English to pay duty or recognition on the goods they had sold to the Swedes for four years” past. [Illustration: Copy of the testimony of the heirs of Mitatsimint, July 3, 1651. Translated in the author’s _Swedish Settlements_, II, 757.] When the directors of the Dutch West India Company heard of Stuyvesant’s expedition, they were greatly surprised, and expressed concern about the consequences. “God grant,” they wrote, “that what your Honor has done may turn out for the best. We cannot express our opinion of it, before we have ... heard how the complaints of the Swedish governor will be received by the Queen.” The directors had made some overtures about fixing the boundaries on the South River by a treaty with Sweden, but no definite action seems to have been taken. VI. The Dutch were now masters on the Delaware. The two warships undoubtedly returned to New Amsterdam before the winter set in; but Printz had not a sufficient force to regain what the Dutch had taken and his instruction cautioned him to begin no hostility. He made the best of the situation, however, concentrated his forces, and awaited new arrivals from Sweden. Fort New Elfsborg was abandoned and left to decay, as it was no longer the key to the river. The garrisons of Mölndal and New Korsholm were also withdrawn. The Indians fell off from the Swedes on account of the activities of Stuyvesant. The beaver trade was monopolized by the Dutch, and the trade with foreign merchants was poor. The settlers were dissatisfied, and there were few on whom Printz could depend in an emergency. “For three years and nine months” the governor had had “absolutely no orders nor assistance” from the mother country, and he was becoming nervous about the situation. On the first of August he made reports, imploring the government and the company to send new cargoes by the following spring. But the spring of 1652 passed, bringing neither ship nor succor from Europe. Printz, however, made use of every means at his command. The carpenters were kept busy, mending the forts and building boats, when they were not employed in the erection of houses. A sloop had been built at the wharf of Christina for which sails were brought over on the _Swan_ in 1648. It was used by Printz on official business, and the expenses connected with its construction and rigging out were charged to the admiralty. The governor had requested the company to station a vessel in the river, which could be used for various purposes; but his letters were not even answered. Consequently he determined to build a ship himself and in August, 1652, he wrote that “the ship was ready on the river except for sails, tackle, cannon and crew, that were too expensive to hire and buy here.” The vessel was of about 200 tons burden, a large boat for that time, and it seems that Printz intended to use her in defending the river, as well as for preying on Spanish commerce.