their place they clapped up their house quickly, and landed
their provisions, and left the company appointed, and sent
the bark home, and afterward palisaded their house about,
and fortified themselves better."

Van Twiller, informed of this intrusion, sent a commissioner,
protesting against this conduct and ordering Holmes to depart, with
all his people. Holmes replied, "I am here in the name of the king of
England, and here I shall remain."

Matters soon became seriously complicated. A boat's crew was robbed
and murdered by some vagabond Indians. The culprits were taken and
hung.

This exasperated against the Dutch the powerful Pequods who had the
supremacy over all that territory. Open war soon ensued. The Pequods
sent an embassy to Boston, and entered into a treaty of alliance with
the Massachusetts colony, in which they surrendered to that colony the
Connecticut valley.

In the meantime, Van Twiller having received instructions from the
home government, dispatched a force of seventy well armed men to drive
Lieutenant Holmes and his men from their post. The English stood
firmly upon their defence. The Dutch, seeing that a bloody battle must
ensue, with uncertain results, withdrew without offering any violence.
In many respects the Dutch colonies continued to enjoy much
prosperity. Mr. Brodhead gives the following interesting account of
the state of affairs at the mouth of the Hudson, in the year 1633:

"Fort Amsterdam, which had become dilapidated, was repaired,