HISTORY OF NEW-JERSEY.

CHAP. XXIX.

The Dutch settled E. Jersey, and the Swedes and Finns W. Jersey; grant of this territory by Charles II. to the duke of York, and by him to others; Lands purchased of the Indians; The Dutch and Swedes inhabit the country together; Indian murders, causes and effects of them; character and customs of the Indians; The Dutch conquered the country, but soon relinquished it; new Patent division into East and West Jersey; sold to Fenwick, who makes the first English settlement in Jersey; New partition of the country; New grant of West Jersey, and sale of East Jersey; Difficulties in managing the government; Surrendered to the crown 1702; Remained a royal government, till it became in 1776, an independent state. The patriotism and sufferings of its inhabitants during the war; College and Theological Seminary at Princeton.

THE first settlers of New-Jersey were a number of Dutch emigrants, who came over between the years 1614, and 1620, and settled in the county of Bergen, on the west side of Hudson's river, opposite New-York. Next after these, in 1627, came over a colony of Swedes and Finns, and settled on the river Delaware, below Philadelphia. They afterwards purchased of the Indians, the land on both sides of New Swedeland stream, (now called Delaware river) from cape Henlopen to the falls at Trenton; and by pres ents to the Indian chiefs, obtained peaceable possession of it. The settlers of New-Jersey appear to have been scrupulous on the subject of purchasing their lands of the In

dians, which is the more creditable to them as there were but few Indians within their territories. The Dutch and Swedes though not in harmony with each other, kept possession, each of their respective territories many years.

In 1668, the Mantas Indians murdered 7 persons. On hearing this news, the Indians in the vicinity desired that there should be an absolute prohibition upon the whole river, of selling strong liquor to the Indians generally; the late murders having been probably the consequence of a drunken frolic; this is the more likely, as the whole body of the Indians in the first settled part of the lands on Delaware, afterwards, through a long course of years manifested an open, hospitable disposition toward the English, and generally manifested no hostile designs.

The year following, Gov. Carteret made a purchase of the lands of the Indians, for "funds inconsiderable," for the security of the settlements. For though the Indians in their vicinity were not numerous, they were "strong in their alliances, and besides of themselves could easily annoy the frontier settlers; and there having been before several considerable skirmishes between the Dutch and them, in which some blood had been spilt, their friendship, on this consideration, it was thought, stood but ticklish: upon the whole, the governor so ordered it that the comers were either to purchase of the Indians themselves, or if the lands were before purchased, they were to pay their proportions. The event answered his expectation; for as the Indians parted with the lands to their own satisfaction, they became, of a jealous, shy people, serviceable, good neighbours; and though the circulation of reports of their coming to kill the white people, sometimes disturbed their repose, no instance occurs of their hurting them in those early settlements."*

* Smith's Hist. New-Jersey.

New-Jersey was originally inhabited by many small Indian tribes, distinguished by the names of the creeks on which they resided. Among them were the Assunpink, i.e. Stoney Creek Indians; the Rankokas, the Mingos, the Andastakas, the Neshamines, and the Mantas, or Frogs, who lived about Burlington. These and other tribes were distinguished from the back Indians, who bore the general name of Delawares, and who were more warlike. On the banks of the Delaware, below the falls, are monuments of forts erected against their incursions. Mr. Smith, in his history of New-Jersey, gives the following account of the tribes within this province. We quote this account more fully, because, from it, the reader may form some pretty correct ideas of the Indians generally throughout our country.

"When they buried their dead, it was customary to put family utensils, bows and arrows, and sometimes money, (wampum) into the grave with them, as tokens of their affection. When a person of note died far from the place of his own residence, they would carry his bones to be buried there; they washed and perfumed the dead, painted the face, and followed singly; left the dead in a sitting posture, and covered the grave pyramidically. They were very careful in preserving and repairing the graves of their dead, and pensively visited them; did not love to be asked their judgment twice about the same thing. They generally delighted in mirth; were very studious in observing the vir tues of roots and herbs, by which they usually cured themselves of many bodily distempers, both by outward and inward applications. They besides frequently used sweating,

* A sachem of this tribe was observed to look intently at the great eomet which appeared Oct. 1680. When asked what he thought of it; he answered gravely, "It signifies that we Indians shall melt away, and this country be inhabited by another people."

and the cold bath. They had an aversion to beards, and would not suffer them to grow; but plucked the hair out by the roots. The hair of their heads was black, and generally shone with bear's fat, particularly that of the women, who tied it up behind in a large knot; sometimes in a bag. "They were very loving to one another; if several of them came to a christian's house, and the master of it gave one of them victuals, and none to the rest, he would divide it into equal shares amongst his companions; if the christians visited them, they would give them the first cut of their victuals; they would not eat the hollow of the thigh of any thing they killed.

"Their chief employment was hunting, fishing, and fowling; making canoes, bowls, and other wooden and earthen ware; in all which they were, considering their means, ingenious; In their earthen bowls they boiled their water. Their women's business chiefly consisted in planting Indian corn, parching or roasting it, pounding it to meal in mor tars, or breaking it between stones, making bread, and dressing victuals; in which they were sometimes observed to be very neat and cleanly, and sometimes otherwise. They also made mats, ropes, hats and baskets, (some very curious) of wild hemp and roots, or splits of trees; their young women were originally very modest and shame-faced, and at marriageable ages distinguished themselves with a kind of worked mats, of red or blue bays, interspersed with small rows of white and black wampum, or half rows of each in one, fastened to it, and then put round the head, down to near the middle of the forehead. Both young and old women would be highly offended at indecent expressions, unless corrupted with drink.

"The Indians would not allow of mentioning the name of a friend after death. They sometimes streaked their faces with black, when in mourning; but when their affairs went

well, they painted red. They were great observers of the weather by the moon; delighted in fine clothes; were punctual in their bargains, and observed this so much in others, that it was very difficult for a person who had once failed herein, to get any dealings with them afterwards. In their councils they seldom or never interrupted or contradicted one another, till two of them had made an end of their discourse; for if ever so many were in company, only two must speak to each other, and the rest be silent till their turn. Their language was high, lofty, and sententious. Their way of counting was by tens, that is to say, two tens, three tens, four tens, &c when the number got out of their reach, they pointed to the stars, or the hair of their heads.

"They lived chiefly on maize, or Indian corn roasted in the ashes, sometimes beaten and boiled with water, called hominy; they also made an agreeable cake of their pounded corn; and raised beans and pease; but the woods and rivers afforded them the chief of their provisions. They pointed their arrows with a sharpened flinty stone, and of a larger sort, with withs for handles, cut their wood; both of these sharpened stones are often found in the fields. Their times of eating were commonly morning and evening; their seats and tables the ground. They were naturally reserved, apt to resent, to conceal their resentments, and retain them long; they were liberal and generous, kind and affable to the English. They were observed to be uneasy and impatient in sickness for a present remedy, to which they commonly drank a decoction of roots in spring water, forbearing flesh, which if they then eat at all, it was of the female. They took remarkable care of one another in sickness, while hopes of life remained; but when that was gone, some of them were apt to neglect the patient.

"Their government was monarchical and successive, and mostly of the mother's side, to prevent a spurious