so, or if we had
been informed that it was customary, or had ever been done; and it
therefore surprised us that they complained and charged us with
neglect of duty, or found fault with us, or wished to convict us of a
matter where there was no law, obligation, custom, or even precedent;
that this treatment struck us as very strange, since there were
several foreigners who had come over in the ship with us, from whom
they had not required what they required of us. "You know well," he
said, "it is the custom in Europe." We replied, "it was not so in any
of the United Provinces or any other places except upon the
frontiers." "Well," he continued, "we are no frontier, but a capital,
and it must and shall be so in the future." He then inquired after our
names, trade or profession, and place of residence in Fatherland, all
of which we told him, namely, that my comrade was a theologian, and
had studied at Leyden;[289] that I was a wine-racker, and that we both
lived near Leeuwarden, in Friesland. He asked further what we came
there to do, or what was our purpose or intention. We told him it was
to look at the country. "How, look at the country?" he asked: "some
come here to look at the cities, others at the fortifications; some to
learn the mode of government and policy, others the manner of
regulating the militia; others again to learn the climate, and times,
and seasons, and you run and travel through the country without giving
us any notice why." We replied, we had come here and travelled through
the country in order to make ourselves acquainted generally with the
nature and fertility of the soil, as was convenient, or we might
perhaps go around mornings and evenings. He inquired further of us how
we wished to be regarded in the future, whether as citizens or
foreigners. We answered, as foreigners. "Well then," he proceeded,
"you are forbidden to carry on trade, particularly with the
inhabitants, that is, to sell anything to private persons, but you
may dispose of it to merchants who sell to private individuals." He
said the privilege, or burgher right cost ---- beavers,[290] each
beaver reckoned at five guilders in Holland money, or twenty-five
guilders in _zeewan_, and was prohibited to all persons who reside out
of the city; and as we resided out of the city, we must be treated
like others. We replied to this, we would cheerfully obey the law. We
were also told to travel nowhere, particularly to Albany, without
special