USA > New York > New York City > History of the city of New York > Part 20
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I the Fish ' The Clogged in the Fire & The Ser elneves Office & The Great Dock with a bridge over it 5 The Runes of White Hall built by Governou Duncan ' Part of Nulten Island T Pust of Long Island & The Lower Market 9 The Crane IC The Great Flea Market I) The City Arms supported by Pence. 12 The Dutch Church IN The English Chanh It The City Hall IS The Exchange 16 The French Church 17 Upper Market 18 The State a Ship A Must' 20 The Heves f the Provence supported by Plenty 21 Warfs for building Ships 22 The Ferry House to I ony Island 23 A Pen for Oxon & Gallet de. squad for the Market 24 colonel Morris Justes tut tut. Windward
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this is done, the flesh is put into proper vessels and carried to Albany, upon the river Hudson; there the Indians buy them, and reckon them one of their best dishes.
"New York, the capital of a province of the same name, is situated under 40° 40' north latitude and 4' west longi- tude from London, and is about ninety-seven English miles distant from Philadelphia. The situation of it is extreme- ly advantageous for trade; for the town stands upon a point which is formed by two bays, into one of which the river Hudson discharges itself, not far from the town. New York is therefore, on three sides, surrounded with water. The ground it is built on is level in some parts and hilly in others. The place is generally reckoned very healthy.
" The town was first founded by the Dutch; this, it is said, was done in the year 1623, when they were yet mas- ters of the country; they called it New Amsterdam. The English, toward the end of the year 1664, taking posses- sion, gave the name of New York to both the city and country. In size it comes nearest to Boston and Philadel- phia; but with regard to its fine buildings, its opulence and extensive commerce, it disputes the preference with them.
" The streets do not run so straight as those of Phila- delphia, and have some times considerable bendings; how- ever, they are very spacious and well built, and most of them are paved, excepting in high places, where it has been found useless. In the chief streets there are trees planted, which in summer give them a fine appearance, and during the excessive heat at that time, afford a cooling shade. I found it extremely pleasant to walk in the town, for it seemed quite like a garden. The trees which are planted for this purpose are chiefly of two kinds; the
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water beech is the most numerous, and gives an agreeable shade in summer by its large and numerous leaves. The locust tree is likewise frequent; its fine leaves and the odoriferous scent which exhales from its flowers, make it very proper for being planted in the streets, near the houses, and in gardens. There are likewise lime trees and elms in these walks, but they are not, by far, so frequent as the others. One seldom meets with trees of the same sort adjoining each other, they being in general placed alter. nately.
" Besides numbers of birds of all kinds which make these trees their abode, there are likewise a kind of frogs which frequent them in great numbers during the summer. They are very clamorous in the evening, and in the nights (espe- cially when the days have been hot, and a rain is expected,) and in a manner drown the singing of the birds. They frequently make such a noise that it is difficult for a person to make himself heard.
" Most of the houses are built of bricks, and are gener- ally strong and neat, and several stories high; some have, according to the old architecture, turned the gable end toward the street, but the new houses are altered in this respect. Many of the houses have a balcony on the roof, on which the people sit in the evenings, in the summer time; and from thence they have a pleasant view of a great part of the town, and likewise of part of the adjacent water, and of the opposite shore. The roofs are commonly covered with tiles or shingles, the latter of which are made of the white fir tree, which grows higher up in the country. The inhabitants are of opinion that a roof, made of these shingles, is as durable as one made of white cedar. The walls of the houses are whitewashed within, and I did
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not anywhere see hangings, with which the people in this country seem in general to be little acquainted. The walls are quite covered with all sorts of drawings and pictures, in small frames. On each side of the chimneys they usu- ally have a sort of alcove, and the wall under the window is wainscoted, with benches near the window. The al- coves, as well as all of the wood-work, are painted with a bluish-gray color.
"Toward the sea, on the extremity of the promontory, is a pretty good fortress, called Fort George, which entirely commands the port, and can defend the town, at least from a sudden attack on the sea side. Besides that, it is secured on the north, or toward the land side, by a palisade; which, however, (as for a considerable time the people have had nothing to fear from an enemy) is in many places in a very bad state of defence.
" There is no good water to be met with in the town it- self; but at a little distance there is a large spring of good water, which the inhabitants take for their tea, and for the uses of the kitchen. Those, however, who are less delicate on this point make use of the water from the wells in town, though it be very bad. This want of good water lies heavy upon the horses of the strangers that come to this place, for they do not like to drink the water from the wells in the town.
" The port is a good one -- ships of great burthen can lie in it quite close up to the bridge; but its water is very salt, as the sea continually comes in upon it, and therefore is never frozen except in extraordinary cold weather. This is of great advantage to the city and its commerce; for many ships either come in or go out of the port at any time of the year, unless the wind be contrary. The har-
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bor is secured from all violent hurricanes from the south- east by Long Island, which is situated just before the town; therefore only the storms from the south-west are dangerous to the ships which ride at anchor here, because the port is open only on that side. New York probably carries on a more extensive commerce than any town in the English North American provinces; at least it may be said to equal them. Boston and Philadelphia, however, come very nearly up to it. The trade of New York extends to many places, and it is said they send more ships from thence to London than they do from Philadelphia. They export to that capital all the various sorts of skins, which they buy of the Indians-sugar, logwood and other dye- ing woods; rum, mahogany, and many other goods which are the produce of the West Indies. Every year they build several ships here, which are sent to London, and there sold; and of late years they have shipped a great quantity of iron to England. In return for these they import from London stuffs and every other article of Eng- lish growth and manufacture, together with all sorts of foreign goods. England, and especially London, profits immensely by the trade.
" New York sends many ships to the West Indies, with flour, corn, biscuit, timber, boards, flesh, fish, butter, and other provisions, together with some few of the fruits that grow here. Many ships go to Boston, in New England, with flour and corn, and take in exchange flesh, butter, timber, different sorts of fish, and other articles, which they carry further, to the West Indies; they now and then take rum from thence. There is also some trade with Philadelphia. Some times ships, wanting freight in Eng- land, take in coals for ballast; which, when brought here,
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sell for a pretty good price, as many persons use them both for the kitchen and parlor fires, considering them cheaper than wood.
" I cannot make a just estimate of the ships that an- nually come to this town, or sail from it. But I have found that from the 1st of December, in 1729, to the 5th of December, in the next year, two hundred and eleven ves- sels entered the port of New York, and two hundred and twenty-two cleared it; and since that time there has been a great increase of trade here.
"There are two printers in the town, and every week some gazettes, in English, are published, which contain news from all parts of the world.
" The winter is much more severe here than in Philadel- phia; the snow lies for some months together on the ground, and sledges are made use of. The river Hudson is about a mile and a half broad at this point, and the tide ebbs and flows six or seven feet; yet the ice stands in it not only one, but even several months. It has sometimes a thickness of more than two feet.
" The inhabitants are sometimes greatly troubled with mosquitoes; they either follow the hay, which is made near the town, in the low meadows, which are quite pene- trated with salt water, or they accompany the cattle when brought home at evening. I have myself experienced and have observed in others, how much these little animalculæ can disfigure a person's face during a single night; for the skin is sometimes so covered over with little blisters, from their stings, that people are ashamed to appear in public.
"The water-melons, which are cultivated near the town, grow very large. They are extremely delicious, and are better than in other parts of North America, though they
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are planted in the open fields, and never in a hot-bed. I saw a water-melon at Governor Clinton's, in 1750, which weighed forty-seven English pounds, and another at a merchant's in town of forty-two pounds weight. How- ever they were reckoned the largest ever seen in the country."
The Rev. Mr. Burnaby, who visited the city about the same period, says:
" The inhabitants of New York, in their character, very much resemble the Pennsylvanians. More than half of them are Dutch, and almost all traders. They are there- fore habitually frugal, industrious and parsimonious. Being, however, of different nations, different languages, and different religions, it is almost impossible to give them any precise or determinate character. The women are handsome and agreeable, though rather more reserved than the Philadelphia ladies. The amusements are balls and sleighing expeditions in the winter, and in the summer going in parties upon the water and fishing, or making excursions into the country. There are several houses, pleasantly situated up the East river, near New York, where it is common to have turtle feasts. These happen once or twice in a week. Thirty or forty gentlemen and ladies, meet and dine together, drink tea in the afternoon, fish and amuse themselves till evening, and then return home in Italian chaises, (the fashionable carriage in this and most parts of America, Virginia excepted, where they chiefly make use of coaches, and these commonly drawn by six horses,) a gentleman and lady in each chaise."
The following is the description given of this city in the year 1756, by Mr. Smith, the historian :
" The island is very narrow, not a mile wide at a me-
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dium, and about fourteen miles in length. The south-west point projects into a fine spacious bay, nine miles long and about four in breadth, at the confluence of the waters of Hudson river and the strait between Long Island and the northern shore. The Narrows at the south end of the bay is scarce two miles wide, and opens the ocean to full view. The passage up to New York from Sandy Hook, a point that extends farthest into the sea, is safe, and not above five and twenty miles in length. The common navigation is between the east and west banks in two or three and twenty feet water. But it is said that an eighty gun ship may be brought up, through a narrow, winding, unfre- quented channel, between the north end of the east bank and Coney Island.
" The city has, in reality, no natural basin or harbor. The ships lie off in the road, on the east side of the town, which is docked out, and better built than the west side, because the freshets in Hudson river fill it in some winters with ice.
"The city of New York consists of about two thousand five hundred buildings. It is a mile in length and not above half that in breadth. Such is its figure, its centre of business, and the situation of the houses, that the mean cartage from one part to another does not exceed above one quarter of a mile, than which nothing can be more ad- vantageous to a trading city.
" It is thought to be as healthy a spot as any in the world. The east and south parts in general are low, but the rest is situated on a dry elevated soil. The streets are irregular, but being paved with round pebbles, are clean, and lined with well-built brick houses, many of which are covered with tiled roofs.
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" No part of America is supplied with markets abound- ing with greater plenty and variety. We have beef, pork, mutton, poultry, butter, wild fowl, venison, fish, roots and herbs of all kinds in their seasons. Our oysters are a considerable article in the support of the poor. Their beds are within view of the town. A fleet of two hundred small craft are often seen there at a time, when the weather is mild in winter; and this single article is computed to be worth annually ten or twelve thousand pounds.
" This city is the metropolis and grand mart of the prov- ince, and, by its commodious situation, commands also all the trade of the western part of Connecticut and that of New Jersey. No season prevents our ships from launching out into the ocean. During the greatest severity of the winter, an equal, unrestrained activity runs through all ranks, orders and employments.
"Upon the south-west point of the city stands the fort, which is a square, with four bastions. Within the walls is the house in which our governors usually reside, and opposite to it brick barracks, built formerly for the inde- pendent companies. The governor's house is in height three stories, and fronts to the west, having from the second story, a fine prospect of the bay and Jersey shore. At the south end there was formerly a chapel, but this was burnt down in the negro conspiracy of the spring of 1741. Ac- cording to Governor Burnet's observation, this fort stands in the latitude of 42° 42' north.
" Below the walls of the garrison, near the water, we have lately raised a line of fortifications, which commands the entrance into the eastern road and the mouth of Hud- son's river. This battery is built of stone, and the merlons consist of cedar joists filled in with earth. It mounts
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ninety-two cannon, and these are all the works we have to defend us. About six furlongs south-east of the fort lies Nutten Island, containing about one hundred or one hundred and twenty acres, reserved by an act of assembly as a sort of demesne for the governors, upon which it is proposed to erect a strong castle, because an enemy might from thence easily bombard the city, without being annoyed either by our battery or the fort. During the late war a line of palisadoes was run from Hudson's to the East river at the other end of the city, with block houses at small distances. The greater part of these still remain as a monument of our folly, which cost the government about eight thousand pounds.
" The inhabitants of New York are a mixed people, but mostly descended from the original Dutch planters. There are two churches in which religious worship is performed in that language. The old building is of stone,* and ill built, ornamented within by a small organ loft and brass branches. The new churcht is a very heavy edifice, has a very extensive area, and was completed in 1729. It has no galleries, and yet will perhaps contain a thousand or twelve hundred auditors. The steeple of this church affords a most beautiful prospect, both of the city beneath, and of the surrounding country. The Dutch congregation is more numerous than any other; but, as the language becomes disused, it is much diminished; and unless they change their worship into the English tongue, must soon suffer a total dissipation. They have at present two min- isters, the reverend Messrs. Ritzma and De Ronde, who are strict Calvinists. Their church was incorporated on the 11th of May, 1696, by the name of the minister, elders and deacons of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of
* Garden street Church.
t The present Post Office.
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the city of New York; and its estate, after the expiration of sundry long leases, will be worth a very great income.
" There are besides the Dutch, two Episcopal churches in this city, upon the plan of the established church in South Britain. Trinity Church was built in 1696, and afterward enlarged in 1737. It stands very pleasantly upon the banks of Hudson's river, and has a large ceme- tery on each side, inclosed in front by a painted paled fence. Before it a long walk is railed off from the Broad- way, the pleasantest street of any in the whole town. This building is about one hundred and forty-eight feet long, including the tower and chancel, and seventy-two feet in breadth. The steeple is one hundred and seventy-five feet in height. The church within is ornamented beyond any other place of public worship among us. The head of the chancel is adorned with an altar piece, and opposite to it, at the other end of the building, is the organ. The tops of the pillars, which support the galleries, are decked with gilt busts of angels, winged. From the ceiling are sus- pended two glass branches, and on the walls hang the arms of some of its principal benefactors. The aisles are paved with flat stones. The present rector of this church is the Rev. Henry Barclay, formerly a missionary among the Mohawks, who receives one hundred pounds a-year, levied upon all the other clergy and laity in the city, by virtue of an act of assembly, procured by Governor Fletcher. He is assisted by Dr. Johnson and Mr. Auchmuty.
" This congregation, partly by the arrival of strangers, but principally by proselytes from the Dutch churches, is become so numerous that, though the old building will contain two thousand hearers, yet a new one was erected in 1752. This, called St. George's Chapel, is a very great
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edifice, faced with hewn stone and tiled; the steeple is lofty but irregular, and its situation in a new, crowded and ill built part of the town.
" The revenue of Trinity Church is restricted, by an act of Assembly, to five hundred pounds per annum; but it is possessed of a real estate at the north end of the town, which, having been lately divided into lots, and let to farm, will, in a few years, produce a much greater in- come.
"The Presbyterians, increasing after Lord Cornbury's return to England, called Mr. Anderson, a Scotch minister, to the pastoral charge of their congregation. And Dr. John Nicol, Patrick Macknight, Gilbert Livingston and Thomas Smith, purchased a piece of ground and founded a church in 1719. Two years afterward they petitioned Colonel Schuyler, who had then the chief command, for a charter of incorporation to secure their estate for religious worship, upon the plan of the Church of North Britain; but were disappointed in their expectations through the opposition of the Episcopal party. After several years' solicitation for a charter, in vain, and fearful that those who obstructed such a reasonable request, would watch an opportunity to give them a more effectual wound, those among the Presbyterians, who were invested with the fee simple of the church and ground, conveyed it, on the 16th of March, 1730, to a committee of the Church of Scotland. This committee gave the Presbyterian inhabitants of New York a right to pursue religious worship in the church. Mr. Anderson was succeeded, in April, 1727, by the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, a man of polite breeding, pure morals, and warm devotion, under whose labors the con- gregation greatly increased, and were enabled to raise a
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new edifice in 1748. This was built of stone, and railed off from the street. It was in length eighty feet, and in breadth sixty. The steeple raised on the south-west end is, in height, one hundred and forty-five feet.
" The French Church, by the contentions of 1724, and the disuse of the language, is now reduced to an inconsid- erable handful. The building, which is of stone, is nearly a square-plain, both within and without. It is fenced from the street, has a steeple and a bell, the latter of which was the gift of Sir Henry Ashurst of London. The present minister, Mr. Carle, is a native of France, and succeeded Mr. Rou in 1754.
" The German Lutheran churches are two. Both their places of worship are small; one of them has a cupola and a bell.
" The Quakers have a meeting-house, and the Moravians, a new sect among us, a church, consisting principally of female proselytes from other societies. Their service is in the English tongue.
" The Anabaptists assemble at a small meeting-house, but have as yet no regular settled congregation.
"The Jews, who are not inconsiderable for their num- bers, worship in a synagogue erected in a very private part of the town, plain without but very neat within.
" English is the most prevailing language among us, but not a little corrupted by the Dutch dialect, which is still so much used in some counties, that the sheriffs find it diffi- cult to obtain persons sufficiently acquainted with the English tongue, to serve as jurors in the courts of law.
" In the city of New York, through our intercourse with the English, we follow the London fashions; though by the time we adopt them, they become disused in England. Our
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affluence during the late war, introduced a degree of lux- ury in tables, dress and furniture, with which we were before unacquainted. . But still we are not so gay a people as our neighbors, at Boston, and several of the southern colonies. The Dutch counties, in some measure, follow the example of New York, but still retain many modes peculiar to Hollanders.
" The city of New York consists principally of mer- chants, shop-keepers and tradesmen, who sustain the repu- tation of honest, punctual and fair dealers. With respect to riches, there is not so great an inequality among us, as is common in Boston and some other places. Every man of industry and integrity has it in his power to live well, and many are the instances of persons who came here distressed by their poverty, who now enjoy easy and plen- tiful fortunes.
"New York is one of the most social places on the con- tinent. The men collect themselves into weekly evening clubs. The ladies, in winter, are frequently entertained, either at concerts of music or assemblies, and make a very good appearance. They are comely and dress well, and scarce any of them have distorted shapes. Tinctured with a Dutch education, they manage their families with becoming parsimony, good providence, and singular neat- ness. The practice of extravagant gaming, common to the fashionable part of the fair sex in some places, is a vice with which my country women cannot justly be charged. There is nothing they so generally neglect as reading, and indeed all the arts for the improvement of the mind, in which, it must be confessed, the men have set them an example. They are modest, temperate and chari- table, naturally sprightly, sensible and good-humored; and,
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by the help of a more elevated education, would possess all the accomplishments desirable in the sex. Our schools are in the lowest order; the instructors want instruction, and through a long, shameful neglect of all the arts and sciences, our common speech is extremely corrupt, and the evidences of a bad taste, both as to thought and language, are visible in all our proceedings, public and private.
" The people, both in town and country, are sober, industrious and hospitable, though intent upon gain. The richer sort keep very plentiful tables, abounding with great varieties of fish, flesh; fowl, and all kinds of vegeta- bles. The common drinks are beer, cider, weak punch and Madeira wine; for desert we have fruits, in vast plenty, of different kinds and various species.
" The inhabitants are in general healthy and robust, taller, but shorter-lived than Europeans, and both with respect to their minds and bodies, arrive sooner to an age of maturity. Breathing a serene, dry air, they are more sprightly in their natural tempers than the people of Eng- land; and hence instances of suicide here are very uncom- mon. The situation of New York, with respect to trade, is very advantageous; but our merchants are compared to a hive of bees, who industriously gather honey for others -non vobus mellificatis apes-for the profits of our trade centre chiefly in Great Britain; and for that reason, me- thinks, among others, we ought always to receive the gen- erous aid and protection of our mother country. Our importation of dry goods, from England, is so vastly great that we are obliged to betake ourselves to all possible arts to make remittances to the British merchants. It is for this purpose we import cotton from St. Thomas and Suri- nam, lime juice and Nicaragua wood from Curacoa, and
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