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Page 36
THE SWEDES AND DUTCH IN NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE
(1627)
BY ISRAEL ACRELIUS[1]
After that the magnanimous Genoese Christopher Columbus, had, at the
expense of Ferdinand, King of Spain, in the year 1492, discovered the
Western hemisphere, and the illustrious Florentine, Americus
Vespucius, sent out by King Emanuel of Portugal, in the year 1502, to
make a further exploration of its coasts, had had the good fortune to
give the country his name, the European powers have, from time to
time, sought to promote their several interests there. Our Swedes and
Goths were the less backward in such expeditions, as they had always
been the first therein. They had already, in the year 996 after the
birth of Christ, visited America, had named it Vinland the Good, and
also Skr�llings Land, and had called its inhabitants "the Skr�llings
of Vinland." It is therefore evident that the Northmen had visited
some part of North America before the Spaniards and Portuguese went to
South America....
From that time until 1623, when the West India Company obtained its
charter, their trade with the Indians was conducted almost entirely on
shipboard, and they made no attempts to build any house or fortress
until 1629. Now, whether that was done with or without the permission
of England, the town of New Amsterdam was built and fortified, as also
the place Aurania, Orange, now called Albany, having since had three
general-governors, one after the other. But that was not yet enough.
They wished to extend their power to the river Delaware also, and
erected on its shores two or three small forts, which were, however,
soon after destroyed by the natives of the country.
It now came in order for Sweden also to take part in this enterprise.
William Usselinx,[2] a Hollander, born at Antwerp in Brabant,
presented himself to King Gustaf Adolph, and laid before him a
proposition for a Trading Company, to be established in Sweden, and to
extend its operations to Asia, Africa, and Magellan's Land (Terra
Magellanica), with the assurance that this would be a great source of
revenue to the kingdom. Full power was given him to carry out this
important project; and thereupon a contract of trade was drawn up, to
which the Company was to agree and subscribe it. Usselinx published
explanations of this contract, wherein he also particularly directed
attention to the country on the Delaware, its fertility, convenience,
and all its imaginable resources. To strengthen the matter, a charter
(octroy) was secured for the Company, and especially to Usselinx, who
was to receive a royalty of one thousandth upon all articles bought or
sold by the Company.
The powerful king, whose zeal for the honor of God was not less ardent
than for the welfare of his subjects, availed himself of this
opportunity to extend the doctrines of Christ among the heathen, as
well as to establish his own power in other parts of the world. To
this end he sent forth Letters Patent, dated at Stockholm on the 2d of
July, 1626, wherein all, both high and low, were invited to contribute
something to the Company, according to their means. The work was
completed in the Diet of the following year, 1627, when the estates of
the realm gave their assent, and confirmed the measure....
But when these arrangements were now in full progress, and duly
provided for, the German war and the king's death occurred, which
caused this important work to be laid aside. The Trading Company was
dissolved, its subscriptions nullified, and the whole project seemed
about to die with the king. But, just as it appeared to be at its end,
it received new life. Another Hollander by the name of Peter Menewe,
sometimes called Menuet,[3] made his appearance in Sweden.
As a good beginning, the first colony was sent off; and Peter Menewe
was placed over it, as being best acquainted in those regions. They
set sail from G�theborg, in a ship-of-war called the _Key of Colmar_,
followed by a smaller vessel bearing the name of the _Bird Griffin_,
both laden with people, provisions, ammunition, and merchandise,
suitable for traffic and gifts to the Indians. The ships successfully
reached their place of destination. The high expectations which our
emigrants had of that new land were well met by the first views which
they had of it. They made their first landing on the bay or entrance
to the river Poutaxat, which they called the river of New Sweden; and
the place where they landed they called Paradise Point.[4]
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