrye of Holland, and have made sundry
good returoes of commodities from thence into Holland; especially
this yeare they have returned (as it is reported) 15000 Beaver
Skynnes, besides other commodities,"—iV, Y.Col. Docs., Ill: 16-17.

A charter is granted by the states-general to the West India Co.,   June
to take effect July 1, and to cover a period of 24 years.   For a     3
transcript of the more important provisions ot this charter,  see
below.  It was deemed necessary on June 10, 1612, and again on
Feb. II, 1623, to amplify the charter respecting the methods of sub¬
scription to the company, and concerning the salt trade.

The oSdal Dutch text ot this charter was printed originally in
1621, as a pamphlet. In the same year, an English translation
appeared, also in pamphlet form. For bibliographical data, see
West India Company, in the Bibliography, Vol, V. The full Dutch
text of the charter, with an English translation by A. J. F, van
Laer, appears in the Van Rensselaer Bowier MSS., trom which,
for purposes ot easy reference, the essential features are here trans¬
cribed in full (translated), as follows:

"The States General of the United Netherlands to all who shall
see these presents or liear them read, greeting. Be it known, that
we, noticing that the prosperity ot this country and the welfare of
its inhabitants consist principally in navigation and trade, which
from time Immemorial has been carried on by this country with
good fortune and great blessing with all countries and kingdoms;
and desiring that the aforesaid inhabitants not only be maintained
in their former navigation, commerce and trade, but also that their
commerce may be increased as much as possible, especially in con¬
formity with the treaties, alfiances, conventions and covenants con¬
cerning commerce and navigation formerly made with other princes,
republics and nations, which we intend shall be punctually kept and
observed m all thdr parts; and finding by experience that without
the common help, aid and means of a general company, no profit¬
able business can be carried on, protected and maintained in the
parts hereafter designated on account ot the great risk from pirates,
extortions and the like, which are incurred on such long and distant
voyages; we, therefore, many other and different pregnant reasons
and considerations also us thereunto moving, after mature deliber¬
ation of Council, and for very pressing causes, have resolved that
the navigation, trade and commerce in the West Indies, Africa,
and other countries hereafter designated, shall henceforth not be
carried on otherwise than with the common united strength of the
merchants and inhabitants of this country and that to this end
there shall be established a general company which, on account ot
our great love for the common weal and in order to conserve
the trade and welfare ot the inhabitants of this country, we will
maintain and strengthen with our help, tavor and assistance, so far
as the present state and condition ot this country will in any way
admit, and for that purpose furnish with a proper charter and
endow with the privileges and exemptions hereafter enumerated, to

"I. That for the period of twenty-tour years no native or In¬
habitant ot this country shall be permitted, except jn the name of
this United Company, from these United Netherlands nor even
from any place outside ot them, to sail to or trade with the coasts
and countries of Africa, from the Tropic ot Cancer to the Cape of
Good Hope; nor to or with the countries of America, or the West
Indies, begiiming at the south end of Terra Nova, through the
Straits of Magellan, te Maire, and other straits and passages situ¬
ated thereabouts, to the Strait of Anjan [Bering Strait], neither on
the North Sea nor on the South Sea, nor to or with any islands
situated on the one side or the other, or between both; nor to or
with the Australian or South Lands, extending and lying between
the two meridians of the Cape ot Good Hope in the east, and of the
east end of New Guinea in the west, inclusive. . . . except only,
that they, who before the date ot this charter shall have sailed
trom these or other countries to any ot the aforesaid coasts, shall
be permitted to continue their trade till they have sold their goods
and come back to this country, or otherwise until the expiration ot
thdr charter ff they have been granted any before this date, and no
longer. Provided that atter the first of July, sixteen hundred and
twenty-one, the day and time of the commencement of this charter.