s sufficiently known from himself that he is
not pleased, and is opposed to the administration. Brian Newton,(2)
lieutenant of the soldiers, is the next. This man is afraid of the
Director, and regards him as his benefactor. Besides being very simple
and inexperienced in law, he does not understand our Dutch language, so
that he is scarcely capable of refuting the long written opinions,
but must and will say yes. Sometimes the commissary, Adrian Keyser, is
admitted into the council, who came here as secretary. This man has not
forgotten much law, but says that he lets God's water run over God's
field. He cannot and dares not say anything, for so much can be said
against him that it is best that he should be silent. The captains of
the ships, when they are ashore, have a vote in the Council; as Ielmer
Thomassen, and Paulus Lenaertson,(3) who was made equipment-master upon
his first arrival, and who has always had a seat in the council, but is
still a free man. What knowledge these people, who all their lives sail
on the sea, and are brought up to ship-work, have of law matters and of
farmers' disputes any intelligent man can imagine. Besides, the Director
himself considers them so guilty that they dare not accuse others, as
will appear from this passage at Curacao, before the Director ever saw
New Netherland. As they were discoursing about the price of carracks,
the Director said to the minister and others, "Domine Johannes,(4) I
thought that I had brought honest ship-masters with me, but I find
that I have brought a set of thieves"; and this was repeated to these
councillors, especially to the equipment-master, for Captain Ielmer was
most of the time at sea. They have let it pass unnoticed--a proof that
they were guilty. But they have not fared badly; for though Paulus
Lenaertssen has small wages, he has built a better dwelling-house here
than anybody else. How this has happened is mysterious to us; for though
the Director has knowledge of these matters, he nevertheless keeps quiet
when Paulus Lenaertssen begins to make objections, which he does not
easily do for any one else, which causes suspicion in the minds of
many. There remains to complete this court-bench, the secretary and the
fiscaal, Hendrick van Dyck,(5) who had previously been an ensign-bearer.
Director Stuyvesant has kept him twenty-nine months out of the meetings
of the council, for the reason among others which His Honor assigned,
that he cannot keep secre