Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
An expedition reached the South River, landing at the mouth of Mispillon
Creek, which they called “Paradise Point.” Passing on upward they cast
anchor at Minquas-kill, where Minuit went ashore March 30, 1638, to
confer with the Indians. He knew well the story of Swanendael and meant
to avoid a recurrence. The chief with whom he talked was Mattahoorn, the
principal sachem of that region and an Indian of worthy character, who
came often into the early history of Pennsylvania before William Penn
arrived. Minuit concluded an agreement, obtaining land on which to build
a house for “a kettle and other articles,” and for ground on which to
plant, he was to give half the tobacco raised upon it. The land was
defined as “within six trees.”
Minuit had instructions to set up the arms of Sweden and take possession
of the country, avoiding New Netherlands, to do no harm to the Indians,
to name the country New Sweden, to dispose of his cargo and then,
leaving the sloop, return to Sweden.
Minuit built Fort Christiana, named in honor of the girl queen at
Stockholm, five miles below the Dutch Fort Nassau, and left in it when
he departed twenty-four men.
Nearly coincident with the arrival of the Swedes at Minquas-kill, came a
new Director-General of the Dutch at Manhattan, in the person of William
Kieft, who sailed into that port, March 18, 1638. He was disturbed over
this Swedish intrusion, and promptly wrote to his company in Holland
and, May 6 addressed a formal letter to Minuit, protesting against his
settlement, declaring that both banks of the river belonged to the
Dutch.
This claim by the Dutch to the west bank was based on De Vries’
adventure at Swanendael. Minuit made no reply, he knew that no white man
had more than six years been living on the west side of the river. So he
pushed the work on his fort and built log-houses. Trade with the Indians
was firmly established. A second treaty with the Indians was made, which
purchase included land down the river and bay and northward as far as
the Falls of Trenton. Minuit returned with his two vessels, July, 1638.
The twenty-four persons now comprising the colony at Christiana were
under command of Mans Kling, with Hendrik Huyghen as commissary. This
company formed the first permanent settlement by white men on the
Delaware Bay, or River, on either side.
Minuit was lost at sea on his return voyage and New Sweden suffered a
hard stroke of misfortune. He and De Vries were the ablest men ever sent
to the South River.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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