ching, which she
therefore much attended upon and loved, but which never satisfied her,
as she felt a want and yearning after something more. She was so
pleased at our being near her, and lodged at her house, she could not
abstain from frequently declaring so, receiving all that we said to
her with gratitude, desiring always to be near us; and following the
example of her husband, she corrected many things, with the hope and
promise of persevering if the Lord would be pleased so to give her
grace. We were indeed comforted with these two persons, who have done
much for us out of sincere love. The Lord pities them, and will keep
His promise to this house.

Margaret Hermans possesses a good disposition, although a little wild,
according to the nature of the country. She complained that she was
like a wild and desolate vine, trained up in a wild and desolate
country; that she had always felt an inclination to know more of God
quietly, and to serve Him, hoping the Lord would be merciful to her.
She treated us with great affection, and received thankfully and
acceptably what we said to her. We did not see her on our return, as
she had gone to attend upon her father; and we therefore have not
conversed much with her. The Lord will do with her as it pleases Him.

As to Mr. Pieter Aldrix he is a man of Groningen. He came to this
country in the year '63 or '64, for the Lord Burgomasters of
Amsterdam, as chief of their cargoes and storehouse in respect of the
trade with the Indians, and thus was at the head of their office on
the South River. Whether he had been in this country before or not, I
do not know.[267] He did not occupy his place long, for the English
shortly afterwards took the country and deprived him of all he had;
yet he has remained here, gaining his livelihood by various means as
well as he can, and seems to have gradually succeeded. He had a ketch
made for the purpose of trading to the [West India] Islands, and
elsewhere. He has a large family of children, and others. He sought to
render us as much service as he could, but for the things of grace he
is not inclined. He is a mundane, but is not vicious. The Lord can use
him as it pleases Him.

[Footnote 267: Peter Alrichs came over in 1657.]

These are the persons at Newcastle with whom we have some
acquaintance, and such the hope they have given us. We have promised
them to continue it, and write to them, and send them such books as we
might deem necessary fo