1. Beloe’s Herodotus.

2. Faria y Souza. Mick. Lus., note b. 7.

3. Sir W. Jones, Diss. Antiq. Ind. Zod.

4. MSS. Bibliot. Roi Fr.

5. Plutarch, De Placitis Philosoph., lib. ii., cap. 20.

6. Achill. Tat., Isag., cap. 19. Ap. Petav., t. iii., p. 81. Stob., Eclog. Phys., lib. i., p. 56. Plut., De Plac. Phil.

7. Diogenes Laetius in Anaxag., lib., ii., sec. 8. Plat., Apol., t. i., p. 26. Plut., De Plac. Phil. Xenoph., Mem., lib. iv., p. 815.

8. Aristot., Meteor., lib. ii., cap. 2. Idem., Probl., sec. 15, Stob., Ecl. Phys., lib. i., p. 55. Bruck., Hist. Phil., t. i., p. 1154, etc.

9. Philos. Trans., 1795, p. 72. Idem, 1801, p. 265. Nich., Philos. Journ., i., p. 13.

10. Aristot., Ap. Cic., lib. i., cap. 3.

11. Aristot., Metaph., lib. i., cap. 5. Idem, De Cœlo, lib. iii., cap 1. Rousseau, Mem. sur Musique Ancien, p. 39. Plutarch, De Plac. Phil., lib. i., cap. 3.

12. Tim., Locr. ap. Plato., t. iii., p. 90.

13. Aristot., Nat. Auscult., lib. ii., cap. 6. Aristoph., Metaph., lib. i., cap. 3. Cic., De Nat. Deor., lib. i., cap. 10. Justin Mart., Prat. ad Gent., p. 20.

14. Mosheim in Cudw., lib. i., cap. 4. Tim., De Anim. Mund. sp. Plat., lib. iii. Mem. de l’Acad. des Belles-Lettr., t. xxxii., p. 19, et al.

15. Book i., ch. 5.

16. Holwell, Gent. Philosophy.

17. Johannes Megapolensis, Jun., Account of Maquaas or Mohawk Indians.

18. Darw., Bot. Garden, Part I., Cant. i., 1, 105.

19. Grotius. Puffendorff, b. v., cap. 4. Vattel, b. i., cap. 18, etc.

20. Vattel, b. i., ch. 17.

21. Blackstone, Com., b. ii., cap. 1.

22. True it is—and I am not ignorant of the fact—that in a certain apocryphal book of voyages, compiled by one Hakluyt, is to be found a letter written to Francis the First, by one Giovanne, or John Verazzani, on which some writers are inclined to found a belief that this delightful bay had been visited nearly a century previous to the voyage of the enterprising Hudson. Now this (albeit it has met with the countenance of certain very judicious and learned men) I hold in utter disbelief, and that for various good and substantial reasons: First, Because on strict examination it will be found, that the description given by this Verazzani applies about as well to the bay of New York as it does to my nightcap. Secondly, Because that this John Verazzani, for whom I already begin to feel a most bitter enmity, is a native of Florence; and everybody knows the crafty wiles of these losel Florentines, by which they filched away the laurels from the brows of the immortal Colon, (vulgarly called Columbus,) and bestowed them on their officious townsman, Amerigo Vespucci; and I make no doubt they are equally ready to rob the illustrious Hudson of the credit of discovering this beautiful island, adorned by the city of New York, and placing it beside their usurped discovery of South America. And, thirdly, I award my decision in favor of the pretensions of Hendrick Hudson, inasmuch as his expedition sailed from Holland, being truly and absolutely a Dutch enterprise;—and though all the proofs in the world were introduced on the other side, I would set them at naught, as undeserving my attention. If these three reasons be not sufficient to satisfy every burgher of this ancient city, all I can say is, they are degenerate descendants from their venerable Dutch ancestors, and totally unworthy the trouble of convincing. Thus, therefore, the title of Hendrick Hudson to his renowned discovery is fully vindicated.

23. This river is likewise laid down in Ogilvy’s map as Manhattan—Noordt Montaigne and Mauritius River.

24. Juet’s Journ., Purch. Pil.

25. “Men by inaction degenerate into oysters.”—Kaimes.

26. Pavonia, in the ancient maps, is a tract of country extending from about Hoboken to Amboy.

27. It is a matter long since established by certain of our philosophers,—that is to say, having been often advanced, and never contradicted, it has grown to be pretty nigh equal to a settled fact,—that the Hudson was originally a lake dammed up by the mountains of the Highlands. In process of time, however, becoming very mighty and obstreperous, and the mountains waxing pursy, dropsical, and weak in the back, by reason of their extreme old age, it suddenly rose upon them, and after a violent struggle effected its escape. This is said to have come to pass in very remote time, probably before rivers had lost the art of running uphill. The foregoing is a theory in which I do not pretend to be skilled, notwithstanding that I do fully give it my belief.

28. A promontory in the Highlands.

29. Properly spelt hoeck (i. e., a point of land).

30. This is a narrow strait in the Sound, at the distance of six miles above New York. It is dangerous to shipping, unless under the care of skilful pilots, by reason of numerous rocks, shelves, and whirlpools. These have received sundry appellations, such as the Gridiron, Frying-pan, Hog’s Back, Pot, etc., and are very violent and turbulent at certain times of tide. Certain mealy-mouthed men, of squeamish consciences, who are loth to give the Devil his due, have softened the above characteristic name into Hurl-gate, forsooth! Let those take care how they venture into the Gate, or they may be hurled into the Pot before they are aware of it. The name of this strait, as given by our author, is supported by the map in Vander Donck’s History, published in 1656,—by Ogilvie’s History of America, 1671,—as also by a journal still extant, written in the sixteenth century, and to be found in Hazard’s State Papers. And an old MS. written in French, speaking of various alterations in names about this city, observes, “De Hell-gate, trou d’Enfer ils ont fait Hell-gate, Porte d’Enfer.”

31. Vide, Hazard’s Col. Stat. Pap.

32. MSS. of the Rev. John Heckwelder, in the archives of the New York Historical Society.

33. MSS. of the Rev. John Heckwelder; New York Historical Society.

34. The following cases in point appear in Hazard’s Collection of State Papers.

“In the meantime, they of Hartford have not onely usurped and taken in the lands of Connecticott, although unrighteously and against the lawes of nations but have hindered our nation in sowing theire own purchased broken up lands, but have also sowed them with corne in the night, which the Nederlanders had broken up and intended to sowe: and have beaten the servants of the high and mighty the honored companie, which were laboring upon theire master’s lands, from theire lands, with sticks and plow staves in hostile manner laming, and among the rest, struck Ever Duckings [Evert Duyckink] a hole in his head, with a stick, so that the bloode ran downe very strongly downe upon his body.”

“Those of Hartford sold a hogg, that belonged to the honored companie, under pretence that he had eaten of theire grounde grass, when they had not any foot of inheritance. They proffered the hogg for 5s. if the commissioners would have given 5s. for damage; which the commissioners denied, because noe man’s own hogg (as men used to say) can trespass upon his owne master’s grounde.”

35. The bridge here mentioned by Mr. Knickerbocker still exists; but it is said that the toll is seldom collected nowadays, excepting on sleighing parties, by the descendants of the patriarchs, who still preserve the traditions of the city.

36. In a manuscript record of the province, dated, 1659, Library of the New York Historical Society, is the following mention of Indian money:

“Seawant alias wampum. Beads manufactured from the Quahaug or wilk: a shell-fish formerly abounding on our coasts, but lately of more rare occurrence, of two colors, black and white; the former twice the value of the latter. Six beads of the white and three of the black for an English penny. The seawant depreciates from time to time. The New England people make use of it as a means of barter, not only to carry away the best cargoes which we send thither, but to accumulate a large quantity of beavers and other furs; by which the company is defrauded of her revenues, and the merchants disappointed in making returns with that speed with which they might wish to meet their engagements; while their commissioners and the inhabitants remain overstocked with seawant,—a sort of currency of no value except with the New Netherland savages, etc.”