Narrative of New Netherland | Page 5

West India House at Amsterdam. By a
friend, whom God Preserve.
The Peace of Christ to You.
Reverend Sir, Well Beloved Brother in Christ, Kind Friend!
THE favorable opportunity which now presents itself of writing to your
Reverence I cannot let pass, without embracing it, according to my
promise. And, first to unburden myself in this communication of a
sorrowful circumstance, it pleased the Lord, seven weeks after we
arrived in this country, to take from me my good partner, who had been
to me, for more than sixteen years, a virtuous, faithful, and altogether
amiable yoke-fellow; and I now find myself alone with three
children,<1> very much discommoded, without her society and
assistance. But what have I to say? The Lord himself has done this,
against whom no one can oppose himself. And why should I even wish
to, knowing that all things must work together for good to them that
love God? I hope therefore to bear my cross patiently, and by the grace
and help of the Lord, not to let the courage fail me which in my duties
here I so especially need.
<1> Two daughters and a son, Jan, whom he had placed in the house
and custody of skipper Jan Jansen Brouwer.
The voyage was long, namely, from the 24th of January till the 7th of
April, when we first set foot upon land here. Of storm and tempest
which fell hard upon the good wife and children, though they bore it
better as regards sea-sickness and fear than I had expected, we had no

lack, particularly in the vicinity of the Bermudas and the rough coasts
of this country. Our fare in the ship was very poor and scanty, so that
my blessed wife and children, not eating with us in the cabin, on
account of the little room in it, had a worse lot than the sailors
themselves; and that by reason of a wicked cook who annoyed them in
every way; but especially by reason of the captain himself,<1> who,
although I frequently complained of it in the most courteous manner,
did not concern himself in the least about correcting the rascal; nor did
he, even when they were all sick ,given them anything which could do
them any good, although there was enough in the ship: as he himself
knew very well where to find it in order, out of meal times, to fill his
own stomach. All the relief which he gave us, consisted merely in
liberal promises, with a drunken head; upon which nothing followed
when he was sober but a sour face; and he raged at the officers and kept
himself constantly to the wine, both at sea and especially here while
lying in the river; so that he daily walked the deck drunk and with an
empty head, seldom coming ashore to the Council and never to Divine
service. We bore all with silence on board the ship; but it grieves me,
when I think of it, on account of my wife; the more, because she was so
situated as she was--believing that she was with child--and the time so
short which she had yet to live. On my first voyage I roamed about
with him a great deal, even lodged in the same hut, but never knew that
he was such a brute and drunkard. But he was then under the direction
of Mr. Lam,<2> and now he had the chief command himself. I have
also written to Mr. Godyn<3> about it, considering it necessary that it
should be known.
<1> "Evert Croeger, with whom, prior to this, I had made long voyages,
but never before did I know him well."--Letter of August 8 to Jan
Foreest. <2> Admiral Jan Dirckszoon Lam, who in 1625 and 1626 was
in command of a Dutch squadron on the west coast of Africa. <3>
Probably Samuel Godyn, a prominent director of the company.
Our coming here was agreeable to all, and I hope, by the grace of the
Lord, that my service will not be unfruitful. The people, for the most
part, are rather rough and unrestrained, but I find in almost all of them
both love and respect towards me; two things with which hitherto the
Lord has everywhere graciously blessed my labors, and which in our
calling, as your Reverence well knows and finds, are especially

desirable, in order to make our ministry fruitful.
>From the beginning we established the form of a church; and as
Brother Bastiaen Crol<1> very seldom comes down from Fort Orange,
because the directorship of that fort and the trade there is committed to
him, it has been thought best to choose two elders for my assistance
and for the proper consideration of all such ecclesiastical matters as
might occur, intending the coming