USA > Delaware > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 4
USA > New Jersey > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 4
USA > Pennsylvania > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
The 13th, sailed by Reed Island, and came to the Verckens Kill, where there was a fort1 constructed by the Swedes, with three angles, from which they fired for us to strike our flag. The skipper asked me if he should strike it. I answered him, "If I were in a ship belonging to myself, I would not strike it because I am a patroon of New Netherland, and the Swedes are a people who come into our river; but you come here by contrary winds and for the purposes of trade, and it is there-
1 Fort Nya Elfsborg, built by the Swedes in 1643, a short distance below the mouth of Varkens Kill (now Salem Creek, New Jersey).
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NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA [1643
fore proper that you should strike." Then the skipper struck his flag, and there came a small skiff from the Swedish fort, some Swedes in it, who inquired of the skipper with what he was laden. He told them with Madeira wine. We asked them whether the governor was in the fort. They answered, No; that he was at the third fort' up the river, to which we sailed, and arrived at about four o'clock in the afternoon, and went to the governor, who welcomed us. He was named Captain Prins,' and a man of brave size, who weighed over four hundred pounds. He asked the skipper if he had ever been in this river before, who said he had not. How then had he come in where it was so full of shoals? He pointed to me, that I had brought him in. Then the governor's trader, who knew me, and who had been at Fort Amsterdam, said that I was a patroon of Swanendael at the entrance of the bay, de- stroyed by the Indians in the year 1630, when no Swedes were known upon this river. He (the governor) then had a silver mug brought, with which he treated the skipper with hop beer, and a large glass of Rhenish wine, with which he drank my health. The skipper traded some wines and sweetmeats with him for peltries, beaver-skins, and staid here five days from contrary winds. I went to Fort Nassau, which lies a league higher up, in which the people of the West India Com- pany were. I remained there half a day, and took my leave of them, and returned at evening to the governor of the Swedes.
The 19th, I went with the governor to the Minckquas Kil, where their first fort' was, with some houses inside, where they carried on their trade with the Minqua Indians; our ship came down the river also. In this little fort there were some iron guns. I staid here at night with the governor, who treated me well. In the morning, the ship was lying before the Minckquas Kil. I took my leave of the governor, who accompanied me on board. We fired a salute for him, and thus parted from him; weighed anchor and got under sail, and came to the first fort. Let the anchor fall again, and went on land to the fort, which was not entirely finished; it was made after the English plan, with three angles close by
1 Fort Nya Göteborg or New Gothenburg, on Tinicum Island.
'Governor Johan Printz. ' Fort Christina,
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DAVID DE VRIES'S NOTES
the river. There were lying there six or eight brass pieces, twelve-pounders. The skipper exchanged here some of his wines for beaver-skins.
The 20th of October, took our departure from the last fort, or first in sailing up the river, called Elsenburg. The second fort of the Swedes is named Fort Christian; the third, New Gottenburg. We weighed anchor and sailed from the river; arrived at noon at Cape Hinloopen, and put to sea. Set our course along the coast southwest, quite southerly at first.
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RELATION OF CAPTAIN THOMAS YONG, 1634
!
INTRODUCTION
CAPTAIN THOMAS YONG, an Englishman, the author of the narrative which follows, was one of the many early seekers for the northwest passage from Atlantic to Pacific waters. It was mainly in pursuit of this famous quest that he explored Delaware Bay and River. Before leaving the river he wrote these observations, and sent them as a report to the English Secretary of State, one of the members of the government giving moral support to the undertaking.
Thomas Yong was born in 1579, in the parish of St. Peter's, Cornhill, in the city of London, of a family, it would seem, of the higher sort of merchants, who had attained, apparently, to some affluence and position. The father, Gregory Yong, who figures in the registers of the parish as "Grocer," with the title "Mr.", significantly respectful in that day, was a native of Bedale, in the north riding of Yorkshire, but early in his career had made his appearance in London, and at the time of his death in 1610 was dwelling at the northwest corner of Leadenhall Street. Captain Yong's clder sister Susanna mar- ried Robert Evelyn, of the landed family of the Evelyns of Wotton in Surrey-thus becoming aunt by marriage to the accomplished John Evelyn, the diarist-and the relations of her father's family with the Evelyns, as shown by certain of the Evelyn letters, were intimate.
Of the other facts of Yong's life nothing further has been learned beyond those respecting his American exploring expedi- tion. He is first heard of as the promoter of this enterprise in 1633, when as a man of the mature age of fifty-four, possessing, it is presumed, wealth and leisure, he petitioned Charles I. for
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NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
full powers to equip and lead, without expense to the Crown, but in its behalf, an expedition to America for the discovery, occupation, and exploitation of uninhabited lands. With the support of the group of Catholic' sympathizers influential at court in those days of the personal government of the King, his request received favorable consideration, and a royal com- mission, in which he is mentioned as of London, gentleman, was issued, in September, 1633, granting him authority to carry out his proposals.
In company with his nephew Robert Evelyn, jr. (b. 1606), who served him as lieutenant, and with a cosmographer and a surgeon, he sailed from England with two vessels in May, 1634. He reached Virginia early in July and during the re- pairing of one of his leaky ships and the building of a shallop, remained for over two weeks at Jamestown as the guest of Governor Sir John Harvey. While in Virginia he talked with leaders on both sides of the controversy between William Claiborne and Lord Baltimore over the conflicting claims of Virginia and Maryland to Kent Island, and wrote what seems to be a fair report of the situation. This report, with an ac- count of his journey, he sent in a letter from Jamestown, dated July 13, 1634, to Sir Toby Matthew, one of his Catholic patrons about the English court .? His expressed sympathies, however, are for Lord Baltimore, who was another of his Catholic patrons.
On July 20 Captain Yong set sail from Virginia. From what time the story as he tells it of his experiences in the Delaware can be followed in the text and notes until after the middle of October. He then sent Lieutenant Evelyn to England, by way of Virginia, with this report, along with a let- ter, dated October 20, 1634, written from Charles River-he so
1 Although Yong was so closely associated with Catholics in his undertaking, no evidence has been found to support the intimations of some writers that he was himself a Catholic and the agent for the promotion of a scheme of Catho- lic settlements in America.
'See Narratives of Early Maryland, in this series, pp. 47-61.
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INTRODUCTION
named the Delaware in honor of the King- in which he states that despite the obstructing falls of the river, he determines "against the next summer to build a vessell, which he will" launch above the falls and "goe up to the Lakes," whence he hopes "to find a way that leadeth into that Mediterranean Sea. . . . From the lake I judge that it cannot be lesse than 150 or 200 leagues to our North Ocean, and from thence I purpose to discover the mouths thereof which discharge both into the North and South Seas." He adds that he will undergo all hazards and dangers and will "be at much charge for the ser- vice of his Matie and honor of my country."
Evelyn returned to England and in the latter part of May of the following year, 1635, sailed again for America in the ship Plain Joan to join his uncle, it is stated, upon "special and very important service." How much further exploration was made in the Delaware is not clear but apparently that field was soon abandoned for northern New England. In 1636, according to Samuel Maverick, Yong and his companions went up the Kennebec River, bent upon discovery. "By cary- ing their canoes some few times" they "came into Canada River very near" Quebec, "where by the French Captain Young was taken, and carried for France but his Company returned safe." Here Yong disappears from history.
Lieutenant Robert Evelyn, the nephew, whose elder brother Captain George Evelyn (b. 1593) had gone out to Maryland in 1636, seems to have appeared in Virginia in the latter part of the same year, and in 1637 was made surveyor- general and a councillor of that province. In the ensuing year he was a member of the Maryland assembly, probably residing with his brother, who had served for a few months early in the year as commander of Kent Island, and had a plantation at Piney Point in his manor of Evelynton on the Potomac. In 1641, under the title of Directions for Adventurers (reprinted in chapter III. of Plantagenet's New Albion, in 1648), was pub-
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lished his description of the Delaware, in which he supplements somewhat his uncle's account and states that a draft of the region as supplied by him had been incorporated in a printed map of New England. In 1642 he was appointed commander of the Maryland forces at Piscataway against the Indians, and represented St. George's Hundred in the assembly.
The original manuscript of Yong's Relation, and the two accompanying letters of which mention has been made, are in the Virginia State Library at Richmond. The papers were purchased at the sale of the collection of the late Samuel L. M. Barlow, of New York City, who obtained them in the Aspin- wall papers, once for the most part in the possession of George Chalmers, the historian. They are simple unassuming state- ments, and believed to be in every way reliable. They were first published in P. C. J. Weston's Documents connected with the History of South Carolina (London, 1856), pp. 25-60; again in 1871 in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, fourth series, IX. 117-131, and then (in 1876) re- printed in Fund Publication No. 9 of the Maryland Historical Society, pp. 300-312. The present issue has been collated with the original manuscript.
A. C. M.
RELATION OF CAPTAIN THOMAS YONG, 1634
A breife Relation of a voyage lately made by me Captayne Thomas Yong, since my departure from Virginia, upon a discovery, which I humbly present to the Right Hob4 ST Francis Winde- banke, knight, Principall Secretary of State to his Mat.1
THE particulars of all occurrents, that happened unto mee, from my departure out of England till my arrivall in Virginia; and likewise, what passed while I was there; I sent in a Relation to S' Tobie Matthew,' entreating him to present it to yo' Honor; wch I presume, is already come to yo' handes; And therefore I omitt to trouble yof honor, wtb a second repetition thereof, and now only intend humbly to give yo" honor account of such thinges, as since that time have passed in my voyage.
As soone as I had stopped the leakes of my ship, and fin- ished my shallopp, I sett sayle from Virginia, the 20th of July, coasting along the Coast from Virginia to the Northward, faire by the shoare, and the 24th of the same month, I made that great Bay, wherein I purposed at my departure from England, to make triall for the Passage. I came to an Anchor that night in the mouth of the Bay and the next morning, I entered the same. This Bay is in the mouth thereof 6 leagues broad, and hath in the entrance thereof 12 fathome water. When I was gott into the Bay, I came to an anchor, and sent my Leiuitennant in my shallop ashore, on the Southwest part of the Bay, to see if he could speake with any of the Natives, and to learne what he could of them, concerning this Bay, and the course thereof, who after he had spent most part of the day in searching up and downe, for the Natives, returned towards night, without speaking wth any of them. The next
1 Sir Francis Windebank (1582-1646), Secretary of State, of Catholic inclina- tions. Later he was forced to leave England.
'Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English courtier, diplomatist, and writer, in religion a Roman Catholic.
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[1634
morning, being the 26, I sayled some tenne leagues higher up into the Bay, and then came to an Anchor, and agayne sent out my shallopp, to see if I could meet wth any of those na- tives; but they returned as they did the day before, without speaking with any of them. The 27 in the morning I weighed to proceed yet further into the Bay and after I had passed some 7 leagues up the Bay, my shallop being then on head of me, espied certayne Indians on the West side of the Bay, to whome they made presently, but the Indians made away from them, as soon as they came neere the shoare; soe I sayled along in the middest of the Bay, and they coasted along by the shoare, till about two in the afternoone; and then there came an Indian running along the shoare, and called to my shallop; The shallop presently made towards him, who stayed till theire arrivall, but would not come aboard, wherefore they landed, and went to him, to whome presently also came three or foure more. At last they perswaded one of them to goe aboard my ship, and so they brought him to mee. I enter- tained him curteously, and gave him buiscuit to eat, and strong water to drinke, but the water he seemed not to rellish well. I also gave him some trifles, as knives and beades and a hatchett, of which he was wonderfull glad. Then I began to enquire of him, (by my Interpreter, who understood that language) how farr the sea ran, who answered me that not farre above that place I should meet with fresh water, and that the River ranne up very farre into the land, but that he had never bene at the head thereof. He told me further that the people of that River were at warre with a certaine Nation called the Minquaos, who had killed many of them, destroyed their corne, and burned their houses; insomuch as that the Inhabitants had wholy left that side of the River, which was next to their enimies, and had retired themselves on the other side farre up into the woods, the better to secure themselves from their enimies. He also told me that not long since there had bene a ship there, and described the people to me, and by his de- scription, I found they were Hollanders, who had bene there trading for furrs; Towards night he desired to be sett on shoare, which accordingly I commanded to be done. The next day being the 28, there came aboard of my ship an Indian, with a Canoa with store of Eeles, whereof I bought some for a
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RELATION OF THOMAS YONG
knife and a hatchett, and whilest I was discoursing with him concerning the River, for now I was entered into the mouth thereof, on a suddayne he fell into a great passion of feare and trembling; I wondered what the matter was, and comforted him, and bad him feare nothing, he then shewed me a Canoa, a good way of, making towards the ship, in which, he said, were some of the Minquaos and that they were enimies to him, and to his Nation, and had already killed many of them, and that they would kill him also, if they saw him, and therefore he desired me to hide him from them; I told him, I would defend him, and that they should not hurt him, and that if they should dare to offer him any violence, I then would kill them, he seemed very glad to heare me say so, and gave me thankes, but yet was very earnest to be hid from them, saying, that if they saw him, they would watch for him ashore, and there murther him, then I caused him to be putt into a cabbin, betweene deckes, where he could not be seene. The Minquaos rowed directly to my ship, and as soone as they gott neere her, they made signes for a Rope, which was cast out to them, with which they made fast their Canoa, and presently came aboard without any difficultie. Our Interpreter understood but only some few words of their language, so as wee were forced for the most part to gather their meaning by signes the best wee could. They told us, they were Minquaos, and that one of them was a king, (for soe all the Indians call them, who are most eminent among themselves, and they are in nature of Captaynes or Governors of the rest, and have power of life and death, of warre and peace, over their subjects, Some have 1000, some 500, some more, some lesse) and made signes to us, that they were lately come from warre with the other Ind- ians, whome they had overcome, and slayne some of them, and cutt downe their corne, (which is of the same kind with the corne of Virginia which they commonly call Maiz). They brought a good quantitie of greene eares thereof with them, and some they presented to mee, and others they roasted and eate themselves. I used them curteously, and gave them each of them a hatchett, a pipe, a knife, and a paire of sizers, for which they were very thankfull to mee, and then desired to see my trucke,1 whereof I shewed them samples. The King desired 1 Articles of barter.
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[1634
some of my cloath, but having nothing to give me in exchange thereof, I gave him two small peices, one of redd and the other of blew. They made signes to us, that about 10 dayes (as wee thought, but wee were mistaken for they meant weekes, as wee perceaved afterwards), they would come to us agayne, and bring with them great store of trucke of beavers and ottors, and therefore they desired to know where wee would bee; soe I told them that about that time I would send my shallop to meet them there, soe they departed, and as soone as they were gone, I called for the Indian who all this time lay hid in my cabbin, who stayed aboard of me till night, and then departed a contrary way to that which the Minquaos went, promising to be with me the next day. Some two days after I being then gotten some tenne leagues up the River there came to the shoare side 5 or 6 Indians, and haled us. I sent my boate for them; when they were arrived, they told me they came to see me from a king, who lived not farre of, and that if I pleased to morrow he would come and visitt mee. I answered them, he should be welcome, and so after they had stayed awhile, and refreshed themselves aboard my shippe, they departed. The next day wee expected him but he came not, soe wee departed up a little higher up the River, and on the second of August this king came aboard us about noone, accompanied with 40 or 60 Indians. After he had sate still awhile, which they are wont to doe upon the ground, he then told mee I was welcome into the Countrey, and that he came to see me with desire to make peace with me, in regard he understood by an Indian that I was a good man, and that I had preserved him from the Minquaos, who would otherwise have slayne him, and withall asked, if wee had any trucke. He also presented mee with two Otters skinnes, and some greene eares of corne, excusing himself that he had no better present for me, in regard the Minquaos had lately harrowed his countrey, and carried much beaver from him and his sub- jects, and that the rest they had trucked away to the Hol- landers, who had lately bene there. I told him that I was sent thither by a great king in Europe, namely the king of England, and that I came thither to discover that Countrey and to make peace with them, if they desired to imbrace it and that if they would soe do, I would defend them from their enimies, he
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RELATION OF THOMAS YONG
1634]
was very joyfull to hear this, and desired me to tarry two dayes there, for he would bring thither another king, who was his father in law, to make peace with mee, and another king also who was his neighbour, and the proprietor of that part of the River, wherein I then rode. I condiscended' with him to stay two dayes. In the meane time, I tooke possession of the countrey, for his Mate, and there sett up his Maties armes upon a tree, which was performed with solemnities usuall in that kind. I enquired of this king how farre this River ranne up into the Countrey, and whither it were navigable or no, he told me it ranne a great way up, and that I might goe with my shippe, till I came to a certaine place, where the rockes? ranne cleane crosse the River, and that there he thought I could not goe over with my great Canoas, (for soe they call all vessells that swimme upon the water). I then desired him to lend me a pilott to goe up to that place, which he most willingly granted. I presented him with a Coate, a hatchett, and a knife, wherewith he was very well contented, and so after he had stayd some 4 or 5 houres he tooke his leave. About some 3 or foure dayes after, this king returned to me, and in company with him two other kings, whome I mentioned be- fore, with whome I also made peace. Of the old king I en- quired if he had ever bene at the head of the River, he an- swered me no, but that he had heard that the River ranne farre up into the land, and that some few dayes journey beyond the rockes of which I spake before there was a moun- tainous countrey where there were great store of Elkes and that before the warr with the Minquaos, they were wont to goe thither to hunt them, but he said that neither he himself nor any of his people had ever bene further then those moun- taines. These kings prayed me that I would do them the curtesie to stay foure or five dayes with them, because they were certainly informed, that the Minquaos would within that time passe over the River to assault them, wherefore they desired me not to suffer them to passe over. I told them I would at their request stay five dayes, and that I would labour to procure them peace, and that if their enimies refused the same that then I would joyne with them against them, and
1 Agreed.
"The Falls of Delaware, at what is now Trenton, New Jersey.
1
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NARRATIVES OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA [1634
I would lend them souldiers to goe to warre in company with them, and that I would also, if occasion were, invade the Min- quaos within their owne countrey, upon this condition, that they shall renounce all trade or alliance with all other per- sons, save only his Maties Ministers and subjects, and that they shall be wholy dependant on him, of which they were very joyfull and accepted the conditions and soe wee made a solemne peace, they not long after departed, and it was spread all over the River, that I had made peace with them, and that I was a just man, and would defend them against their enimies the Minquaos. Upon the report heer of some three dayes after, there came to me messengers with a present from two other kings, who lived in a lesser River,1 which falleth into this great River, somewhat neerer the rockes. They told me that their kings desired to make peace with me, according as the other kings their neighbours had done, and that they had some Beaver and Otter skinnes, which they would trucke with me for such commodities as I had. I sent them word that some three days after I would come up to the mouth of that River, where I would desire them to meet mee, and that I would entreat one of those messengers to stay with me, till I were ready to goe, whome I would send to them as soon as I was arrived, and one of them presently offered himself to stay with mee. When the five dayes were expired I sent to the former kings, to let them understand that now I had tar- ried five days expecting the Minquaos and that seeing they came not, I had sent my shallop to seeke them out, but it was returned without any notice of them, and therefore that I thought they were not in the River, wherefore now I would goe up higher into the River to meet with the other kings, whither if they had occasion they should send to mee, and I would send to assist them, desiring them withall to send me a pilot to carrie me to the Rockes. They sent me word they were sorry I was departing from them, neverthelesse they hoped I would shortly returne thither againe, and that if they had occasion they would send to mee, and moreover one of them sent me his Brother in company of my messenger, and commanded him to goe up along with me, and to attend mee, and remayne with me till my returne thither againe, which he
1 Possibly the Schuylkill River.
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RELATION OF THOMAS YONG
did accordingly. As soone as my messengers were come backe, I sett forward and arrived at the mouth of the said River, and not long after I was come to an anchor, about 8 of the clocke in the evening, came the two kings aboard of mee, attended only with some foure or 5 of their principall men, for the rest of their company in regard it was night, I desired them to leave on shoare, till the morning. I entertained them aboard all night, and in the morning early being the 23 of August, the rest of their company came aboard. I gave each of them a present, as I had done to the other kings, which when they had receaved, first the ancient king, and afterward the yonger, called together all their people, and made to them a long ora- tion to this purpose. That wee were a good people. That wee were just. That wee were ready to defend the oppressed from the crueltie of their neighbours. That wee were loving people, as a testimony whereof they shewed the presents I had given them. That wee had brought thither such things as they stood in need of, for which wee desired only Beaver and Otter skinnes, whereof they had to spare. That therefore they comanded them to trade lovingly and freely with our people, that they should be carefull that no injuries were either privately or publikely done to them. That they should use them as friends and Brothers, and that for me in particular they should honor and esteeme of me as a Brother of their kings, and that they should be carefull to carrie themselves dutifully towards mee, with a great deale more complement, then I expresse. This being done my company and the In- dians fell a trucking, while these two kings entered into the game league with me, which the former had done, and then towards evening the elder king went ashore, the yonger remayning aboard with mee. Thither also came two other neighboring kinges, with whom also I made peace. Heere also was the first place, where some of their weomen came aboard our shippes, and heere during the space of five dayes that wee tarried we had continually store of Indians aboard us. One night about one of the clock in the night, there rose an alarme amongst the Indians that lay ashore, that the Minquaos were come upon them; the yonger king was then aboard my ship, who desired me to receave his people aboard till the morning, which I did, setting a good guard upon them and disarming
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