[E.B. O'Callaghan (ed.) (1856)] To the High Constable or Marshal impowered to serve; also to the Notary or such other person whether public or private, as shall be hereunto required, Greeting: Be it Known: That we have received the petition of Jonckheer Henrick van der Capellen tho Ryssel, Lord of Esselt and Hasseltand ordinary deputy in our Assembly from the principality Gebre and County of Zutphen, setting forth in substance, that he had, in the year XVl'^ fifty, with God's help, and pursuant to the charter and amplification thereof granted to the stockholders of the West India Company, undertaken to settle a Colonic on Staten Island, in New Netherland; that he had thereunto, engaged seven farmers with a superintendent and carpenter, now deceased, with women, children and servants in number exceeding twenty, but by him augmented to seventy persons; and that he was advised by Patroons and Merchants to purchase a ship for that purpose with an offer to take one-half interest thereof, which a worthy merchant at Amsterdam, named Gerrit van den Voorde and partners did; having thus purchased one-half the ship called the Ni(uw Nelherlandsche Forluyn, according to the deed of sale executed before the Burgomasters and Regents of the city of Amsterdam, dated the eighteenth May XVI' and fifty; which being equipped, the said farmers were sent over with their farming implements and some goods, to be sold and used there for their support; this vessel having arrived in New Netherland after a difficult voyage was confiscated, together with its cargo, by Petrus Stuyvesant the Director of that quarter, on a pretended judgment of the two and twentieth of April XVP one and fifty, under pretext of some fraud said to have been committed, though denied by Cornells Melyn, who went over in said ship and was found to have complained to us of the exorbitant government of said Director, and on that account, esteemed his greatest enemy.