"letter dated March 22, 1733, signed Cornelis Simonsz Van Aersdalen, his brother Jan Simonsz, and the husband of their sister Metje Simonse, at that time the surviving children of Simon Jansz, which shows the early interest in family history, in which they state:

'You were writing you were interested in knowing to what number our family-tree has expanded; we are over two hundred now. Cornelis Simonsz van Aarsdal has got eleven children, eight of whom are married and has over forty descendants; Jan Simonsz van Aarsdal has got eleven children and Geertje, Jannetje and Jetje have got many children and grandchildren. You will understand it is just impossible to enumerate them; however, I can inform you they are all living on plantations of their own, breeding cattle and growing corn, maize, etc. We thank our Lord for leading our father to this country.'

"--letter translated from the original Dutch; published in "Jaarboek van Het Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie," deel 50 (1996): Den Haag, Netherlands. "Voorts weet ick neit meer te schrijven: Brieven van Niew Nederlandse Van Arsale's (1698, 1731, 1733)" e. Th. r. Unger. pp. 179-198. ["I do not know what else to write: letters from New Netherlands van Arsadale (1698, 1731, 1733)] also at State Archives of Central Holland, Gouda;"