The church that Walter Van Twiller had built was little better than a
barn. The minister wanted a new one. So did his congregation. Governor
Kieft decided that there should be one of stone, and that it should be
built inside the fort. There was a question as how to secure the money
to build it. Kieft gave a small amount, as did other colonists, but
there was not enough. Fortunately, just at this time, a daughter of
Bogardus, the minister, was married. At the wedding, when the guests
were in good humor, a subscription-list was handed out. The guests tried
to outdo one another in subscribing money for the new church. Next day
some of the subscribers were sorry they had agreed to give so much, but
the Governor accepted no excuses and insisted on the money. It was
collected, and the church was built. Close upon this time Kieft decided
that he needed money for other work, and he told the Indians of the
province that he expected something from them. Of course the Indians had
no such money as we have in these days. They used instead beads, very
handsome and made from clam-shells. These beads were arranged on
strings. There were black ones and white ones, and the black were worth
twice as much as the white. The Indians did not see why they should give
money to the Governor. Kieft explained that it was to pay for the
protection given to them by the Dutch. Then the Indians understood less
than ever, for the Dutch had never done anything for them except to
give them as little as they could for their valuable furs. The Indians
hated Kieft, and this act of his made their hatred more bitter. A
war-cloud was gathering. The Indians were well prepared for war, for
they had been supplied with guns, with bullets, and with powder by those
greedy Dutchmen, the smugglers, who thought more of their personal
gains than of the safety of the colonists.

[Illustration: Selling Arms to the Indians.]