A colony so feeble could hardly be expected to preserve its borders from the invasion of neighbours as vigorous and of as expansive a character as those of New England, more especially as the puritan colonists never scrupled to question the right of their weaker neighbours to any territory at all. One of the first duties which the new governor, therefore, undertook, was an adjustment of this disputed question of boundary. It was a very difficult one. Restricted from war by the West India company, he bent his efforts to negotiation; and going himself in person to Hartford, a treaty was concluded on the 11th of November, 1650, by which the Dutch relinquished their claim to Connecticut, and the New Englanders consented to their retaining possession of one-half of Long Island. Poor as these conditions appear for the Dutch, the West India company ratified the treaty, which the English never would do. Well might the Dutch say, “the New England people are too powerful for us.” In 1651, war broke out between England and Holland. We have already seen the good sense of Massachusetts in refusing to take part in it against their Dutch neighbours; but we have not mentioned that Roger Williams, then in England, was the means of delaying an armament against New Netherlands. The Dutch, on their part, not expecting this magnanimity from their powerful neighbours, and aware of their own incapacity for the contest, endeavoured to purchase the aid of the Narragansetts in case of attack; but Mixam, one of the chiefs, replied nobly; “I am poor, but no presents of goods or of guns, or of powder and shot, shall draw me into a conspiracy against my friends the English.” Fortunately, as we have already related, peace was soon established between the two European states, and the fleet which Cromwell had sent out against New Netherlands directed its energies against another power.