USA > New York > The history of New York from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 3
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1737634
1609.]
INTOXICATED CHIEF.
hurried ashore in their canoes, and did not again return to the ship until noon of the next day, when, finding their chief perfectly restored, they were highly gratified. Renewing their visit in the afternoon, they brought with them presents of tobacco and beads, and sending for a platter of venison, caused Hudson to eat with them. When he had done so, they all departed except the old chief, who still remained on board, in the hope of obtaining another draught of that attrac- tive but poisonous fire-water, the knowledge of which was thus first introduced to the Indians of New York.
The tradition of this scene of intoxication, on the arrival of the first ship, exists among the Iro- quois Indians until this day. One relation trans- fers the locality from Albany to New York, and is as follows: " A long time ago, before men with white skins had ever been seen, some Indians fishing at a place where the sea widens, espied something at a distance moving upon the water. They hurried ashore, collected their neighbours, who together returned and viewed intensely this astonishing phenomenon. What it could be baf- fled all conjecture. Some supposed it a large fish, or animal; others, that it was a very big house floating on the sea. Perceiving it moving toward land, the spectators concluded it would be proper to send runners in different directions to carry the news to their scattered chiefs, that they
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1609.
might send off for the immediate attendance of their warriors. These arriving in numbers to behold the sight, and perceiving that it was ac- tually moving toward them, they conjectured that it must be a remarkably large house, in which the Manitto, or Great Spirit, was coming to visit them. They were much afraid, and yet under no apprehension that the Great Spirit would in- jure them. They worshipped him. The chiefs now assembled at York Island, and consulted in what manner they should receive their Manitto. Meat was prepared for a sacrifice. The women were directed to prepare the best of victuals. Idols or images were examined and put in order. A grand dance they thought would be pleasing, and, in addition to the sacrifice, might appease him if angry.
" The conjurors were also set to work to deter- mine what this phenomenon portended, and what the result would be. To these, men, women, and children looked up for advice and protection. Utterly at a loss what to do, and distracted alter- nately by hope and fear, in their confusion a grand dance commenced. Meantime fresh runners ar- rived, declaring it to be a great house of various colours, and full of living creatures. It now ap- peared certain that it was their Manitto, probably bringing some new kind of game. Others, ar- riving, declared it positively to be full of people of different colour and dress from theirs, and that
37
CURIOUS INTERVIEW.
1609.]
one in particular appeared clothed altogether in red. This then must be the Manitto. They were lost in admiration, and could not imagine what the vessel was, whence it came, or what all this portended.
"They are now hailed from the vessel in a language they could not understand. They an- swer by a shout, or yell, in their way. The large canoe stops. A smaller canoe comes on shore with the red man in it, some stay by his canoe to guard it. The chiefs and wise men form a circle, into which the red man and two attendants ap- proach. He salutes them with a friendly counte- nance, and they return the salute after their man- ner. They are amazed at their colour and dress, particularly with him, who, glittering in red, wore something-perhaps lace and buttons -- they could not comprehend. He must be the Great Manitto, they thought ; but why should he have a white skin ?
" A large, elegant bottle is brought by one of the supposed Manitto's servants, from which a liquid is poured into a small cup or glass, and handed to the Manitto. He drinks, has the glass refilled, and handed to the chief near him. He takes it, smells it, and passes it to the next, who does the same. The glass in this manner is passed round the circle, and is about to be returned to the red clothed man, when one of them, a great warrior, harangues them on the impropriety of
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1609.
returning the cup unemptied. «It was handed to them,' he said 'to drink out of as he had. To follow his example would please him ; to reject it, might provoke his wrath; and, if no one else would, he would drink it himself, let what would follow ; for it was better for one even to die, than that a whole nation should be destroyed.'
" He then took the glass, smelled at it, again addressed them, bidding them adieu, and drank its contents. All eyes were now fixed upon him. He soon began to stagger. The women cried, supposing him in fits. He rolled on the ground. They bemoaned his fate; they thought him dy- ing. He fell asleep. They at first thought he had expired, but soon perceived he still breathed. He awoke, jumped up, and declared he never felt more happy. He asked for more; and the whole assembly imitating him, became intoxicated.
" While this intoxication lasted, the whites confined themselves to their vessel; but when it ceased, the man with red clothes returned, and distributed beads, axes, hoes, and stockings. They soon became familiar, and conversed by signs. The whites made them understand that they would now return home, but the next year they would visit them again with presents, and stay with them a while; but that as they could not live without eating, they should then want a little land to sow seeds, in order to raise herbs to put in their broth.
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INDIANS OUTWITTED.
1609.]
" Accordingly, a vessel returned the season following, when they were much rejoiced to see cach other ; but the whites laughed when they saw the axes and the hoes hanging as ornaments to their breasts, and the stockings used as tobacco pouches. The whites now put handles in the axes, and cut down trees before their eyes, and dug the ground, and showed them the use of the stockings. Here, they say, a general laugh en- sued, to think they had remained ignorant of the use of these things, and had borne so long such heavy metal suspended round their necks. Fa- miliarity daily increasing between them and the whites, the latter now proposed to stay with them, asking them only for so much land as the hide of a bullock, spread before them, could cover or en- compass. They granted the request.
"The whites then took a knife, and beginning at one place on this hide, cut it into a rope not thicker than the finger of a little child. They then took the rope, drew it gently along in a cir- cular form, and took in a large piece of ground. The Indians were surprised at their superior wit, but did not contend with them for a little ground, as they had enough. They lived contentedly together for a long time, but the new-comers from time to time asked for more land, which was readily obtained. And thus they gradually pro- ceeded up the Mahicannittuck, or Hudson River, until they began to believe they would want
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
[1609.
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all their country, which proved eventually the case."
Such is the interesting tradition, of the Iro- quois, of their earliest interviews with the whites, and the incidents which rendered those meetings memorable.
After having passed several days in friendly intercourse and profitable trade with the natives, Hudson, finding he could proceed no higher up the river in his vessel, set out on his return. His ship again grounding opposite the spot where the city of Hudson now stands, and also suffering de- tention for some days by reason of adverse winds, he went ashore and explored the western bank of the river, where he found a rich soil, covered with goodly oak, walnut, chestnut, and cedar trees, with abundance of slate for houses, "and other good stones."
On the 26th, he was visited by two canoes, in one of which came the old chief who had been intoxicated at Albany. He had descended the river thirty miles to testify his love, bringing with him another old man bearing strings of beads as a present. Hudson caused them, and the four women by whom they were accompanied, to dine with him. Two of the latter were young girls, some sixteen or seventeen years of age, who be- haved themselves "very modestly." Dropping down the river on the 27th, he anchored on the 29th in the vicinity of Newburgh, of which he
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41
CRUEL PUNISHMENT.
1609.]
took particular notice, as a "pleasant place to build a town in." Here he remained bartering with the natives, until the afternoon of October 1st, when he sailed with a fair wind through the Highlands, and after descending the river seven leagues, the wind failing, he anchored at the mouth of Haverstraw Bay.
The Indians of the Highlands, whose chief vil- lage was in the vicinity of Anthony's Nosc-a name which has been given to an elevated peak on the east side of the North or Hudson River- soon came crowding on board in great numbers. One of them, dissatisfied with the trifles he had received in payment for his furs, and desirous of displaying to his friends something of a different character, lurked in his canoe about the stern of the ship, for the purpose of carrying off some article or other from this wonderful floating structure.
Watching his opportunity, he clambered up the rudder, and entering the cabin window, stole a pillow and a few articles of wearing apparel. For this act, so venial in a poor ignorant savage, he was immediately shot down by the brutal mate. His companions, panic-stricken, took to flight. In an effort to recover the articles, an- other Indian had one of his hands cut off, and was drowned.
Leaving the scene of this disaster, Hudson con- tinued on his way, stopped for the night off the
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
[1609.
mouth of Croton River, sailed again at daybreak, and descending the river twenty-one miles, came to an anchor near the upper end of the island of Manhattan.
Previous to exploring the great river which now bears his name, Hudson, perhaps in retalia- tion for the death of Colman, had made prisoners of two Manhattan Indians, designing to hold them either as hostages for the future pacific be- haviour of their tribe, or with a view of carrying them to Europe. Opposite West Point, as he went up the river, these prisoners had escaped, and making their way back with all speed to their friends, collected a large party of armed warriors, who lay in wait for the return of the vessel in the neighbourhood of the inlet of Harlem River.
Near to this inlet the ship was now hove to. One of the savages who had escaped, accompanied by many others, came out in two canoes; but not being suffered to approach the vessel, they fell back near the stern, and discharged a volley of arrows at the crew. A fire was immediately re- turned from the vessel, by which two or three of the savages were killed. Finding the numbers on shore increasing, the ship was at once got un- der way. As it moved along, the main body of Indians ran to the point upon which Fort Wash- ington was subsequently erected, and continued the assault by another volley of arrows. The dis- charge from a cannon killing two of them, the
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1609.] HUDSON RETURNS TO EUROPE.
rest fled into the woods; but a dozen of the bold- est speedily returned, and entering a canoe, ad- vanced resolutely against the ship. The cannon was fired a second time, and the ball, passing entirely through the canoe, killed one of the war- riors. A fire from the deck about the same time killing several others, the fight terminated, with the loss of nine Indians. Hudson, soon after, descended to the mouth of the river, and on the 4th of October put to sca, shaping his course south-east by cast.
CHAPTER III.
Hudson returns to Europe-Reaches Dartmouth-Communi- cates with his employers-Sails on a new voyage of discovery -Enters Hudson's Bay-Reaches its southern limit --- Searches for an outlet-Is frozen in-Scarcity of his provi- sions-Mutinous condition of his crew-He sails for the mouth of the bay-Mutiny-Abandonment of Hudson and his companions-Signal retribution-The Dutch traffic with the Indians -- Captain Argall- New explorations - Blok coasts Long Island-Discovers the Housatonic and Connecti- cut Rivers-Returns with Christiaanse to Manhattan -- Forti- fied posts erected at Manhattan and Albany -- May examines the Delaware Bay-Alliance with the Iroquois.
AFTER leaving Sandy Hook, Hudson held a consultation with his crew, as to whether they should continue their search for a new route to the Pacific, or return to Europe. Finding their
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1610.
opinions discordant, he concluded to sail for Amsterdam, and report to his employers. The voyage across the Atlantic was prosperous ; but, as he approached the coast of England, his men became mutinous, and compelled him to put into Dartmouth, where he arrived on the 7th of No- vember, 1609.
He immediately wrote to the directors of the Dutch East India Company, transmitting them his journal, together with an account of his dis- coveries. He also proposed to them the plan of another voyage, which he volunteered to under- take upon certain conditions; but before they had decided whether to accept or decline his offer, the English government forbade him from again entering into the service of the Dutch.
Early the following year, a London company, in whose employ Hudson had made two previous voyages in search of a new route to India, en- gaged him to explore the inlets to the west of Davis's Straits, through one of which it was con- jectured that a passage might be found to the South Sea.
Embarking on board a ship called the Discove- ry, with a crew of twenty-three men, Hudson left Blackwall on the 17th of April, 1610, and pass- ing Greenland, Iceland, and Frobisher's Straits, entered, on the 2d of August, the straits which now bear his name. After having encountered many perils from storms, and driving ice, and a great
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HUDSON FROZEN IN.
1610.]
whirling sea, he penetrated into Hudson's Bay, exulting in the belief that he had found the long- sought passage to the Pacific. Doomed to disap- pointment by reaching at length the southern limit of the bay, he shaped his course northward. Difficulties occurring soon after between himself and his crew, made it necessary for him to cashier both the mate and the boatswain, and advance others to their offices. Disheartened and per- plexed at finding himself embayed, he wasted the remainder of the summer in unavailing efforts to discover an outlet to this great inland sea. Sail- ing to and fro, and with not more than six months' provisions on board, the season became so far advanced, that on the 1st of November, he was compelled to moor his ship in a small cove, where, in ten days, it was completely frozen in. Here they remained, arctic prisoners, until June, 1611.
In the mean time, the difficulties between Hud- son and his crew had increased. For the first few months they subsisted principally on wild fowl; but when these were gone, many of the inen fell sick, and the others, emaciated by want of food, searched the surrounding country, and ate with avidity even the most loathsome things to appease their hunger. At the breaking up of the ice, they received, for the first time, a visit from one of the natives, who, after obtaining some presents, promised to return in a few days; but
ה
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1610.
although anxiously expected, he never came back. Seeing the woods on fire to the south and south- west, Hudson embarked in the shallop with eight men, in the hope of obtaining such supplies from the Indians as would enable him to prosecute his voyage. Disappointed in his endeavours to come up with them, for they fled before him, he re- turned disconsolately to his vessel, and prepared to leave the dreary and inhospitable region which he had wasted seven months in examining.
Dividing among his crew the last remaining bread, amounting only to a pound for each man, he wept while he gave it to them. Quitting his winter harbour about the middle of June, he steered north-west from the mouth of the bay ; but meeting with ice, and baffled by contrary winds, was soon after compelled to come to an anchor.
During the week he was thus detained, the discontent which had for a long time existed among his crew, broke out into open mutiny. Headed by his deposed mate, Henry Green, the mutineers, at daybreak on the 21st of June, seized Hudson, his youthful son, and six seamen, and thrust them into the shallop. A fine moral inci- dent now occurred. Philip Staffe, the carpenter, -a man of a brave, hopeful spirit, and generally beloved-after attempting in vain to turn the conspirators from their purpose, determined, in opposition to their wishes, to share the fate of his commander, whatever that fate might be. The
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HUDSON ABANDONED.
1610.]
wind proving favourable about this time, the an- chor was weighed, and as soon as the ship, having at her stern the shallop, had become partially free from the surrounding ice, the rope was cut, and Hudson and his eight companions were mer- cilessly abandoned, to be swallowed up by the waters of that wild arctic bay which they were the first to discover, to meet a lingering death by starvation, or to fall victims to the fury of the savages, whose fires had been discovered to the south-west. Not one of them was ever heard of after.
This cold-blooded act on the part of the muti- neers was destined to meet with a signal retribu- tion. After beating about for a month, and barely escaping shipwreck on three several occasions, they at length reached, on the 19th of July, the vicinity of Cape Diggs, where they fell in with a number of savages in seven canoes. Being wel- comed with a great show of hospitality, and ap- prehending no treachery, Green, Wilson, and Thomas, the chief conspirators, went ashore the next day, unarmed, to meet the savages, some of whom had gathered on the beach, while others were dancing and gesticulating on the hills be- yond. Two others of the mutineers, Perce and Moter, landed at the same time, and ascended the rocks to gather sorrel. The boat was left in charge of one Prickett, a lame man, who had only been passively implicated in the desertion of Ilud-
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1610.
son and his unfortunate companions. While this guard was seated at the stern, some savages came out from an ambush near by, the leader of whom sprang upon Prickett and wounded him in several places ; but the latter, having succeeded in draw- ing a Scotch dagger, stabbed the savage with so direct an aim that he fell dead on the boat. At this juncture, Green and Wilson, beset on all sides, came staggering across the beach, and tumbled into the boat, mortally wounded. Moter sprang from the rocks into the sea. Perce, badly hurt, fought with a hatchet his way to the boat, pushed it from the shore, and helped Moter in. A cloud of arrows was now poured in upon the fugitives, by one of which Green was shot dead. Wilson and the other wounded, with the excep- tion of Prickett, died the same day, leaving only one of the ringleaders alive, and he perished miserably by famine before the ship reached Eng- land.
Such was the tragic end of Henry Hudson, the renowned arctic discoverer, and the first explorer of the great river of New York, and such the fate of the principal mutineers.
It was not until after the lapse of several years, that the United Provinces laid formal claim to the country watered by the Hudson and its tributa- ries; but in the mean time, a profitable traffic in furs had been carried on with the natives, the ships of the Dutch often wintering at Albany, or
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TRADING-HOUSES ERECTED. -
1614.]
Beaverwyck, as it soon came to be called, where they exchanged with the Iroquois, or Five Na- tions, guns, ammunition, blankets, and trinkets, for the beaver and other valuable skins which were then obtained abundantly in that region.
The first voyage, undertaken in 1610, proving extremely lucrative, led to an extension of the traffic. The Iroquois, bitterly hostile to the French settlement in Canada, cemented a close friendship with the Dutch; while the Manhattans, though the hereditary foes to the Mohawks, the most important of the Five Nations, so far re- laxed their enmity toward the Netherlanders as to permit them to creet trading-houses on their island.
In 1614, Captain Argall, the kidnapper of Po- cahontas, while returning from an expedition against the French settlement at Port Royal, dis- covered a few rude warehouses and huts on the island of Manhattan, and compelled the traders by whom they were occupied to acknowledge the authority of England. The few Dutch residing on the island, being too weak to resist, sought safety by submission; but soon as Argall had taken his departure, they again hoisted their own flag.
A few months previous to this, the States Gene- ral of the Netherlands, having granted to such as should discover new lands an exclusive trade to them for four successive voyages, a company
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1614.
of merchants fitted out five ships for exploration and traffic. The chief command of this little fleet was intrusted to Hendrik Christiaanse, who sailed with three of the vessels on an exploring expedi- tion to the north of Cape Cod, while the remaining two, under Captains Blok and May, steered for the harbour of New York. Shortly after his arrival, the ship commanded by Blok, being ac- cidentally destroyed by fire, he built on the coast a yacht of sixteen tons burden, and passing through the East River, to which he gave the name of IIelle-Gadt, coasted Long Island, and determined its insular situation. Meeting with one of the ships belonging to the squadron of Christiaanse, he embarked on board of it, leaving his yacht to be,used by a fishing party. Having discovered the Housatonic, and explored the Con- necticut, which he called Fresh River, he next examined Narraganset Bay, and finally returned with Christiaanse to the harbour of New York. Here, on the southern point of Manhattan Island, a small fort was erected during the autumn of this year, and in the course of the year following, a similar redoubt, surrounded by a ditch, and mounted by thirteen small pieces of artillery, was erected upon a small island a little below the pre- sent city of Albany.
While Christiaanse and Blok were exploring to the north and east, May steered south and ex- amining the Delaware Bay, gave to the north-
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TREATY WITH THE FIVE NATIONS. -
1617.]
ern cape his own name. His exploration was continued soon after in the new yacht built by Blok, by Hendricksen, who ascended the river as far as the mouth of the Schuylkill.
The chief command of these fortified trading posts thus established was given to Christiaanse, Jacob Elkins, formerly a merchant's clerk in Amsterdam, receiving the appointment of lieu- tenant, or commissary.
The redoubt at the island near Albany, being found subject to overflow during high floods, it was abandoned in 1617, and another fortification constructed soon after on the mainland four miles south. At this place a treaty was concluded be- tween the Dutch and Iroquois, to which the Dela- wares and Mohicans were also parties. This im- portant alliance with the Five Nations was pro- ductive of the most beneficial results, both to the Dutch themselves and to the English, who suc- ceeded them. It was maintained in good faith for many years; and by opposing a barrier of friendly Indians to the encroachments of the French, effectually precluded them from inflicting more than a temporary injury upon the frontier settlements, while it secured a prompt and san- guinary retaliation.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. -
[1618.
CHAPTER IV.
The English Puritans in Holland-First project of a settlement -Agents sent to England to treat with the Virginia Con- pany-Embarkation at Delfthaven-The Mayflower-Acci- dents to the Speedwell-Arrival off Cape Cod-Plymouth settled-Dutch West India Company incorporated-Forts built on the IIudson and the Delaware -- Arrival of Governor Minuits-The first colonists of New Netherland-Increase of the fur trade-Commercial relations with New Plymouth -- Embassy of De Razier-Dutch scheme of colonization-Pro- vision concerning Patroons-Swanandael purchased-Pa- vonia-Renselaerwyk-Colony of De Vries near Henlopen- Its massacre by the savages-Return of De Vries-The colo- ny re-established-Removal of Minuits-Administration of Wouter Van Twiller-Trading-post established on the Con- necticut-Emigration to New England-Settlements on the Connecticut-Difficulties with the Patroons-The manors of Pavonia and Swanandael revert to the company-Removal of Van Twiller-William Keift appointed governor.
WHILE the Dutch were thus busily engaged in profiting by the explorations of Hudson and sub- sequent navigators, a number of English Puritans, who had taken refuge in Amsterdam and Leyden from religious persecution at home, unable to ac- commodate the rigid austerity of their own reli- gious tenets to the looser though more liberal opinions of the Hollanders, determined at length to emigrate to some new country, where they could maintain in its integrity the form of worship to which they were attached, and preserve, at the same time, the morals of their children from cor-
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