[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] 17. Did he copy the aforesaid petition from another's draft, or did he draw it up himself; was it conceived by himself, or did he, in accordance with his duty, first submit the draft to the Director before it was signed? 18. For what reason, and by whose authority did he, the Secretary, insert the words — "the whole of the Commonalty or free people and by their order" — in the petition, when he, indeed, well knew that no person either without, or on, the Manhatans had any knowledge of it except Director Kieft, he, the Secretary, and those three petitioners; also, that he should have considered that an affair of such importance, so productive of heavy loss to the Hon'''' Company and the inhabitants in this country, ought not to have been undertaken on the simple representation of those three men. 19. Was not he, the Secretary, sent by Mr. Kieft, on the 24th February, in the year 1643, with one Corporal Hans Steen, over to Pavonia, to the Indians who lay near Jan Evertsen Bout's bouwery ? 20. For what purpose and with what instructions did they go there? 200 NEW-YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS, 21. Did they faithfully report at that time to Mr. Keift, how many different tribes of Indians were then together there; and can he enumerate them ? 22. Did not these Indians fly thither through dread of the Maykanders, who were at that time their enemies, in the hope of being protected by our people? 23. Is it not true, that a troop of armed soldiers were sent by order of Mr.