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peculiar reproach attaches to them. They acted upon principles which all professed, and in which the sincere in all parts of Christendom reposed an undoubting faith."

New York and New Jersey.

1. Two years after Smith and his companions had begun to fell the trees for the settlement of Jamestown, but eleven years before the Mayflower landed the Pilgrims at Plymouth, the Half-Moon, a Dutch

ship, entered the harbor of New York (1609).1

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river.

Its

HENRY HUDSON.

Discovery of the Hudson commander, Henry Hudson, was an Englishman. In the service of his countrymen, Hudson had twice tried to find a shorter passage by water from the Atlantic to the Pacific than the one discovered by Magellan around the southern part of the American continent. Now, in the service of a Dutch company, he was making his third attempt. 2. "The ship was soon visited by canoes full of native warriors; but no one was suffered to come on board, though their oysters and beans were gladly purchased. The first of Europeans, Hudson, now began to explore the Half-Moon great river which stretched before him to the ascending north, opening, as he hoped, the way to eastern seas. Slowly drifting upward with the flood-tide, he anchored one night just above Yonkers, in sight of 'a

The

the Hudson.

In behalf of the French, it has been claimed, and the claim has been very generally allowed, that Verrazzani explored a part of the eastern coast of North America in 1524, and then discovered the Hudson river. But this claim has been disputed (See the works on the subject by H. C. Murphy and J. C. Brevoort).

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1609 The Half-Moon Ascending the Hudson.

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high point of land, which showed out' five leagues off to the north. The next day, a southeast wind carried him up rapidly through the majestic pass guarded by the frowning

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Donderberg. At nightfall he anchored his yacht near West Point, in the midst of the sublimest scenery of the mountains.

3. The next morning was misty until the sun arose, and the grandeur of the overhanging highlands was again revealed. A fair south wind sprung up as the weather became clear, and a bright autumnal day succeeded. Running sixty miles up along the varied shores which lined the deep channel, and delighted every moment with the ever-changing scenery and the magnificent virgin forests which clothed the river-banks with their gorgeous autumnal hues, Hudson arrived towards evening opposite the loftier mountains which lie from the river's side,' and anchored the Half-Moon near

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Catskill landing. Here he found a very loving people, and very old men.'

4. The friendly natives flocked on board the yacht as she remained lazily at anchor the next morning, and brought the crew'ears of Indian corn, and pumpkins, and tobacco,' which were readily bought for trifles. In the afternoon Hudson went six miles further up the river, and anchored one night near the marshes which divide the channel opposite the flourishing city which now bears his name. Early the next morning he set sail again, and, slowly working his way through the shoaling channel and among the small islands which embarrassed navigation, anchored toward evening about eighteen miles further up. Here the Half-Moon remained at anchor all the next day. With the flood-tide on the following morning the vessel ran higher up, and anchored in deep water near the site of the present city of Albany.

5. The people of the country came flocking on board, and brought grapes and pumpkins, and beaver and otter skins, which were purchased for beads, knives, and hatchets. Here the yacht lingered for several days. Everything now seemed to indicate that the Half-Moon had reached the head of ship navigation. The downward current was fresh and clear, the shoaling channel was narrow and obstructed; yet Hudson, unwilling, perhaps, to abandon his long-cherished hope, dispatched the mate, with a boat's crew, to sound the river higher up. After going eight or nine leagues, and finding 'but seven feet of water and inconstant soundings,' the exploring party returned, and reported that they had found it to be at an end for shipping to go in.' Hudson now reluctantly prepared to return."

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6. The Dutch made no more attempts to find a northwestern passage from ocean to ocean, but they sent first ships to the country which Hudson had discovered settlement. for them, and explored the coast from both sides of Delaware bay to Massachusetts bay. To a company of mer

1614-47

Growth of the Colony.

83

chants was given the exclusive right to trade for three years with all this territory. In the grant thus made the region was named New Netherlands (1614)'. Previous to this grant, however, little fortified trading houses had been built in the province, one of them on the island of Manhattan. Another was built just south of the present city of Albany, which brought he Dutch in friendly relations with the Mohawks, the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois (ir-o-kwoiz'), or Five Nations.

7. A few years later thirty families arrived from Holland. Several of these settled at Orange, now Albany, while "a party under the command of May, who has left his name on the southern county and cape of New Jersey," ascended the Delaware river and on its eastern bank built a fort. In 1626, Peter Min'-u-it came as the governor of New Netherlands. He soon contracted with the Indians for the purchase of Manhattan island, giving beads, buttons, and other glittering trinkets, to the value of about twenty-four dollars, for more than twenty thousand acres of land. Fort Amsterdam was built, and about this centre wooden huts, with roofs of straw and chimneys of wood, soon began to cluster.

Growth

of the colony.

8. The growth of the colony was not rapid, although every individual who succeeded in forming a settlement of fifty persons had a large tract of land granted to him. These land-holders were called patroons; and in quite recent times the claims of their descendants to rent, led to the anti-rent troubles in the State of New York. Minuit was succeeded by the renowned Wouter Van Twil'-ler, and he, in turn, by Kieft (keeft); and all this time there were disputes with the English settlers on the Connecticut. The Dutch had first explored the river, and even occupied its banks. There were disputes, too, with the Swedes, who had planted a colony in the southern part of New Netherlands. There were also troubles with the Indians.

9. The prosperity of the colony dates from the arrival, in

'Brodhead spells the name New Netherland, in the singular form.

1647, of the brave and honest Peter Stuyvesant (sti'-vesant), the last of the Dutch governors. In his early military career he had lost a leg, which was replaced by a wooden one

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with silver bands, giving rise to the tradition that he wore a silver leg. As governor of New Netherlands he made peace with the English settlers in Connecticut and with the Indians; he subdued the Swedes on the Delaware (1655); and tried in every way to encourage trade and agriculture, as well as to induce people to join the settlement.1

DUTCH HOUSE.

As commerce

1 In 1698, the Earl of Bellamont became governor. was greatly disturbed by pirates, he sent out a bold captain named Kidd, to capture their vessels; but Kidd was a bad man, and knowing that Kidd. there were very many Spanish ships carrying across the ocean gold, silver, and other treasures from America, he determined to turn pirate himself. He continued on this career for several years, and is said to have obtained immense quantities of gold and rich treasures, some of which he is reported to have buried on

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