may be kept here between his Majesty's naturalborn subjects and foreigners, which latter are the most prevailing part of this government."

It may be borne in mind, that, twenty-three years before the date of this report, the English were the foreigners, who with "villanous saltpetre subjugated the Knickerbockers, the natural-born subjects of the king of the "United Netherlands;" and took possession of the territory, then belonging to the unsophisticated Dutchmen. Governor Dongan certainly had good grounds of apprehension. The Governor was evidently a strong advocate for a protective tariff, for says he

"For the regulation of our trade we have made several rules among ourselves, the chief of which is that no goods of the product of Europe or West Indies be imported into this province, unless it were directly from England, or such part of the West Indies where such commodities were produced, without paying as a custom to his Majesty 10 per cent.

The first John Smith that we find recorded in this city, and probably the progenitor of that numerous race of republican citizens, of which the city directory of the present day bears ample record, was an office-holder, having been "brought out of England" by Mr. Lucas Santon, a collector of his Majesty's revenue, to act as his deputy-bookkeeper and surveyor. Mr. Robert Livingston was appointed deputy-collector at Albany. The Governor also made Mr. Livingston town clerk, in order" that both places might together af ford him a competent maintenance."

By the following scrap it appears that public officers in those days, like some of the present, were no more honest than they ought to be.

"At Esopus, one Thomas Garton was made collector and receiver, who, as I find by Mr. Santon's acct. had not accounted to him for

these three years past. Upon which I was forced to send an order of Council for his coming hither with his accts.,-who, when he came gave in a scroll of paper containing a confused account of about £200, pretending that his accounts, together with a great deal of corn and peltry by him collected and received for his Majesty's customs, excise, quitrents, were burnt in his house, so that all the Council and I could get from him, for three years and a-half past, was a bond of £200."

Another of this class was one Collins, of Westchester, who had paid nothing but two bonds, which, the Governor says, "I look upon to be nothing, and all the revenue of that county lost, the man having hardly bread to put in

Our staid friends of Long Island must not consider us libelous when we inform them that their ancestors are set down as great lovers of the "crathure," for Governor Dongan in this report, says:

"The first year there was £52 offered for the excise of Long Island, but I thought it unreasonable, it being the best peopled place in this government, and wherein there's great consumption of Rum, and therefore I gave commission to Mr. Nichols and Mr. Vaughton to gather it."

He also rates the people of Long Island, like those of New England, as being "refractory, and very loath to have any commerce with this place," a character which, we are glad to say, was not fated to longevity with them.

It is a clear case that Dutch spunk did not mix well with British arrogance, since those who were settled on Long Island, were not only loath to trade with their conquerors in Gotham, but added insult to injury, by refusing to take their money, and carried on their trade secretly with Boston. In consequence of this, the Governor issued an order, compelling all who traded with New England, to enter and clear from the port of New-York, and for the enforcement of the order writes the Governor :

"I have bought a bark that cruiseth there, (in Long Island Sound,) with a master, two seamen, a sergeant and six soldiers from the garrison, for which the soldiers are allowed no more than their former allowance: (a humane exthan their pay, except a little provision more ception, proportioned to the change of appetite consequent on inhaling the salt atmosphere.] The master and two seamen I have listed in the company also, and allow them something more than soldier's pay."

Our friend "John Smith," mentioned above, subsequently became a defaulter, and was turned out of his office; and to complete the miseries of poor Dongan, Mr. Santon himself not only fell terribly short in his accounts, but actually become so impertinent that his friend the Governor was compelled to forbid him his presence. He was also removed for his defalcations as collector of the port, so that our moderns, who happen to fall into the same predicament from the same cause, may point to home precedents near two hundred years back. Sufficient for the nonce of musty records; we shall look into them again hereafter.

BY WILLIAM

WALCUTT.

My grandfather died when I was very young, yet I have a distinct recollection of his majestic figure-six feet and three inches in height with his long, brown coat, broadbrimmed hat turned up on the sides, and white hair hanging in ringlets over his shoulders, as he walked along with soldier-like precision, or sat by the large chimney, telling us stories of the American Revolution. Many of these stories are still fresh in my memory; one of which I will endeavor to relate.

At the battle of Guilford Court House, either by pushing ahead with too much eagerness, or by becoming, in the excitement of the moment, separated from the rest of the army, he, with four others, were surrounded and made prisoners. The army of Lord Cornwallis, having undergone a long and unprofitable march after General Green -to facilitate which he had ordered the destruction of all the baggage belonging to the camp, and, as a matter of consequence, after failing in his object, was obliged to perform as long a retreat over the same ground he had passed-found himself almost destitute of all supplies, which may be some excuse for his conduct.

'My companions," said my grandfather, "and myself were placed, for safe keeping, in a small stable, without a roof. The weather was unusually cold, and, being poorly clad and having no blankets, we were obliged to huddle ourselves together like hogs, to keep, in any degree, warm. Besides, we were furnished with no food, and, remaining in this condition for three days, our hunger became so great, that we begged for the body of an old ewe that had died giving birth to lambs. The humane sentinel threw it in to us, and we ate of it ravenously. Several more days passed, without our case being bettered, and, in despair, we made up our minds that the Englishmen were determined we should die by starvation and cold. We, therefore, determined to endeavor to make our escape, concluding that if we were killed in the attempt, it would be altogether better and more manly than to perish by degrees with cold and hunger. Having formed our plan, we

asked the sentinel for the privilege of taking up the floor, so that we might lie on the fine manure and hay that had sifted between the boards, to keep us from freezing. He consented, and, with the pretext that we could not move the floor, we asked him for an axe, to enable us to take it up. He passed us the axe, and then splitting the boards, which were of two inch oak, into long strips, we sharpened the ends and rounded the corners, making and arming ourselves each with a very respectable and formidable pike. We were much reduced and weak from hunger, although accustomed to such privations; but our success, so far, inspired us with strength, and we waited with great anxiety for night, to put our plan into execution. Darkness at last fell around us, and the noise of the camp died away to a low hum. Some gathered in groups, and related their adventures around the fires; most stretched themselves to rest, and the watchful sentinels paced to and fro on their lonely beats. At a given signal we scaled, almost with a bound, our prison walls, and made in a body, with pikes at charge, towards that part of the camp-looking through the openings between the logs-we had considered the most vulnerable. The alarm was soon given, officers ordered to arms, and soldiers rose up as by magic. We were in the midst of the camp, and they could not fire upon us, without endangering themselves; but they rushed upon us with the deadly bayonet. Our wooden pikes proved the better weapons for the occasion, for using them with desperate power, we kept the way clear as we rushed forward, and woe to him who stepped into our path; down he went, dead or horribly wounded. We escaped outside the lines unscathed, and then followed us, volley after volley of muskets from those in pursuit. But their fire fell short, or passed harmless over our heads; and the hope of freedom adding wings to our feet, we soon left the log prison, the British camp, and our pursuers far behind. The next day we joined General Green, were received with a shout, as we entered with our wooden pikes, by our comrades, and lived to fight many another battle for Liberty.

THERE is a tradition yet extant among the Ottawas, a remnant of that "noble race," our country's aborigines, that goes far to give plausibility, or to confirm, at least among themselves, the truth or origin of those singular musical sounds that at certain periods of the year are so strongly conveyed to the ear of the listener, as he visits for this purpose, at eventide, the extremity of Stony Point.

This densely wooded and beautiful point of land, is situated at the western extremity of Lake Erie, jutting far into its waters; and though hardly a stone's throw in width, is truly a romantic spot. The shore along either side is a beautiful sand beach, that; gradually descending beneath the waters, is dotted here and there with the pebbled home of the perch, roach and sunfish. As you approach the point from the mainland, the sands almost imperceptibly give place to the coarse gravel, which in its turn is lost among the smooth round pebbles that pave its eastern extremity. Its vegetation is a beautiful growth of all forest trees, principally rock maple, but with here and there an elm, hickory or ash, their highest tops canopied with gigantic grapevines, yielding their annual purple gift in prodigal profusion, inviting in their season, not only the prettiest of the feathered tribe, but the sweetest specimens of the last great work of Deity.

It has long been known, that during the evenings following a few of the days of middle autumn, when a gentle breeze had been felt from off the land during the afternoon, a phenomenon, worthy the attention of the curious, occurs at this locality. The land breeze, which along the whole shore of the lake is felt in the evening and early part of the night, is at this point, and for nearly one-fourth of a mile on either side, completely reversed, and the passerby in his little skiff, almost fancies himself turned hurriedly around, so rapid is the change from a zephyr to an easterly wind. If then he chooses to make a landing on either side of the point, and leaving his bark, passes silently along towards "the sacred shore," and stooping down, brings his ear near the water line,

he hears the sweet melody of the lake! 'Tis not the music of the tiny ripple upon the polished surfaces of myriads of brilliants that compose this pebbled shore; nor is it the whispering of the gentle breeze, to the dreaming tenants of the forests boughs; but a low, sweet, though moaning, melancholy tone, full of changes, like the soft flow of music from an Æolian string, is poured out, as wave succeeds to wave, until the ear tires, and the heart sickens with its wailing, plaintive melody.

But the listener has only to raise his ear a single foot from the surface, and all those varied sounds are gone! again dropping the ear, the same mysterious harmony is heard! and in this fact, so well authenticated, lies hidden, a singular mystery.

Seven times have I visited this spot by moonlight, and five times have I and my companions listened with wonder and astonishment to this musical phenomenon! But to the cause of this, for there must be a cause; and yet science, observation, and even conjecture, have thus far totally failed in furnishing a solution of the mystery.

Twenty-two years ago, on the tenth of October, I encamped with a companion for a single night on Stony Point. In our immediate vicinity were three rude, bark huts, occupied by some eight or nine poor, emaciated, old and worn-out specimens of the Indian race; not a female nor child was there; not a single blanket or rush-mat lined the interior of their cabins! Not a gun, nor trap, nor hatchet, nor spear, nor anything that usually constitutes the wealth of the Indian, was there! And as now and then they would leave their huts for a few moments at a time, and wander among the old trees, they looked like gaunt spectres of an ancient race. We offered them food, for they seemed utterly destitute; but not one of them would so much as touch it, and yet telling us they had not tasted food for five days, but that this was their last day of fasting; "for now," says one of them, “the wind that wakes up the spirit's breath, is blowing," and raising his hand, destitute however of three fingers and a part of the palm, he

pointed towards the West; and immediately added, "When night comes, we shall hear again the whisperings from the spirit-land; then all of us will be happy."

Night approached, and the gentle zephyr had died away; the lake lay motionless, and all around was still, save within the little triangle, made by the three bark huts. Here, collected in a group, sat the sole survivors of an ancient race, once powerful and haughty; but how changed within an hour! from the sober melancholy of half-starved, dying men— now transformed and regenerated--they seemed the happiest of men, as one by one they recounted the glorious deeds of their fathers and their warrior braves, and praised the matchless beauties of their dark-eyed maidens. Presently all was still again, and though night had whispered peace to all things else around, it brought no slumber to those poor old Indian braves!

Presently a gentle breeze, so soft as barely to be felt, came inland from the lake, and as if guided by some common impulse, they all arose, and immediately proceeded to the shore; approaching the water's edge, and kneeling, they dropped their heads upon the beach, giving utterance to such a wail of sorrow as I can never forget; and in this situation they continued, every moment increasing their wailings and horrid howlings, until they seemed like frantic demons kneeling in blasphemous worship to some hidden deity.

Amazed at this strange procedure, we approached, and laying my hand upon the brawny shoulder of the savage, with whom we had conversed the most freely during the afternoon, asked for an explanation; but he seemed hardly to heed my presence, or the touch of my hand. At length, however, he raised his head above the magic line, and fastening his steady, though pleasing but melancholy gaze upon us, at length exclaimed:

"Tis well that the white man should know the cause of the sorrows of his red brother; go with me, and I will tell you a tale of woe, the cause of our grief, a grief that is unutterable." And as he led the way to our own little tent, we entered; when, after carefully closing the opening, he related the following.

"We are the last of a once mighty race, and long before the dread Ottawa coveted these lands, they were ours, But the Great Spirit became displeased because we were so powerful, and in his wrath he caused year after year to follow on, and though summer suc

ceeded to winter as heretofore, yet were they so cold, that scarcely the grass could grow. The deer were driven from our huntinggrounds, and famine, sickness, and death were everywhere. I could point you to mound after mound along the borders of our great rivers, filled with the moldering bones of our people, victims of the dreadful scourge: nor was it stayed until our people were reduced to a few hundreds.

"But at length the sweet, warm summer returned once more, and for many years had the Good Spirit smiled upon us, when the Ottawa, from another land, invaded the huntinggrounds of our fathers.

"In vain we protested against their encroachments; in vain we raised our feeble strength against the numerous foe; and we were driven from hill to hill, from forest to forest, from swamp to swamp, till at last we were forced within the limit of this little neck of land, we and all our people; and yet, firmly resolved that the Ottawa should never enslave a single relic of our race, our women, our young maidens, our children even, had all determined to pass at once and together to the spirit-land, rather than become the wretched, living victims of their conquerors.

"Day by day were the ranks of our foe increased, and it was evident they were preparing for a grand holocaust, in which our women and children, numbering in all nearly twelve hundred, were to be the victims. But this only served to strengthen the resolution of our people.

"We had now but three hundred men left, capable of wielding the tomahawk, and many of these far too young; but they chose to die, if they must die, fighting in the ranks of their fathers and their brothers.

"The eventful day at last arrived, the attack commenced, the battle waged, and for hours did we maintain well our ground; but at last, as night began to make all dark around us, our little band all broken up, we together uttered one yell of despair, which, as a signal of defeat, was to reach the ears of our people; then rushing together at a point we had before agreed upon, and aided by the darkness, we forced the lines of the enemy. Dreadful was the slaughter that our brave men made; and though twenty-two in all escaped, you see in us the sole remnant of that little band.

"You have asked me what became of our people? I will tell you: but first go with me and bow your head beneath the level of the

Willing to conform to anything reasonable, that would aid us in comprehending the whole of his somewhat interesting narrative, we followed him to the beach, and though at some distance from his fellows, could distinctly hear their now somewhat suppressed moanings. Advancing to the water's edge, we too consented to bow as if in worship of something as yet unknown and invisible; and being entirely ignorant of the purpose or object of our peculiar adoration, our astonishment knew no bounds, when, for the time, we were greeted with a flow of musical sounds, the most rare, strange, wild, and incomprehensible that ever fell upon the ear, and which, as we have already intimated, is still heard during a part of the season of the falling of the leaves, and to the present time wholly unexplained!

"Now," said he, "I will tell you what became of our wives and little ones. A few old men, that could no longer do battle with us against the enemy, were left behind among them, and by their direction the whole were formed in one solid phalanx; and though the day passed on, and hour after hour rang with the battle-cry of fathers, friends, and brothers, against fearful odds, yet not a murmur was heard, not a sigh escaped the lips even of those yet young in life, for all had resolved to be resolute, even unto death! And thus the night closed over them; but ere the moon had risen, the prolonged signal from their despairing friends fell upon their ears; it was the

Calmly, yet joyfully, they arose, and advancing to the beach, nor stopping there, our self-devoted people, singing aloud their own deathdirge, passed, rank on rank, our wives and mothers first, and then the little child, followed by our bright-eyed maidens and our aged sires, down into the deep waters! and as the foremost of the conquerers reach the spot, the last of the Ti-u-gas had departed!--The last did I say? All but the little band of twenty-two, and they have lived only to wreak vengeance on the Ottawa: and terrible has been that revenge; constantly lurking about their homes, and closely watching every opportunity, they have melted away under our deadly hatred and more than centenarian lives, until, like us, they are but the remnant of a tribe.

"And now that our number is reduced to nine, and our thirst for vengeance more than satisfied, we wait the pleasure of the Great Spirit, to take us to our people."

And without uttering a word further, he hastened to join his companions; while we, after listening for another full half hour to this melody from the spirit-land, as we could easily fancy it, retired to our little tent, firmly believing that the mysterious music we had heard, was but too truly the requiem of the departed Tiugas.

The morning came, but our strange visitors were gone! And from that day to this, neither has their war-cry been heard, nor have their bloody foot-prints been since traced around the homes of the trembling Ottawas.