CHAPTER II.

Removal from New Rochelle to Mr Van Boskerck's Boarding-House at Hoboken-Situation-Colonel Stevens' Property at Hoboken, formerly Mr Byard's Estate Great Undertakings of Colonel Stevens' Family Steam-Boats, Stages, &c. - Patent for the Invention of Shell-Bombs-Hoboken Ferry Twin Steam-Boat tried without Success Superintendents of the Ferry-Sum paid for Ferry-Wharfage at New York-The Extent of Wharf for Hudson River SteamBoats-Salaries to Master and Crew of Ferry Steam-Boats-Salary to Porter-Beauty of Walks at Hoboken-Mr Van Boskerck's Family Gentlemen go to Market at New York- They frequently carry home their Purchases-Shoe-black's Dinner at New York-Mr Taylor, Dutch Congregational Minister at Bergen Character of Americans of Dutch Extraction-Clergymen Preach in Dutch Language-Mr Sobriski-His Property-His Manners-Clergymen of New York-Their Orthodox Doctrines-No connection of Clergy with the State-No Grounds for the Charge of Fanaticism against the people of United States generally-Mr Cone-Mr Power-Interval between Morning and Evening Service-Grace said at Hoboken Boarding-House-Women employed in Making Men's ClothesMr Rowe's Establishment-His Clothing-Store at New Orleans— Custom of Visiting on New Year's Day-Seed Cakes-Mildness of Winter 1829-30-Filling of Ice-Houses-Mr Scott from Somersetshire, Overseer of Farms in New Jersey-His Mode of LivingWatering of New York Streets in January 1830.

From December 1829 to January 1830. IN the middle of December, we removed from New Rochelle to Mr Van Boskerck's boarding-house, on the

opposite side of the Hudson, for New York, at the distance of about a mile and a-half by steam-boat, which passes every quarter of an hour, from sunrise till after sunset. The situation is most convenient, in a charming spot in the country, with the finest walks conceivable at our door, and it is in our power at any time to be in the heart of New York in twenty minutes. The village of Hoboken, at one end of which Mr Boskerck's house is placed, is on the New Jersey shore, immediately opposite to New York, and is part of the extensive property of Colonel Stevens, a gentleman above eighty years old, who has three miles of beautiful lying coast adjoining to it. This was the principal part of the residence and estate of Mr Byard, an American loyalist, whose property in this country was confiscated, and the greater part bought by Colonel Stevens at a very low rate, at the end of the revolutionary war. Colonel Stevens and his family, consisting of four sons, are all engaged in great undertakings connected with the steam-boat travelling of this country. They are proprietors of the "North America" steam-boat, and three other steamboats of the same class, which run between New York and Albany upon the Hudson. They have steam-boats in New York Bay, and on the Delaware, carrying on the passage between New York and Philadelphia; and they manage the stages which are required for the land part of the communication between New York, Brunswick, and Trenton. They also have steam-boats and stages to Newark, about nine miles from New York. The road from Newark to New York is made through

a swamp, and is one of the best roads in this country. The distance being short, Messrs Stevens have put on it a stage coach in the English form, with six horses. The accommodation without and within is sufficient for thirty persons. They are proprietors of the great steamboat ferry between Hoboken and two points in the very centre of New York, at the bottom of Barcklay Street and Canal Street. Their steam-vessels are all built by themselves at their dock at Hoboken, where they employ an immense number of workmen. Mr Robert Stevens is an engineer of the first eminence in this country. He holds a patent for the invention of shell bombs, for which he is, and has been, well paid by the government. The ferry station at Hoboken is about eight minutes' walk from our boarding house. The distance across the ferry is a mile and a-half, and the boats, four of them in number, generally make the passage in ten minutes, or very little more. The Twin steam

boat was tried here some years ago, but although the situation is very much sheltered and land-locked, it was found that she did not answer when the water was at all agitated, and the experiment was therefore abandoned. One of the boats, of thirty-eight horse power, carries 100 cattle, or twenty waggons and horses on deck. The deck is altogether level. The engine is enclosed, and on deck,—all the boats are coppered. The passengers in stages or carriages of any kind never get out of them in crossing the ferry. The superintendents at the different ferry stations receive the fare, threepence sterling in summer, and sixpence in winter,

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before the passenger enters the boat, but there is also a general superintendant to oversee the whole concern. The present general superintendant is a most active, intelligent person, and manages it admirably. The sums received at the ferry stations are said to amount to nearly 100,000 dollars a-year. Messrs Stevens pay the New York corporation 2300 dollars a year for the necessary wharfage on the New York side of the river. They must have this wharfage, that they may be enabled to carry on the ferry from their own side. And this state of matters puts it in the power of the New York corporation to insist upon the establishment of a proper code of regulations as to the times of the crossings of the boats, and in other respects, during the whole year.

. One of the wharfs for Messrs Stevens' Hudson river steam-boats is 280 feet long, and thirty-five broad. The masters of the ferry-boats have 700 dollars a-year each. The crew, including the engineer, have, on an average, 350 dollars a-year. The porter at Hoboken (an Irishman) has a dollar a-day, for 365 days in the year, for keeping the pier clean, and giving assistance to the passengers landing, and especially for assisting the passengers coming ashore, and attending to their baggage. There are small stores for selling liquor, fruit, confectionaries, &c. in the boats,-they are places of about eight feet by six in size. The store-keepers pay 200 dollars a-year for the privilege of selling these articles here. Colonel Stevens and part of his family reside in a beautiful villa, about half a mile from Hoboken, si

tuated upon a piece of fine flat ground overhanging the river. They have laid out their ground adjoining to the river, for above two miles, in public walks, which the inhabitants of New York, who come over in prodigious numbers, enjoy very much. In this way the ferry is greatly increased, as well as the rent of a hotel belonging to Colonel Stevens at Hoboken, which is at present let at 2000 dollars a-year. The walks are shaded with beautiful willow trees and other wood. In winter the inhabitants do not think of crossing the ferry on purpose for the walks, and we, of course, have the walks very much to ourselves. The case is very much the same with the boarding-house to which we have come. The house is large, and every apartment is filled during the summer, but at this season there is only one gentleman living in the house besides ourselves. It is quite removed out of the village, and adjoins Colonel Stevens' grounds. It was bought for 2500 dollars, although the rent, which might easily have been continued, was 350 dollars. This fact shows the value of capital in the country. The family to whom the house belongs, and who occupy it, are of Dutch extraction. They were loyalists during the war of the revolution, but are now converted into zealous republicans. The family consists of Mr and Mrs Van Boskerck, a very fine couple, between sixty and seventy years old, and two maiden daughters, who manage the business, except in the marketing department, which leads Mr Van Boskerck to New York twice or thrice a-week. It is much more the fashion at New York