[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] amount to between 40 and 50, and had they been all preserved, might have been doubled at this day, and the cattle quadrupled, so that a considerable tenth would yearly accrue to the Hon"^ Company, and ourselves obtain annually overflowing returns of produce, with which not only the Hon"' Company's ships — yea, were the whole fleet to amount 30 to 40 in number — but also the Islands in the West Indies and the Brazil, could be supplied with grain, flour, peas, pork, beef and other necessaries, which now must be had from the English at the North at a great expense., 4. That relative to princely power is questioned. Thereunto we say, that Mr. Arent van Curler verbally communicated that information to us as worthy of belief; and that the aforesaid Curler declared, at the house of the Minister, Everhardus Bogardus, in the presence of Captain de Vries, that he had heard Mons"' de la Montaigne complain in the tavern to Martin Krygier, that Mr. Kieft's power in this country was greater and more extensive, as regards his commission, than was that of his Highness of Orange in the Netherlands; and thougii, through lapse of time, it being some years ago, it has slipped our memory who were the others present when this argument occurred, yet we think that he named, among the rest, Willem de Key, Jan Jansen Daem, who also should have heard it. Therefore, we respectfully request your Honors to be pleased to take the trouble to examine the Minister aforesaid.