Appeared before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven,[2] authorized secretary for the Chartered West India Company in New Netherland, the Honorable Willem Kieft, Director General of New Netherland,[3] being in that capacity partner in the frigate _La Garce_ on account of the aforesaid Company, who together with all the persons named hereafter acknowledged that he was taking a share of one just eighth part in the said frigate, Jan Damen likewise a just eighth part, Jacob Wolphersen the sum of 1500 gulden, Marten Crigier a just sixteenth part, Jacob Stoffelsen 1100 gulden, Hendrick Jacobsen Pater Vaer an eighth part, Hendrick Arentsen the sum of 1300 gulden, Captain Willem Albertsen Blauvelt[4] a just eighth part, Christiaen Pitersen Rams 1400 gulden, William de Key a just sixteenth part, Adriaen Dircksen a just thirty-second part, which aforesaid sums and parts the aforesaid persons, as owners in common, each on his own account, have invested and ventured, for profit or loss, and this [declaration] is made and signed in order to serve them in the future and to know exactly what each owner may have a right to demand for his profit on the monies invested. In witness and token of the truth this is signed by the aforesaid owners, December 4, 1646, in New Netherland. [Footnote 2: Book-keeper under Director van Twiller (from 1633), provincial secretary under Kieft, _schout fiscaal_ under Stuyvesant till 1656.] [Footnote 3: Director-general 1637-1646. Of the other partners, Jan Jansen Damen, Jacob Wolfertsz van Couwenhoven, and Martin Cregier were among the leading citizens of New Amsterdam. The total venture seems to have been about 14,000 gulden, say $5600 (worth much more then).] [Footnote 4: Two Blauvelts or Blawfelts, Albertus and Wyllem, apparently father and son, appear in the records of the Providence Island Company (document 1, note 1). The former discovered the inlet on the Mosquito Shore, excellent for buccaneers, which is still called by his name, Blewfields Bay, in Nicaragua. After the Spanish conquest of Providence in 1641, Wyllem Blawfelt took to privateering, and, as will be seen, pursued it too long.] CHRISTIAEN PIETERSZ. JAN JANSZ DAMEN. WYLLEM BLAWFELT. MARTIN CREGIER. JACOB VAN COUWENHOVEN. this is the [X] mark ADRIAEN DIRCKSEN COEN. of HENDRIC ARENTSEN. WILLEM DE KEY. this is the [P over +] mark of HENDRIC JACOBSZ P. VAER. [circle with horizontal line, +, top right corner bracket] this is the mark of JACOB STOFFELSEN. Acknowledged before me, C. V. TIENH. Secret. _4. Articles of Copartnership between Augustin Herrman and Wyllem Blawfelt. December 4 (N.S.), 1646._[1] [Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Dutch Manuscripts, vol. II., p. 153.]