56 DUTCH AND ENGLISH ON THE HUDSON

shipbuilding project of great magnitude for that
time. Two Belgian shipbuilders arrived in New
Amsterdam and asked the help of the Director
in constructing a large vessel. Minuit, seeing
the opportunity to advertise the resources of the
colony, agreed to give his assistance and the result
was that the New Netherlands a ship of eight hun-
dred tons carrying thirty guns, was built and
launched.

This enterprise cost more than had been ex-
pected and the bills were severely criticized by the
West India Company, already dissatisfied with
Minuit on the ground that he had favored the
interests of the patroons, who claimed the right of
unrestricted trade within their estates, as against
the interests of the Company. Urged by many
complaints, the States-General set on foot an in-
vestigation of the Director, the patroons, and the
West India Company itself, with the result that in
1632 Minuit was recalled and the power of the
patroons was limited. t New Netherland had not
yet seen the last of Peter Minuit, however. Angry
and embittered, he entered the service of Sweden
and returned later to vex the Dutch colony.

In the interval between Minuit's departure and
the arrival of Van Twiller, the reins of authority