Visitors from the English
At
noon of the second day of the truce, a boat put off
from the fleet, coming directly toward the city, and
before she was near to the dock some of the Englishmen
among us cried out that he who stood in the bow
was Governor Winthrop, of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony.
Then it was that Master Stuyvesant ordered a salute
to be given, as if the gentleman were coming to us as a
friend, and when the latter stepped on shore, followed by
five officers from the English army, the sclhout conducted
them to the city hall, where it was said the Director and
the burgomasters were waiting.
It can well be fancied that every person in the city,
save, perhaps, Master Stuyvesant's family and servants,
gathered around the city hall to hear what might
be going on, and there we speedily learned that the
Director had fallen into a rage, even going so far as to
quarrel with those other officials who had been his
best friends.
The visitors from the fleet did not stay overly long,
and when they went away it was whispered among the
excited citizens that Governor Winthrop had left a
letter, which some of the burgomasters believed should
be read to the people.
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