lates among themselves, and they pay
each other in wares, in which they are constantly cheating and
defrauding each other. Although it is forbidden to sell the drink to
the Indians, yet every one does it, and so much the more earnestly,
and with so much greater and burning avarice, that it is done in
secret. To this extent and further, reaches the damnable and
insatiable covetousness of most of those who here call themselves
Christians. Truly, our hearts grieved when we heard of these things,
which call so grievously upon the Supreme Judge for vengeance. He will
not always let His name be so profaned and exposed to reproach and
execration.

We asked Jasper why he had given away his hooks and stockings. He
said, it was a custom among them, for the lesser to give to the
greater. We replied the _sackemaker_ was richer than he, and he
should, therefore, have kept them. "No," he said, "I did it as a mark
of respect and obedience." We gave him four more fish-hooks, and told
him he must take care of them for himself. "I will bring you fish as
soon as I catch any," he said as he went away, promising also that he
would get drunk no more.

From this time until the 22d of October, nothing special took place,
except that we spoke to one Ephraim, a young trader, who was just
married here, and who intended to go with his wife to the South River,
where he usually dwelt, for which purpose he was only waiting for
horses and men from there.[162] He tendered us his services and his
horses, if we would accompany him, and offered to carry us in his own
boat everywhere on that river, from the falls [of the Delaware], to
which we should have to travel by land, and where the boat would be
waiting for him to take him down the river; since he himself would
have to touch at many places on the river, in going down. As Bouman,
who was going there with horses, did not make his appearance, we
accepted the offer with thankfulness, waiting only for the time.

[Footnote 162: Ephraim Herrman, eldest son of Augustine Herrman of
Bohemia Manor, had on September 3, 1679, six weeks before this date,
married Elizabeth Rodenburg, daughter of Lucas Rodenburg, formerly
vice-director of Curacao. South River is the Delaware.]

_24th, Tuesday._ Margaret's ship in which we arrived here, being ready
to leave, but she not going in it, as it was said, we set about
writing letters, which we might give to our Robyn, and finished them
to-day, and also the copying of m