[A, the fort. B, the church. C, the wind mill. D, the flag, which is hoisted when vessels arrive in port. E, the prison. F, the house of the General. G, the place of execution. H, the place of expose or pillory.]

"It is placed upon the neck of the island Manhattans looking towards the Sea; encompass'd with Hudson's River, which is six Miles broad, the town is compact and oval, with very fair streets and several good Houses; the rest are built much after the manner of Holland, to the number of about four hundred Houses, which in those parts are held considerable: Upon one side of the Town is James-Fort, capable to lodge three hundred souldiers and Officers; it hath four bastions, forty Pieces of Cannon mounted; the Walls of Stone, lined with a thick Rampart of Earth, well accommodated with a spring of Fresh Water, always furnish'd with Arms and Ammunition against Accidents: Distant from the Sea seven Leagues, it affords a safe entrance, even to unskilful Pilots; under the Town side, ships of any burthen may ride secure against any Storms; the Current of the River being broken by the interposition of a small Island, which lies a mile distant from the Town.

About ten Miles from New York is a place call'd Hell Gate, which being a narrow passage, there runneth a violent Stream both upon Flood and Ebb; and in the middle lie some Rocky Islands, which the Current sets so violently upon, that it threatens present Shipwrack; and upon the Flood is a large Whirlwind, which continually sends forth a hideous roaring; enough to affright any Stranger from passing farther; and to wait for some Charon to conduct him through; yet to those who are acquainted little or no danger: It is a place of great Defence against any Enemy coming in that way, which a small Fortification would absolutely prevent, and necessitate them to come in at the West End of Long Island by Sandy Hook, where Statten Island forces

them within the Command of the Fort at New York, which is one of the best Picces of Defence in the North parts of America. It is built most of Brick and Stone and cover'd with Red and Black Tyle, and the Land being high, it gives at a distance a most pleasing prospect to the Spectators. The inhabitants consist most of English and Dutch, and have a considerable trade with Indians for Beaver, Otter and Rackoon Skins with other Furrs; as also for Bear, Deer, and Elke-Skins; and are supply'd with Venison and Fowl in the winter, and Fish in the Summer by the Indians, which they buy at an easie Rate; and having the Countrey round about them, and are continually furnish'd with all such provisions as are needful for the Life of Man, not onely by the English and Dutch within their own, but likewise by the adjacent Colonies.

The Manhattans, or Great River being the chiefest, having with two wide Mouths wash'd the mighty Island Watonwahs, falls into the Ocean. The Southern Mouth is call'd Port May, or Godyns Bay. In the middle thereof lies an Island call'd The States Island; and a little higher the Manhattans, so call'd from the Natives which on the East side of the River dwell on the Main Continent. They are a cruel people, and Enemies to the Hollanders, as also of the Sanhikans which reside on the Western Shore. Farther up are the Mackwaes and Mahikans which continually War, one against another. In like manner all the Inhabitants on the West Side of the River Manhattan, are commonly at enmity with those that possess the Eastern Shore; who also us'd to be at variance with the Hollanders, when as the other People at the Westward kept good correspondency with them. On a small Island near the Shore of the Mackwaes, lay forinerly a Fort, provided with two Drakes and eleven Stone Guns, yet was at last deserted."

"The settlement and fort continued to bear the name of Nieuw Amsterdam, by the Dutch, down to the time of the surrender by Governor Stuyvesant to the English, in 1664. Then for ten years under the rule of Cols. Nicolls and Lovelace, acting for the Duke of York, it was called New York; but in August, 1673, a Dutch fleet, in time of war, re-captured it from the British, and while exercising their rule for their High Mightinesses of Holland, to the time of the peace in 1674, they called the place NewOrange, in compliment to the Prince of Orange, and the fort they called Willem Hendrick.

The city being restored to the British by the treaty, was redelivered to the British in October, 1674. The fort then took the name of Fort James, being built of quadrangular form, having four bastions, two gates, and 42 cannon. The city again took the name of New York, once and forever.

Stadt Huys, (City Hall), New York, 1642.

[The above is a representation of the ancient "Stadt Huys" or City Hall, which was built early in the Dutch dynasty, in 1642. It was built of stone at the head of Coenties Slip facing Pearl street. About the year 1700, it became so weakened and impaired, it was sold, and a new one erected by the head of Broad street, which was afterwards the Congress Hall, on the corner of Wall street.]

"The city was laid out in streets, some of them crooked enough, in 1656. It then contained by enumeration 120 houses, with extensive garden lots,' and 1000 inhabitants. In 1677 another estimate of the city was made, and ascertained to contained 368 houses. In the year 1674, an assessment of the most wealthy inhabitants' having been made, it was found that the sum total of 134 estates amounted to 95,000l.

During the military rule of Governor Colve, who held the city for one year under the above mentioned capture, for the States of Holland, every thing partook of a military character, and the laws still in preservation at Albany show the energy of a rigorous discipline. Then the Dutch mayor, at the head of the city militia, held his daily parades before the City Hall (Stadt Huys), then at Coenties Slip; and every evening at sunset, he received from the principal guard of the fort, called the hoofd wagt, the keys of the city, and thereupon proceeded with a guard of six to lock the city gates; then to place a Burger-wagt-a citizen-guard, as nightwatches at assigned places. The same mayors also went the rounds at sunrise to open the gates, and to restore the keys to the officer of the fort. All this was surely a toilsome service for the domestic habits of the peaceful citizens of that day, and must have presented an irksome honor to any mayor who loved his comfort and repose.

It may amuse some of the present generation, so little used to Dutch names, to learn some of the titles once so familiar in New York, and now so little understood. Such as,-De Heer Officier,

or Hoofd-Schout-High Sheriff. De Fiscael, or Procureur Gen. Attorney General. Wees-Meesters-Guardians of orphans.Roy-Meesters-Regulators of fences. Groot Burgerrecht and Klein Burgerrecht-The great and small citizenship, which then marked the two orders of society. Eyck-Meester-The Weigh Master. The Schout, (the Sheriff) Bourgomasters and Schepens -then ruled the city as in all the cities of the Fatherland.' Geheim Schryver-Recorder-of secrets.*"

6

In the year 1623, the Dutch may be said to have commenced the regular settlement of Albany, by the construction at this place of Fort Orange, and giving to the little village the name of Auranie-names given in honor of their Prince of Orange. The place for a time bore the name of Beverwyck then Fort Orange until 1647 then Williamstadt until 1664; when it received at the British conquest the name of Albany. It was for a long period the advanced post for the fur trade. Here was the proper market for all the "Five Nations" or Iroquois, could gather from their hunting grounds, and for more than a century was a great place of resort for Indian visitors.

"The fort, a great building of stone was constructed on a high steep hill at the west end of State-street, having around it a high and thick wall, where they now have a state house and a fine commanding view over the town below. The English church was just below it, at the west end of a market; and the original old Dutch church, now down, of Gothic appearance, stood in the middle of State street of the eastern end-of which the cut seen on the opposite page is a representation.

*Watson's Sketches of Olden Times in N. Y.

Professor Kalm, who visited Albany in 1749, has left us some facts. All the people then understood Dutch. All the houses stood gable-end to the street; the ends were of brick and the side walls of planks or logs; the gutters on the roofs went out almost to the middle of the street, greatly annoying travelers in their discharge. At the stoopes (porches) the people spent much of their time, especially on the shady side; and in the evenings they were filled with people of both sexes. The streets were dirty, by reason of the cattle possessing their free use during the summer nights. They had no knowledge of stoves, and their chimnies were so wide that one could drive through them with a cart and horses. Many people still made wampum to sell to the Indians and traders. Dutch manners every where prevailed; but their dress in general was after the English form. They were regarded as close in traffic; were very frugal in their house economy and diet. Their women were over-nice in cleanliness, scouring floors and kitchen utensils several times a week; rising very early and going to sleep very late. Their servants were chiefly negroes. Their breakfast was tea without milk, using sugar by putting a small bit into the mouth. Their dinner was buttermilk and bread; and if to that they added sugar, it was deemed delicious. Sometimes they had bread and milk, and sometimes roasted or boiled meats."

At the period of the first settlements in New-York and NewEngland, there was some collision between the Dutch and English authorities, originating in conflicting claims to the same territory. The following correspondence between Governor Kieft of NewNetherlands and Governor Eaton, and the commissioners of the United Colonies, will serve to show the nature of these difficulties.