Documents Relative to the Colonial History of New York, Vol. I — Passage 174
[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] with difficulty, tolerate them on account of the cold. And this circumstance renders them very pleasant for the service of man and beast, by whom they can be used without danger; for should any one drink thereof, it does him no harm, even though it be very warm weather. This much being stated regarding the New Netherund property, couveuience, goodncss and fertility of this province, in which respects it lactmE^opl""'' need not yield, as far as our limited experience extends, to any province in New Netherland Europc; and as relates to trade, wherein Europe, and especially Netherland, uad"!" '""*^ '" excels, this province not only lies very convenient and suitable for it, but were there only population, would be found to have exported more commodities by New Netherland aud of itself to Other countries than it need to import from elsewhere. These bi'e''h''e'reYner''io"''ihe being Considered, 'twill be very little labor for the intelligent to estimate and to eran nation, ^^^p^^^ exactly what importance this naturally noble province is to the Netherland nation, what service it might hereafter be to it, and what a refuge it would be for all the needy in Netherland, as well of high and middle as of low degree, for it is much easier for people of industry to obtain a living here than in Netherland.