no profit to him, but to the people to whom Arie was indebted.
Differences arose between them as to the land and labor, and it was
therefore proposed to divide it, and separate; but, as has been before
mentioned, they had begun to clear off a part of it, and they could
not agree which should have the cleared land, where he had bestowed so
much labor. Great bitterness sprang out of it, when the mother and
friends interposed, and settled the difficulty as well as they could.
Theunis obtained the cleared land on condition he should make some
indemnity to the other; and a part of the land, where he had worked
like a mole, and bought and paid for, should be given up by him. He
had a very large and beautiful canoe, which was worth much to him, and
had been very serviceable to him; this was entirely dashed to pieces
by a northwest storm, as Sapocanikke, where he resided and the canoe
lay, makes with this wind a flat lee shore. Although his neighbors
could have prevented the breaking of the canoe, if they had done as
they ought to have done, they had not at least attempted to prevent
it. He had a fine large negro, a slave, whom he had long possessed,
and taught to work and speak good Dutch; who had done him great
service, and he had much love for him. The negro was riding on
horseback, when the horse ran away with him, and he fell and was
injured internally in the breast. He became sick, supposing it was a
cold, and died in a few days. This event caused great sorrow to him,
his wife, and his whole family, as also to all his friends; for it was
a severe blow and damage to him. He was once working in the field, and
his wife was called to help one of the cows which was sick and in a
bad condition. This happened eight or ten times at night as well as in
the day, whereby he and his wife had no rest night or day. He was on
one occasion attending her, when word came to them that one of their
little daughters had fallen dead in the barn, and indeed they knew no
better, for she lay in a swoon as if dead; at which they were all much
frightened and out of their senses. Thus he had one blow after
another. The child, who was about nine or ten years old, came to, when
they thought her arm was broken, or at least her shoulder out of
joint, for she had fallen from a great height. She was brought in that
condition to her grandmother's, at our lodgings, to be cured, which
was effected after some time. He has also had several mishaps in the
woods