dimensions....

The government over the people of New Netherland continued on the 15th
of August of this year in the aforesaid Minuit, successor to Verhulst,
who went thither from Holand on 9th January, Anno, 1626, and took up
his residence in the midst of a nation called Manhates, building a
fort there, to be called Amsterdam, having four points and faced
outside entirely with stone, as the walls of sand fall down, and are
now more compact.

The population consists of two hundred and seventy souls, including
men, women, and children. They remained as yet without the Fort, in no
fear, as the natives live peaceably with them. They are situate three
miles from the Sea, on the river by us called Mauritius, by others,
Rio de Montagne....

After the Right Honble Lords Directors of the Privileged West India
Company in the United Netherlands, had provided for the defence of New
Netherland and put everything there in good order, they taking into
consideration the advantages of said place, the favorable nature of
the air, and soil, and that considerable trade and goods and many
commodities may be obtained from thence, sent some persons, of their
own accord, thither with all sorts of cattle and implements necessary
for agriculture, so that in the year 1628 there already resided on the
island of the Manhates, two hundred and seventy souls, men, women, and
children, under Governor Minuit, Verhulst's successor, living there in
peace with the natives. But as the land, in many places being full of
weeds and wild productions, could not be properly cultivated in
consequence of the scantiness of the population, the said Lords
Directors of the West India Company, the better to people their lands,