to ascertain whether our journey to the
South River would soon be undertaken; for although this opportunity
would suit us very well and we should not miss it, nevertheless the
best time was passing by, and the winter was close at hand. There was
a horse offered us elsewhere, which had to be taken to the South
River; and a yacht also was ready to sail there. The time, therefore,
was to be looked to; and we went again to Ephraim, who assured us that
he would not delay it longer than the ensuing Thursday. But we heard
that Domine Tessemaker was going with him, by which we were entrapped,
for it was one of the reasons why we did not leave with de La Grange,
who had now been gone fourteen days, that he always told us Domine
Tessemaker and some other persons would accompany him. However, as the
Lord had thus ordered it, we were glad to submit to His will, who
always knows why He does thus and so.

Nothing worth mention happened between this and Thursday. Meanwhile,
however, Domine Tessemaker had abandoned the journey with Ephraim, and
resolved to proceed by sea in the yacht or boat, in which he sailed
the next day. Whether he had some special reasons for going by water
we do not know, although we guessed so. Ephraim had ordered a shallop
or yacht, which was to land us at the Rarytans, and was to be ready,
he said, Thursday evening or Friday morning without fail, but of that
he would give us timely notice. We, therefore, remained at home until
Friday morning, the

_10th_, when, as we did not see him, we went to ascertain the cause
and why the journey was not begun. He said it was not his fault, but
that his wife could not leave her mother so soon, and he had given her
time until next Monday, and had, therefore, let the sloop make a trip.
This did not please us very much, for our time was fast running away,
and we were able to accomplish nothing. We bethought ourselves,
therefore, whether we could not make some progress, and as our Jacques
[Cortelyou], had promised to show us the laws of the country, we
determined to go and see whether we could not finish what we had to do
therein before our departure. We both left about noon to go over to
Long Island, and passed through Breukelen and the Vlacke Bos, over
Nieu Uytrecht[182] on large, fine wagon roads to Najack, where we
arrived about three o'clock. It had been very warm during the day, and
we were all in a perspiration and fatigued. Jaques's wife bade us
welcome, but he hims