May Ao. 1643 [more] in consequence
of the importunity of some than because it was generally expected that
it would be durable.

The Indians kept still after this peace, associating daily with our
people; yea, even the greatest chiefs came to visit the Director.
Meanwhile Pachem, a crafty man, ran through all the villages urging the
Indians to a general massacre. To this was added moreoever that certain
Indians called Wappingers, dwelling sixteen leagues up the river, with
whom we never had any the least trouble, seized on a boat coming from
Fort Orange wherein were only two men, and full four hundred beavers.
This great booty stimulated(1) others to join them, so that they seized
two boats more, intending to overhaul the fourth also, from which they
were driven off with the loss of six Indians. Nine Christians including
two women were murdered in these captured barks, one woman and two
children remaining prisoners. The other Indians, so soon as their maize
was ripe, were likewise roused, and through semblance of selling beavers
killed an old man and an old woman, leaving another man with five
wounds, who however fled to the fort in a boat with a little child on
his arm, who in the first outbreak had lost father and mother, and now
grandfather and grandmother, being thus twice through God's merciful
blessing rescued from the hands of the Indians, before it was two years
old. Nothing was now heard but murders, most of which were committed
under pretence of coming to put the Christians on their guard.

(1) "Note M. Their acknowledgement made before the English
16 January, 1643, English style."

Finally they took the field and attacked the farms at Pavonia. There
were here at the time two ships of war and a privateer who saved
considerable cattle and grain. Nevertheless it was not possible to
prevent the destruction of four farms on Pavonia, which were burnt, not
by open force, but by stealthily creeping through the brush with fire in
hand, thus igniting the roofs which are all either of reed or straw; one
covered with plan was saved at that time.

The commonalty were called together; they were sore distressed. They
chose eight, in the stead of the previous twelve(1), persons to aid in
consulting for the best; but the occupation every one had to take
care of his own, prevented anything beneficial being adopted at that
time--nevertheless it was resolved that as many Englishmen as were to be
got in the country