Governor Bradford sent this correspondence to England.  In an accompanying document he said,

“the Dutch, for strength of men and fortification, far exceed us in all this land.  They have used trading here for six or seven and twenty years; but have begun to plant of later time; and now have reduced their trade to some order, and confined it only to their company, which, heretofore, was spoiled by their seamen and interlopers, as ours is, this year most notoriously.  Besides spoiling our trade, the Dutch continue to sell muskets, powder and shot to the Indians, which will be the overthrow of all, if it be not looked into.”

Director Minuit must have possessed some very noble traits of character.  After waiting three months to receive a reply to his last communication, he sent another letter, reiterating the most friendly sentiments, and urging that an authorized agent should be sent from Plymouth to New Amsterdam, to confer “by word of mouth, touching our mutual commerce and trading.”  He stated, moreover, that if it were inconvenient for Governor Bradford to send such an agent, they would depute one to Plymouth themselves.  In further token of kindness, he sent to the Plymouth Governor, “a rundlet of sugar and two Holland cheeses.”

It is truly refreshing to witness the fraternal spirit manifested on this occasion.  How many of the woes of this world might have been averted had the brotherhood of man been thus recognized by the leaders of the nations!

A messenger was sent to Plymouth.  He was hospitably entertained, and returned to Fort Amsterdam with such testimonials of his reception as induced Director Minuit to send a formal ambassador to Plymouth, entrusted with plenipotentiary powers.  Governor Bradford apologized for not sending an ambassador to Fort Amsterdam, stating, “one of our boats is abroad, and we have much business at home.”  Director Minuit selected Isaac De Rassieres, secretary of the province, “a man of fair and genteel behavior,” as his ambassador.  This movement was, to those infant colonies, an event of as much importance as any of the more stately embassies which have been interchanged between European courts.

The barque Nassau was fitted out, and manned with a small band of soldiers, and some trumpeters.  It was the last of September, 1629, when earth and sky were bathed in all the glories of New England autumnal days.  In De Rassieres’ account of the excursion, he writes: 

“Sailing through Hell-gate, and along the shores of Connecticut and Rhode Island, we arrived, early the next month, off Frenchman’s Point, at a small river where those of New Plymouth have a house, made of hewn oak planks, called Aptuxet; where they keep two men, winter and summer, in order to maintain the trade and possession.”

This Aptuxet was at the head of Buzzard’s Bay, upon the site of the present village of Monumet, in the town of Sandwich.  Near by there was a creek, penetrating the neck of Cape Cod, which approached another creek on the other side so near that, by a portage of but about five miles, goods could be transported across.