History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 226

Proposing his services and those of his fellow countrymen to the Dutch Company,
Jessé informed her that a group of families practicing various trades had the
opportunity to emigrate to America, on behalf on the English. Arguing that those
colonist should rather be secured for the West India Company, he wished a quick
response, adding that it was a take it or leave it offer.
The States of Holland, realizing the importance of such an opening for future
colonization, immediately consulted the “Bewindhebbers” (Directors) of the Company,
who were meeting in The Hague.
On August 27, 1622, after years of efforts delivered by Willem Usselinx and Jessé de
Forest, the latter finally received the authorization to emigrate with other families to the
West-Indies.
Left on reconnaissance for the coasts of Guyana in 1623, Jessé de Forest died on the
Oyapok River bank (present borderline between Brazil and French Guyana), on
October 22, 1624. His daughter Rachel and his sons Isaac and Henri joined NewBelgium ten years later.

New-Belgium
From 1615, the region between Virginia and New-England was equally named NewBelgium (Novum Belgium, Novo Belgio, Nova Belgica, Novi Belgii) or New-Netherland.
The name of Belgium refered to the ancient Netherland, which covered a good part of
the North of France and Lorraine, Belgium, Luxembourg and the present Netherland.
Its inhabitants were called the Belgians.
Besides, numerous maps from the sixteenth century showed this territory under the
name of Belgium. The latter falled into disuse for the benefit of the Netherland, and
only reappeared in 1789 on the occasion of the first Belgian revolution.
Several seals of this period remind us that the territories surrounding the future New
York were called New-Belgium. A first seal from 1623, bears a beaver - at the time,
the trappers were almost the only ones to exploit the country -, encircled by the words
"Sigillum Novi Belgii". The seal of the New-Amsterdam from 1654 mention "Sigillum
Amstellodamensis in Novo Belgio".

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