father of Sebastian was an Italian, but the son was born in Bristol, England, in 1477.1

Cabot's first expedition left Bristol in the spring of 1497, and, notwithstanding he desired to go to India, he arrived on the coast of America on the 24th of June of that year. He conducted a second expedition, which left Bristol in 1498, and after reaching the Cape of Florida, re-crossed the ocean to his home. In 1517 he was again employed, in an expedition from England; but though he penetrated to about the sixty-seventh degree of north latitude, he entered Hudson's bay, giving names to various places in the vicinity, he was compelled to return, through the cowardice of an officer high in command, Sir Thomas Pert, and the disaffection of the crew.

The bay of New York, together with Staten Island, was first discovered in 1524, by Jean de Verrazzani, a Florentine in the service of France. It does not appear, however, that Francis I., the monarch under whom this discovery was made, ever took advantage of it, or laid claim to the territory adjacent, in consequence of Verrazzani's exploration. Henry Hudson was ignorant of this fact, and when, on the third day of September, 1609, he entered the Narrows 2 and anchored in precisely the same place as did Verrazzani, in 1524, he believed that he was the first to discover the region.

Verrazzani, it is believed, made no exploration whatever. A violent gale came up while his vessel was anchored here, and he put out to sea again, never to return. Though not the first to behold, Hudson was nevertheless the first to penetrate the mysteries of the land

3

He was,

1 The family was fitted out with five ships, for the purpose of discovery, by the English government, who granted a patent, under date of March 6th, 1469, to John Cabot, the father, as leader of the expedition. however, rather the overseer or adviser of the concern, than the leader. The real conductor of it was Sebastian, who, through his modesty, failed to secure for himself that consideration from the world which was due him.— Great Events in History.

2 Bright and calm, over the heights of Navesink, broke the dawn of the third day of September, 1609. The early breeze rippled the surface of the slumbering ocean, and rustled through the leaves of the forest trees, awakening the songsters which nestled beneath them to pour forth their matin hymn to greet the king of day. The world seemed glad that light had once more dispelled the darkness. But all this beauty and harmony were lost upon the human denizens of the woods and mountains, who stood in groups upon the strand, gesticulating eagerly, and gazing intently, over the vast expanse of water which stretched out illimitably before them. Far off toward the southeast, the unusual sight of a mere speck upon the surface of the ocean excited their wonder. Long and patiently they watched it as it slowly approached

and grew larger and larger, until it had assumed proportions far exceeding that of any moving object which had ever before met their vision. What could it be? Was it some great bird, which had flown over the great sea from some distant islands? Or, was it the Great Spirit who had descended to earth to visit and to bless his children? Slowly and majestically the object swept past, turned around the sandy point of land beyond them, and stopped. It was the " Half-Moon," and bore Hendrick Hudson and his fellow-voyagers.-Clute's Annals of Staten Island.

3 Henry Hudson was a native of England, born at about the middle of the sixteenth century. Of his early life nothing is known. He appears, however, to have been an expert navigator, and employed by both English and Dutch merchants in searching for a north-east passage to the East Indies. Failing in this effort, he sailed westward to America, and after anchoring off Staten Island, which he named "Staaten Eylandt," in honor of the States General of Holland, he then penetrated the Hudson river to a point below the present site of Albany (which the English afterward named in his honor), one hundred and sixty miles. His vessel was called the Half Moon," a yacht of ninety tons, and he had a select

and water which extended to an unknown distance before him. From his accounts of the event it is known that in one boat he visited Coney Island, and that in another he sent five men on an exploring expedition Northward. These men passed through the Narrows, coasted along Staten Island, and penetrated some distance into the Kills, presumably as far as Newark bay. On their return, probably at the Cove, the most likely hiding place along the North Shore, they suddenly encountered two large canoes, containing twenty-six Indians. The latter were alarmed and discharged a shower of arrows at the intruders. John Coleman, an Englishman, was killed by being shot in the neck. Both parties became frightened by the encounter, and pulled away from each other with all their might. Coleman's body was taken to Sandy Hook, where it was buried, and the place has ever afterwards been called " Coleman's Point."

Hudson was delighted with what he had seen on this day, his first view of the New World. A beautiful, fragrant, verdure-crowned Island lay before him, and evidently populous, for the inhabitants were seen darting, in considerable numbers, through the woods, to the shore. The beautiful appearance, which the Island assumed on that early Autumn day, together with the purity and blandness of the atmosphere, struck the senses of the voyagers, as though it had been Eden itself. The "Half Moon" lay at anchor for a day or so in the Narrows, before penetrating the North river. It is a matter of interest to here note that several Indians attempted to board the vessel while opposite Manhattan Island, and, one of them, more reckless than his companions, succeeding, was shot. His body fell into the river. This was the first American Indian slain by a white man.

During the voyage up the North river Hudson detained two of the Staten Island Indians as hostages; at West Point they escaped by jumping overboard and swimming ashore. One of the ship's boats was attacked while descending the river, when an Indian, trying to upset it had his hands cut off by the sword of a sailor. Subsequent events indicated that the two Staten Island Indians, who escaped at West Point, had alarmed the tribes on their way down to Manhattan Island. At the upper part of that point they were met by large numbers of savages in canoes, and showers of arrows flew over the vessel, doing no damage. A cannon was discharged at them, and a number were killed, besides having their canoes destroyed. Nine Indians were known to be killed, and a large number were wounded. Hudson spent a month here in his explorations, of which the chronicler of the voyage, Robert Juet, says:

"1609, Sept. 6. Our master sent John Coleman with four men to sound the river four leagues distant, which they did, but in their return to the ship they were set upon by Indians in two canoes, to the

crew. After various tribulations he made a fourth voyage in 1610, toward the Polar wa

ters, descended the great bay that bears his name, and there perished.

number of 26; in which affair John Coleman was killed by an arrow shot into his throat, and two others were wounded. The next day Coleman was buried on a point of land which to this day bears his

name.

"Sept. 8. The people came on board us, and brought tobacco and Indian wheat to exchange for knives and beads, and offered us no violence. So we, fitting up our boat, did mark them to see if they would make any show of the death of our man, but they did not.

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Sept. 9. In the morning two great canoes came on board full of men; one with bows and arrows, and the other in show of buying knives, to betray us, but we perceived their intention. We took two of them, to have kept them, and put red coats on them, and would not suffer the others to come near us, and soon after the canoes leave them. Immediately two other natives came on board us; one we took and let the other go, but he soon escaped by jumping overboard.

t' Fort nieuw Amsterdam op de Manhatans. .

"Sept. 11. The ship

had now anchored a considerable distance up the river. The people of the country came on board, making show of love, and gave us tobacco and Indian wheat.

"Sept. 12. This morning there came eight and twenty canoes full of men, women and children to betray us, but we saw their intent and suffered none of them to come on board. They gave great tobacco pipes of yellow copper and pots of earth to dress their meat in.

"Sept. 15. Sailed twenty leagues further up the river, passing by high mountains. This morning the two captive savages got out of a part of the ship and made their escape.

"Sept. 18. The master's mate went on shore with an old Indian, a sachem of the country, who took him to his house and treated him kindly.

"Oct. 1. The ship having fallen down the river seven miles below the mountains, comes to anchor. One man in a canoe kept hanging under the stern of the ship, and would not be driven off. He soon contrived to climb up by the rudder, and got into the cabin window, which had been left open, from which he stole a pillow, two shirts and two bandoleers. The mate shot him in the breast, and killed him. Many others were in canoes about the ship, who immediately fled, and some jumped overboard. A boat manned from the ship pursued them, and coming up with one in the water, he laid hold on the side of the

boat and endeavored to overset it; at which one in the boat cut off his hands with a sword, and he was drowned.

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'Oct. 2. Fell down seven leagues further, and anchored again. Then came one of the savages that swam away from us at our going up the river, with many others, thinking to betray us, but we suffered none of them to enter our ship. Whereupon two canoes of men with their bows and arrows shot at us after our stern; in a recompense whereof, we discharged six muskets and killed two or three of them. Then above an hundred of them came to a point of land to shoot at us. There I shot a falcon at them, and killed two of them; whereupon the rest fled into the woods. Yet they manned off another canoe with nine or ten men, which came to meet us; so I shot at it also a falcon, and shot it through and killed one of them. Then our men with their muskets killed two or three more of them."

No actual landing was made on Staten Island at this time, however much the voyagers may have desired so to do. Hudson spent a month in explorations, and gained a great deal of valuable knowledge about the region and the natives, without further collision or calamity. On the fourth day of October he weighed anchor and again crossed the Atlantic ocean. The Indians in great numbers assembled along the south shore of the Island and watched the vessel as it gradually receded, and finally sank down beyond the distant rim of the blue ocean. Landing in England on his return, Hudson despatched an occount of his adventures to the Dutch East India Company, with the request that they would furnish him with the means of making another voyage. The English Government, however, determining to secure his services, forbade his sailing again in the service of Holland.

The Indians at once became apprehensive of danger. They were never again at peace. They established signal stations on the high points of the Island, and day and night the Raritans watched out over the ocean for the coming of their natural enemies. One of these "alarm posts," as they were called, was on Todt Hill, where the residence of Mr. David J. Tysen now stands, and another was on the heights of Fort Wadsworth. Patrols were also on duty along the South Shore. For years this vigilance knew no rest-not until the aggressive feet of white settlers pressed the soil which they adopted for their home.

CHAPTER IV.

THE SETTLEMENT OF STATEN ISLAND.

IN 1610, a ship was sent by some merchants in Amsterdam, to trade with the Indians of this locality, for furs, etc. The climate of Holland, as well as of other countries of Europe, rendered furs indispensable to the people. Theretofore they had obtained them, at great expense, chiefly from Russia. During the brief stay of Henry Hudson here, it was discovered that there were furs in the newly-discovered country, and that they were procurable in exchange for articles of comparatively slight value. The advantages of at once engaging in the fur traffic, were very plain to the Dutch. The vessel alluded to anchored in the Narrows, and an attempt was made to land some of its men on Staten Island. An alarm was given, and the Raritan Indians, in considerable force, gathered on the shore, and showed manifestations of displeasure. All attempts to negotiate were met in an unfriendly spirit, and after a protracted parley the enterprise was abandoned and the Dutch sailors and soldiers returned to their ship. It moved for some distance up the Hudson river, there procured a load of furs from the Mohawks, and in a few days recrossed the ocean for home.

In 1611, another vessel was dispatched to these shores, under Dutch authority, to trade with the Indians, and, notwithstanding those in authority landed on the Island, none manifested a disposition to settle here unil the spring of 1613. Several Dutch vessels were in the bay at that time, and the business was under the superintendency of Hendrick Cortiansen, and with his craft he penetrated every bay or stream where Indians were to be found, in pursuit of furs. These expeditions were very successful and created intense interest in the fur trade. among the countries of Europe. The result was that when the intelligence of these discoveries reached the projectors of the several voyages at home, steps were at once taken by them to secure to themselves the benefits of their enterprise and perseverance.

All the country lying between the 40th and 45th degrees of north latitude was called "New Netherland," and exclusive privileges to trade in these countries for a limited period was given to them. A trading house was at once established on an island in the Hudson, below the present site of Albany, and the surrounding country explored in quest of furs. The time of this grant expired at the close of