The city wall, called the "lingel" or ramparts, was a row of palisades, with embankments nine feet high and four wide, on which several cannon were mounted on bastions. Two large stone points were afterward added—one on the corner of Broadway and Wall, called "Hollandia,” and the other on the northwest corner of Wall and William, known as "Zealandia." These completely commanded the whole front of the city wall.

Retracing our steps into town, we have now leisure to examine more carefully the canal, which is laid down as running through the entire length of Broad street. Thirty, years later this canal was filled up. It had a little branch running toward the west through Beaver street. The Steeregraft, or main canal, appears to have been crossed by two principal bridges, one at Bridge and the other at Stone street, with smaller ones, evidently designed for foot-passengers. Near Beaver street, small boats or canoes lie moored in the canal.

Pearl street then, and for many years afterward, formed the river bank. Water and South streets have both been reclaimed from the water. On the west side of Broadway, above the grave-yard, at the present Morris street, were the country-seats of Messrs. Vandergrist and Van Dyck. On Whitehall street stood the parsonage of the Dutch Dominie, with its garden of beautiful tulips and hyacinths, and its paths of cedar and clipped box. Close at hand stood the bakery, brewery, and warehouse of the Company. In William, near Pearl, was the old horsemill, erected, it will be remembered, by Director Minuit, and which did good service until superseded by the three wind-mills of Van Twiller. One of these stood on State street, and was the most prominent object seen in approaching the city from the bay. The old fort itself was bounded by Bridge, Whitehall, and State streets, and the Bowling Green.

Two main roads led from the fort at the Battery toward the northern part of the Island. One of these, afterward the "Boston, or the old Post Road," followed Broadway to the Park, and then extended through Chatham, Duane, William, and Pearl streets to the Bowery. Along the Bowery road lay "Steenwyck's" and "Heerman's" orchards, with the well-known Stuyvesant's "Bowerie" (farm), whence the name. Near the last, and in the neighborhood of Grammercy Park, came "Crummashie Hill," while beyond were the "Zantberg" hills, with "Minetta" brook, which found its way through a marshy valley into the North River. Still further toward the north, near Thirty-sixth street and Fourth avenue,

* One of the last relics of these early days still (1868) stands on the corner of Peck Slip and Water street, and is well worth a visit. At the time of its erection the river flowed alongside of it.

In the year 1696 the first hackney-coach was introduced upon the Bowery road. Previous to this time, with the exception of the Governor's, private coaches were unknown.

2

rose the " Incleberg" or " Beacon Hill," the Murray Hill of later times. From this latter point there was a commanding view of the whole Island. The other main road also started from the fort, and passing through Stone street to Hanover Square, led along the East River to the Brooklyn ferry.

Thus much for the outward appearance of New York at this time. In regard to its manners and interior life we are enabled-thanks to the late researches of the Hon. Henry C. Murphy, the Foreign Corresponding Secretary of the Brooklyn Historical Society-to speak even more definitely. Toward the middle of the seventeenth century a peculiar religious sect existed in Westphalia. They were known as Labadists, and professed a kind of mysticism, holding, nevertheless, to the tenets of the Dutch Reformed Church. In the summer of 1679 two of their number were sent over to America, with the view of ascertaining the nature of the country and government, and selecting a suitable place for the establishment of a colony of the religious community to which they belonged. The journal which they kept during their stay in America is of great interest, particularly that portion having reference to their visit to New York; for, aside from the quaintness and originality of the narrative, it is of peculiar value, as giving an inside view of the people of New Amsterdam at this time. As there were but a very small number of copies printed, and the circulation is therefore extremely limited, we shall take the liberty of quoting somewhat extensively from the work itself.*

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'Having then fortunately arrived, by the blessing of the Lord, before the City of New York, on Saturday, the 23d day of September, we stepped ashore about four o'clock in the afternoon, in company with Gerrit, our fellow-passenger, who would conduct us, in this strange place. He had lived here a long time, and had married his wife here, although she and his children were living at present at Zwolle. We went along with him, but as he met many of his old acquaintances on the way, we were constantly stopped. He first took us to the house of one of his friends, who welcomed him and us, and offered us some of the fruit of the country, very fine peaches and full-grown apples, which filled our hearts with thankfulness to God. This fruit was exceedingly fair and good, and pleasant to the taste; much better than that in Holland or elsewhere, though I believe our long fasting and craving of food made it so agreeable. After taking a glass of Madeira, we proceeded on to Gerrit's father-in-law's, a very old man, half lame, and unable either to walk or stand, who fell upon the neck of his son-in-law, welcoming him with tears of joy. The old woman was also very glad. This good man was born in Vlissingen, and was named Jacob Swart. He had been formerly a master-carpenter at Amsterdam, but had lived in this country upwards of forty-five years. After we had been here a little while, we left our traveling-bag, and went out to take a walk in the fields. It was strange to us to feel such stability under us, although it seemed as if the earth itself moved under our feet like the ship had done for three months past, and our

* This journal was found in manuscript, a few years since, in Holland, by Mr. Murphy, who, perceiving its value, presented it a few months ago to the Brooklyn Historical Society, by whom a few copies were printed for the members in 1867.

body also still swayed after the manner of the rolling of the sea; but this sensation gradually passed off in the course of a few days. As we walked along we saw in different gardens trees full of apples of various kinds, and so laden with peaches and other fruit that one might doubt whether there were more leaves or fruit on them. I have never seen in Europe, in the best seasons, such an overflowing abundance. When we had finished our tour and given our guide several letters to deliver, we returned to his father-in-law's, who regaled us in the evening with milk, which refreshed us much. We had so many peaches set before us that we were timid about eating them, though we experienced no ill effects from them. We remained there to sleep, which was the first time in nine or ten weeks that we had lain down upon a bed undressed, and able to yield ourselves to sleep without apprehension of danger.

"24th, Sunday. We rested well through the night. I was surprised on waking up to find my comrade had already dressed himself and breakfasted upon peaches. We walked out awhile in the fine, pure morning air, along the margin of the clear running water of the sea, which is driven up this river at every tide. As it was Sunday, in order to avoid scandal and for other reasons, we did not wish to absent ourselves from church. We therefore went, and found there truly a wild, worldly world. I say wild, not only because the people are wild, as they call it in Europe, but because most all the people who go there to live, or who are born there, partake somewhat of the nature of the country, that is, peculiar to the land where they live. We heard a minister preach who had come from the up-river country, from Fort Orange, where his residence is, an old man named Dominie Schaats, of Amsterdam.” ** **"This Schaats then preached. He had a defect in the left eye and used such strange gestures and language that I think I never in all my life heard anything more miserable; indeed, I can compare him with no one better than with one Do. Van Ecke, lately the minister at Armuyden, in Zeeland, more in life, conversation, and gestures than in person. As it is not strange in these countries to have men as ministers who drink, we could imagine nothing else than that he had been drinking a little this morning. His text was, Come unto me all ye, &c., but he was so rough that even the roughest and most godless of our sailors were astonished.

"The church being in the fort we had an opportunity to look through the latter, as we had come too early for preaching. It is not large; it has four points or batteries; it has no moat outside but is inclosed with a double row of palisades. It is built from the foundation with quarry stone. The parapet is of earth. It is well provided with cannon, for the most part of iron, though there were some small brass pieces, all bearing the mark or arms of the Netherlanders. The garrison is small. There is a well of fine water dug in the fort by the English, contrary to the opinion of the Dutch, who supposed the fort was built upon rock, and had, therefore, never attempted any such thing. There is, indeed, some indication of stone there, for along the edge of the water below the fort there is a very large rock extending apparently under the fort, which is built upon the point formed by the two rivers, namely, the East river, which is the water running between the Mahattans and Long Island, and the North river, which runs straight up to Fort Orange. In front of the fort, on the Long Island side, there is small island, called Noten island (Nut island), around the point of which vessels must go in sailing out or in, whereby they are compelled to pass close by the point of the fort, where they can be flanked by several of the batteries. It has only one gate, and that is on the land side, opening upon a broad plane or street, called the Broadway or Beaverway. Over this gate are the arms of the Duke of York. During the time of the Dutch there were two gates, namely, another on the water side; but the English have closed it and made a battery there, with a false gate. In front of the church is

inscribed the name of Governor Kyft, who caused the same to be built in the year 1642. It has a shingled roof, and upon the gable towards the water there is a small wooden tower with a bell in it but no clock. There is a sun-dial on three sides. The front of the fort stretches east and west, and consequently the sides run north and south.

"After we had returned to the house and dined, my companion, not wishing to go to church, sat about writing letters, as there was a ship, of which Andre Bon was master, about to leave in a few days for London; but in order we should not be both absent from church, and as the usual minister was to preach in the afternoon, I went alone to hear him. He was a thick, corpulent person, with a red and bloated face, and of very slabbering speech.* His text was 'the elders who serve well,' &c.,. because the elders and deacons were that day renewed, and I saw them admitted. After preaching, the good old people with whom we lodged, who, indeed, if they were not the best on all the Manathans, were at least among the best, especially the wife, begged we would go with their son Gerrit, to one of their daughters, who lived in a delightful place, and kept a tavern, where we would be able to taste the beer of New Netherland, inasmuch as it was also a brewery. Some of their friends passing by requested Gerrit and us to accompany them, and so we went for the purpose of seeing what was to be seen; but when we arrived there, we found ourselves much deceived. On account of its being to some extent a pleasant spot it was resorted on Sundays by all sorts of revelers, and was a low pot-house. Our company immediately found acquaintances there and joined them, but it being repugnant to our feelings to be there, we walked into the orchard to seek pleasure in contemplating the innocent objects of nature. Among other trees we observed a mulberry-tree, the leaves of which were as large as a plate. The wife showed us pears larger than the fist, picked from a three years' graft which had borne forty of them.. A great storm of rain coming up in the evening compelled us to go into the house, where we did not remain long with the others, but took our leave of them against their wishes. We retraced our steps in the dark, exploring a way over which we had gone only once in our life, through a valey (salt meadow) and over water upon the trunk of a tree. We nevertheless reached home, having left the others in their revels. While in their company we conversed with the first male born of Europeans in New Netherland, named Jean Vigné. His parents were from Valenciennes and he was now about sixty-five years of age. He was a brewer and a neighbor of our old people."

"25th Monday. We went on board the ship this morning in order to obtain our traveling bag and clothes for the purpose of having them washed, but when we came on board we could not get ashore again before the afternoon, when the passengers' goods were to be delivered. All our goods which were between decks were taken ashore and carried to the public storehouse, where they had to be examined, but some time elapsed before it was done, in consequence of the examiners being elsewhere. At length, however, one Abraham Lennoy, a good fellow apparently, befriended us. He examined our chest only, without touching our bedding or any thing else. I showed him a list of the tin which we had in the upper part of our chest, and he examined it and also the tin, and turned up a little more what was in the chest and with that left off, without looking at it closely. He demanded four English shillings for the tin, remarking at the same time that he had observed some other small articles, but would not examine them closely, though he had not seen either the box or the pieces of linen. This being finished we sent our goods in

*The minister here referred to was the Rev. William Nieuenhuisen.

a cart to our lodgings, paying for the two heavy chests and straw beds and other goods from the public store-house to the Smit's valey, sixteen stivers of zeawan, equal to three stivers and a half in the money of Holland. This finished the day and we retired to rest.

“26th, Tuesday. We remained at home for the purpose of writing, but in the afternoon, finding that many goods had been discharged from the ship, we went to look after our little package, which also came. I declared it and it was examined. I had to pay twenty-four guilders.in zeawan or five guilders in the coin of Holland. I brought it to the house and looked the things all over, rejoicing that we were finally rid of that miserable set and the ship, the freight only remaining to be paid, which was fixed at four guilders in coin. We went first to Margaret in relation to the freight, who said she had nothing more to do with it, and that we must speak to her husband about it, which it was not convenient to do that evening, and we therefore let it go, waiting for an opportunity to speak to her and her husband with the captain, and perhaps also Mr. Jan.

*

*

"As soon as we had dined we sent off our letters, and this being all accomplished we started at two o'clock for Long Island. This island is called Long Island, not so much because it is longer than it is broad, but particularly because it is the Longest island in this region, or even along the whole coast of New Netherland, Virginia and New England. It is one hundred and forty-four miles in length and from twenty-four to twenty-eight miles wide, though there are several bays and points along it, and consequently it is much broader in some places than others, On the west is Staten Island, from which it is separated about a mile, and the great bay over which you see the Nevesincke. With Staten Island it makes the passage through which all vessels pass in sailing from or to the Mahatans, although they can go through the Kil Van Kol, which is on the other side of Staten Island. The ends of these islands opposite each other are quite high land, and they are therefore called the Hoofden (Headlands), from a comparison with the Hoofden of the channel between England and France in Europe. On the north is the island of Mahatans and a part of the mainland. On the east is the sea, which shoots up to New England, and in which there are various islands. On the south is the great ocean. The outer shore of this island has before it several small islands and broken land, such as Coney Island,* a low, sandy island of about three hours' circuit, its westerly point forming with Sandy Hook on the other side the entrance from the sea. It is oblong in shape, and is grown over with bushes. Nobody lives upon it, but it is used in winter for keeping cattle, horses, oxen, hogs and others, which are able to obtain there sufficient to eat the whole winter, and to shelter themselves from the cold in the thickets. This island is not so cold as Long Island or the Mahatans, or others, like some islands on the coast, in consequence of their having more sea breeze, and of the saltness of the sea breaking upon the shoals, rocks and reefs with which the coast is beset. There is also the Bear's Islandt and others, separated from Long Island by creeks and marshes overflown at high water. There are also on this sea coast various miry places like the Vlaeck‡ and others, as well as some sand bays and hard and rocky shores. Long Island stretches into the sea for the most part east by south and east-southeast. None of its land is very high, for you must be nearly opposite Sandy Hook before you can see it. There is a hill or ridge running length

*'t Conijnen Eylant, Rabbit's island.

t't Beeren Eylant. Now called Barren Island.

The Wieringen shoals in the Zuyder Zee are probably meant.