RC (DLC: Madison Papers); bottom of page clipped; endorsed by TJ as received 12 July 1810 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: John Bassette (“late a Minister of the reformed Dutch Church in Albany”) to Madison, [ca. 1 July 1810], indicating that, at the urging of Stephen Van Rensselaer and several members of the New-York Historical Society, he has completed a translation of Adriaen van der Donck, Beschryvinge van Nieuw-Nederlant, 2d ed. (Amsterdam, 1656), in which the author “comprehends under the appellation of New-Netherland, the States, lying between the great South and North rivers, and consequently bounds that Country on Virginia”; reporting that he is considering appending to it a translation of Joannes de Laet, Nieuwe wereldt, ofte Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien (Leiden, 1625; for a French translation owned by TJ see Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 4090); asking that Madison inform him “by post, whether the Virginians are in possession of any Dutch accounts relative to their Country; if so, it may be unnecessary to trouble myself or the Public with a Translation of De Laet”; and admitting that since he lacks any southern acquaintances he must request this information from a Virginian raised by God to the presidency (RC in DLC: Madison Papers; printed in Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, John C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, 1962– , 29 vols.: Congress. Ser., 17 vols.; Pres. Ser., 5 vols.; Sec. of State Ser., 7 vols description ends , Pres. Ser., 2:394–5).