colony's value and of its misgovernment could not fail to awaken
consideration and sympathy. Nevertheless, the company, aided
by the _Answer_ which Van Tienhoven submitted in November, 1650,
were able to ride out the storm, and to temporize until the
outbreak of the war of 1652-1654 with England put a new face on
colonial affairs. A few concessions were made--the export duty
on tobacco was taken off, and a municipal government allowed to
New Amsterdam, now a town of 700 or 800 inhabitants (1653). But
no serious alteration in the provincial government resulted.
"Our Grand Duke of Muscovy," wrote one of Stuyvesant's subordinates
to Van der Donck, "keeps on as of old." Disaffection among the
Dutch settlers never ceased till the English conquest, though on
the other hand the English settlers on Long Island were much
better disposed toward Stuyvesant's government, and were treated
by him with more favor.

Van der Donck's two companions returned to New Netherland before
long. He, however, remained in the old country until the summer
of 1653, occupied with the business of his mission, with legal
studies, taking the degree of doctor of laws at he University of
Leyden, and with the preparation of his _Beschryvinge van Nieus-
Nederlant_. The States General gave him a copyright for it in
May, 1653, but the first edition was not published till 1655. In
that year the author died, leaving to his widow his estate, or
"colonie," which he called Colendonck. The name of Yonkers,
where it was situated, perpetuates his title of gentility
(Jonkheer van der Donck).

The original manuscript of the _Representation_ is still preserved
in the archives of the Netherlands, and a translation of it was