place where we were taking our leave, the uncle of Wouter
had come, who commenced saying in very good Dutch: "Well, gentlemen, I
understand Wouter is going to Holland with you." We answered, we did
not know it, nor had we thought of it, but nevertheless our hearts
were good and tender enough to help him, both body and soul, in
whatever the Lord had wrought in him, or should work in him, as far as
we could, which we considered to be our duty, and not only our duty,
but the duty of all Christians. If he wished to go to Holland, we
would not prevent him, because any person who is free may go there if
he chooses; and if he wished to go with us in the same ship in which
we should go over, he was free and might act his mind; yes, if he
wished to be in our company we should not be able to hinder him, and
while he was free no one could prevent him, or ought to, but on the
other hand should aid him; especially as all who bore the name of
Christians ought to assist in bringing to Christ any one who hungered
and thirsted after him as Wouter did. "Well," he asked, without any
feeling, "what trade would you teach him?" "Whatever God wished," we
answered. "And if he should be taken by the Turks," he continued, "who
would be his security, and who would redeem him?" "Well," we asked,
"if we were taken by the Turks who would be our security and redeem
us? God gives no security and makes no agreement. Whoever wishes to be
a Christian must believe and trust in Him, and follow Him in faith,
and so must you, and I, and every one, who wishes to be a Christian."
Some hard words passed also between Robert Sanders and him, about
something relating to himself, namely, that Sanders had said the uncle
only sought to keep Wouter on account of the profit to him. As the
time called us to depart, we took our leave and left him standing
there abashed. Having mounted our horses and entered the wagon, we
rode from there about ten o'clock, over a smooth sandy road, and
arrived at half-past three at Albany, or Fort Orange, where Sanders's
wife was glad to see us, and where we were well received by his whole
family.

This Schoonechtendeel is situated, as we have said, twenty-four miles
west of Fort Albany, toward the country of the Mohawks, upon a good
flat, high enough to be free from the overflowing of the water of the
river, which sometimes overflows their cultivated lands which lie much
lower. Their cultivated lands are not what they call in that count