Once the last villagers had left Ben Suc, the buildings were doused with petrol and zippoed.

Unlike other American colonies, New Netherland was founded as a commercial venture, but the Dutch West India Company soon realized that it needed people to exploit its investment. […] Jeweler Killiaen Van Rensselaer, a company founder, came up with a solution: the patroon system. Established in 1629, it granted near-feudal rights to any wealthy merchant – or patroon – who agreed to populate the valley. In exchange for taking on the costs of establishing mini-colonies of 48 or more settlers, the patroons were allowed to negotiate with the Indians for the purchase of huge tracts of land, which by law would remain in their families forever.

For the most part, he has some knack, or trick of the trade, which by close inspection can be delected, and so the heart of his mystery be seen into.

John can square this question up for us.