advance. We are not able to think of all the practices which
are contrived for advancing individual and private gain. Little
attention is given to populating the land. The people, moreover,
have been driven away by harsh and unreasonable proceedings,
for which their Honors gave the orders; for the Managers wrote
to Director Kieft to prosecute when there was no offence, and
to consider a partial offence an entire one, and so forth. It
has also been seen how the letters of the Eight Men were
treated, and what followed thereupon;<2> besides there were
many ruinous orders and instructions which are not known to us.
But leaving this at present, with now and then a word, at a
convenient point, let us proceed to examine how their officers
and Directors have conducted themselves from time to time,
having played with the managers as well as with the people, as
a cat does with a mouse. It would be possible to relate their
management from the beginning, but as most of us were not here
then and therefore not eye-witnesses, and as a long time has
passed whereby it has partly escaped recollection, and as in
our view it was not so bad then as afterwards when the land
was made free and freemen began to increase, we will pass by
the beginning and let Mr. Lubbert van Dincklaghen, Vice Director
of New Netherland, describe the government of Director Wouter
van Twiller of which he is known to have information, and will
only speak of the last two sad and dire confusions (we would
say governments if we could) under Director Kieft, who is now
no more, but the evil of it lives after him; and of that
under Director Stuyvesant which still stands, if indeed that
may be called standing which lies completely under foot.

<1> Export duty.