[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] ploughing, and the winter was employed preparing new lands. The English colonies had settled under us by patent on equal terms with the others. Each of these was in appearance not less than one hundred families strong, exclusive of the Colonie of Rensselaerswyck, which is prospering, with that of Myndert Meyndertsz and Cornells Melyn, who began first. Also the Village of N. Amsterdam around the fort, one hundred families, so that there was appearance of producing supplies in a year for fourteen thousand souls, without straightening the country, and had there not been a want of laborers or farm servants, twice as much could be raised, considering that fifty lasts of rye and fifty lasts of peas were still remaining around the fort, after a large quantity had been burnt and destroyed by the Indians, who in a short time quickly brought this country to nought and had well nigh destroyed this bright hope, in the manner following. The Causes and Consequence of the New Netherland War. We have already stated that the Liberty to trade with the Indians was the cause of the increase of population in N. Netherland. We shall now show that it also is the cause of Its 182 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS, ruin; producing two opposite effects, and that not without reason as will appear from what follows. This Liberty, then, which in every respect was most gratefully received; which should have been used like a precious gift, was very soon perverted to a great abuse. For every one