E.B. O'Callaghan, Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674, at 47 (1868); N.Y. Col. MSS, IV. 216

Whereas the Director General and Council of New Netherland having long ere this noticed the dangerous practice of selling Guns, Powder and Lead to the Indians, and moreover published at the time an Ordinance prohibiting the same on pain of Death, notwithstanding which some persons have yet undertaken to barter all sorts of ammunition among the Heathen, purchasing the same secretly here and then transporting it up the River and elsewhere, to the serious injury of this Country, the strengthening of the Indians and the destruction of the Christians, as We are now, also, informed with certainty, that our enemies are better provided with Powder than we, which they contrive to obtain through other Barbarians, our friends. Likewise, his Majesty of France hath, through his Ambassador, seriously complained to the Lords States General of the selling of arms o the Indians, whereby His subjects suffer grave injury, in consequence of which the Lords States General have recommended Messrs the Directors to prevent and to forbid the same, and to have the guilty parties punished with rigor, which, then, their Honors have earnestly commanded us to do. Therefore, we must expressely forbid, as we hereby do, all persons from this time forth from daring to trade any munitions of War with the Indians, or under any pretense whatsoever, to transport them from here without express permission, on pain of being punished by Death, and having the vessel confiscated in which the same shall be found laden or to have been put on board. Let everyone be warned hereby and save himself from difficulty.