Speaker of the Assembly and to all the rest of the members as you haue opportunity, their answer to our letter being very well resented, and wee desire you to acquaint yTM that wee shall take due care to represent to their Majues (or cheife Ministers of State their peaceable & dutifull behaviour to them & us vnder yo! Government, and particularly of their readynes to comply with their Majesties pleasure to give such assistance to their neighbours agt the com'on Enemy (as they are able to doe) in case of any exigency. The Governmen! & inhabitants of New-Yorke, according to their wonted custom haue very lately by their Agents been solliciting again at Court, for an Annexation of both the Jerseyes to that Province, but have been frustrated in their designe and we little doubt all future attempts of that kinde will meet with no better successe. Wee are the more easie in this, by our observing ye vnity and good correspondence between you & y“ Representatives of the people, which, together with yo' experience and prudent managem' will free us from all apprehensions of being expos'd to danger from any just cause of complaint by those of New-York ag! yo! Administration, Wee hope by the next shipp to receive an acco' of the good effects of your so promiseing an Entrance into the Governm & what progresse you have made in the particulars recom'ended to yo' care in our Instructions, And so we bid you heartyly Farewell, Signed by order of the Committee of Proprietors London the first of April 1693 [Addressed] To Secr & Reg! The Honoured Coll. Andrew Hamilton Governour of the Province of East-New-Jersey In America at Journal of Captain Arent Schuyler's visit to the Minisink Country. [From New York Col. Docts, Vol. IV., p. 98.j May it pleas your Excell. In persuance to y' Excell: commands I have been in the Minnissinck Country of which I have kept the following Journall: viz 169 y 3 of Feb: I departed from New Yorke for East New Jersey and came that night att Bergentown where I heired two men and a guide. ye 4th Sunday, Morning, I went from Bergen & travilled about ten English miles beyond Haghkingsack to an Indian place called Peckwes. ye 5th Monday. From Peckwes North and be West I went about thirty-two miles snowing and rainy wether. ye 6th Thusday. I continued my Journey to Maggaghkamieck' and from thence to within half a days Journy to the Mennissinck ye 7th Wendsday. Abount Eleaven Eleaven a Clock I arrived att the Mennissinck, and there I mett with two of ther Sachems and severall other Indians of whome I inquired after some news, if the French or their Indians had sent for them or been in yo Mennissinck Country. Upon wch they answered that noe French nor any of the French Indians were nor had been in the Mennissinck Country nor there abouts and did promise yt if ye French should hapen to come or y they heard of it that they will forthwith send a mesinger and give y' Excellency notice thereof The Indian name of the river "Neversink" which falls into the Delaware, a little south of Port Jervis, Orange County, New York. -O'Callaghan, from Eager's Orange County.-ED. Inquireing further after news they told me that six days agoe three Christians and two Shan'wans Indians who went about fifteen months agoe with Arnout Vielle into the Shan'wans Country were passed by the Mennissinck going for Albany to fech powder for Arnout and his Company: and further told them that s Arnout intended to be there wth seaven hundred of ye said Shan'wans Indians loaden wth beavor and peltries att y time ye Indian Coarn is about one fout high (which may be in the month of June.) The Mennissinck Sachems further s" that one of their Sachems & other of their Indians were gone to fech beaver & pelteries which they had hunted: and having heard no news of them are afraid yt ye Sinneques have killed them for ye lucar of the beavor or because ye Mennissinck Indians have not been wth ye Sinneques as usial to pay their Dutty, and therefore desire y' your Excell will be pleased to order y' the Sinneques may be told, not to molest or hurt ye Mennissincks they being willing to continue in amity with them. In the afternoon I departed from ye Mennissincks: the 8th the 9th & 10th of Feb. I travilled and came att Bergen in y morning and about noone arrived at New Yorke. This is may it pleas your Excell. the humble reporte off your Excellency's most humble servant ARENT SCHUYLER Endorsed, Reporte of Capt" Arent Schuyler his message to the Mennissinck Country. Feb. ye 10th 169 Letter from Governor Hamilton of East Jersey, to Governor Fletcher of New York. [From Papers of F. J. Paris in New Jersey Historical Society Library Vol. C, Private Papers No. 5, and Vol. D, p. 77.] To his Excellency BENJAMIN FLETCHER and the honourable their Majesties Council of the province of New York Feb: 13th 1694 WHEREAS in the Time of Coll. Dongan the Surveyors of New York and the Jerseys Did, by a consent of the Respective Gov", meet to ascertain the Stationary points, from whence the Division Line betwixt New York and the Jerseys was to be drawn Conform to the Deeds Granted by the then Duke of York to the Proprietor of the Jerseys, that the Boundarys of Each province might be the better known. And whereas, in pursuance of the Said order, the Respective Surveyors went out and affixed a Station on Delaware River in 41° 40′ Latitude and another on hudson's River in 41a which is (Conform to a Map made by the Surveyers) Due west from ffredirick Phillipse's Lower Mills; but tho' the Stations were fixed, yett the Lines were not drawn. May it please your Excellency, That whereas I am now making a detachment of our men for the frontiers, out of the Respective Counties, and that there are Several plantations near the Line of partition, which pretends Exemption from any detachment, as being in another Government: and perhaps use the Same Shifts to York Government: Your Excellency to clear this point, would please give order to the Surveyer, to Join with our Surveyers at a certain day, to mark out the Line from the Said Station on Hudson's River as far as there are any plantations. Your Excies most obedient Servant Minutes of the Council of New York. [From Papers of J. F. Paris in New Jersey Historical Society Library Vol. A p. 83.] ATT A COUNCIL held at Fort William Henry the 22th of February 1693 Present His Excell Ben Fletcher &ca Fred Philipse John Laurence Esq Steph Cortlandt Esq Will. Pinhorne Gab. Menvielle Coll Andrew Hamilton Governour of the Jerseys having desired that the line of Partition between the Province of East Jersey and this Province from the Station formerly agreed unto by the Surveyers of both Governments may be Run and marked to ascertain the right of some Plantations and Settlements neere the line who at present avoid the paying of Taxes or dutyes to either Government. Ordered Coll: Stephen Cortlant Coll Nicholas Bayard William Nicoll Esq' and William Pinhorne Esq be a Committee of this Board to consider of an Answer thereunto against thursday next. Instructions of the East Jersey Proprietors to Thomas Gordon. [From the Original Draft in the Library of the New York Historical Society.] Instructions to Thomas Gordon.1 MR. THOMAS GORDON The necessity we find the proprietors affairs ly Thomas Gordon 1 THOMAS GORDON, of Pitlochie, Scotland, was among the arri vals in 1684 which added so materially to the advancement of East Jersey in population and enterprise. He brought with him his wife, Hellen, of the family of Stralogh, |