A History of the original settlements on the Delaware, from its discovery by Hudson to the colonization under William Penn. To which is added, an account of the ecclesiastical affairs of the Swedish settlers, and a history of Wilmington, from its first settlement to the present time

Front matter

SWlErJ)!£% €!M!l!l!aCl)Q,WQ[LK«aP,lGcir©NJ®^- A HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENTS ON THE DELAWARE, FROM ITS DISCOVERY BY HUDSON TO THE COLONIZATION UNDER WILLIAM PENN. TO WHICH IS ADDED AN ACCOUNT OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS OF THE SWEDISH SETTLERS, AND A HISTORY OF WILMINGTON, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME. ILLUSTRATED BY DRAWINGS. Whatever draws ua from the power of our senses, — whatever makes the past, the distant, or the future preponderate over the present, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings." — Dr. JoiixsoN- BY BENJAMIN FERRIS WILMINGTON: WILSON & HEALD, 107 MARKET STREET. 1846. District of Delaware, to wit .■ Be it remembered, that on the sixteenth day of AuguBt, Anno Domini 1645, Benjamin Ferris, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the title of which is in the words following, to wit : ".."

A History of the Original Settlements on the Delaware, from its discovery by Hudson, to* the colonization under William Penn. — To which is added, 'An account of the Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Swedish Settlers, and a History of Wilmington, from its first settlement to the present time, illustrated by drawings. " Whatever draws us from the power of our senses. — whatever makeB the past, the dis tant, or the future, predominate over the present, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings." — Ds. Johnson. By Benjamin Ferris. The right whereof he claims as author, in conformity with the Act of Congress, entitled '"An Act to amend the several acts respecting copy rights." T. Booth Roberts, Clerk of the District. MssRiaEW & Thompson, Printers, 7 Caper's Alley, Philad .

Preface

. As man is the only animal which manifests the least curiosity to know what will be hereafter, so is he equally distinguished by the desire to un derstand what passed before he came into the world. This propensity, in the former case, is the mainspring to religious inquiry; in the latter, it is the motive to historical research. Notwithstanding the diversity of cha racter which marks our species, we find very few who do not feel a curiosity to know something of those who lived before them, and of the parts they acted on the great theatre of life. It is found in children at a very early age. Not only are they charmed with tales of wonder; they listen with delight to the simplest narratives of fact. So deep are the impres sions thus made on the memory, that before the invention of letters, they were depended on as the conservatories of historical truths.

But in the transmission of events by memory only, facts are liable to become mixed with fable, time is constantly curtailing the record, and death destroys the tablet. The aid of letters is necessary to preserve their just connection, and to rescue from oblivion the most important occurrences. Much of the matter for a complete history of our primitive settlements is irrecoverably lost. The early adventurers were too much engaged in duties of the first necessity to permit them to record passing events. For the means of giving any thing like a connected statement of them we are much indebted to official documents, and other writings left by our predecessors, without any view to that object. So few publications relating to the original settlements on the Delaware have yet appeared, that many, who are far from being indifferent to the subject, know very little of the interesting circumstances of our early history.

No connected narrative, sufficiently comprehensive to convey a clear understanding of them, has ever been published in our language. Those authors who have incidentally treated of the subject have been too concise to satisfy a reasonable curiosity, and in most instances they have made so many mistakes as to mislead rather than inform the reader. The truth is, that much of the matter necessary to form a correct outline of our early history, has, until lately, been locked up in foreign languages,

PREFACE.

. sometimes in books only to be found in European libraries. Facts of the greatest importance have been confined among the archives of public institutions, or in the cabinets of the curious. There are not many in our new country, who can afford the time necessary to explore the hidden resources of historical truth, widely scattered as they are, and often difficult of access. But a better day is opening on the vocation of the historian. Historical Societies have been formed in several of the States of our Union. The Spirit of inquiry is abroad, connected with a noble zeal to discover and rescue from destruction the remaining materials for a history of our country. The development of these hidden treasures will place us above the necessity of laying the foundation of our history in fable or uncertain tradition.

We shall have no temptation to trace our lineage to imaginary deities, or to resort to poetical invention for the characters and actions of our ancestors. By an appeal to authentic facts the future historian will be able to give to his narrative a charm infinitely surpassing all others, — the charm of truth. The Dutch records at Albany, if published in a corrected translation, would furnish a large fund of curious and valuable matter for a history of our original settlements. In their present state it requires so much time to come at their treasures, scattered in disconnected fragments through so many volumes, that few can command time and the necessary seclusion from other pursuits, to avail themselves of the opportunity they offer to enlarge our stores of historical knowledge. It is understood that Gover nor Beekman's official correspondence, during his residence at Christina, from the year 1659 to 1664, is among those records.

From the respon sibility of his station, and from his character as a man of a liberal educa tion, his letters, written during a very interesting period of our colonial history, would probably throw much light on the subject. A good translation of Acrelius's " History of New Sweden," would undoubtedly add much to our stock of knowledge. The small part of it already published is composed of extracts selected by Nicholas Collin, and relates chiefly to the controversies between the Dutch and the Swedes. Such detached portions of the work impair the connection of the history, and present its author in a less favourable point of view than he may justly merit. When it is considered that one department of histoiy greatly illustrates others, it is much to be regretted that the whole work, as well that part which relates to ecclesiastical, as that which treats of civil history, is not translated and published.

It is understood that a complete copy of that work is in the Library of the Philosophical Society of Pennsylvania; and from the laudable zeal of the Historical Society of that State to diffuse information, we may hope a translation of the whole work will not long be withheld from the public.

PREFACE.

. V There are several other works relating to the Swedish Colonies in America, published in Sweden at different periods, which have not been translated into our language. One by T. E. Biorck, printed at Upsal in 1731; one by Andreas Hesselius who was pastot of the Church at Chris tina, from the year 1712, to 1723 ; and one by Charles David Arfwedson, published in 1825. These, if rendered into English, would undoubtedly extend the limits of our knowledge relating to the early periods of our colonial state. Biorck's work was written and published in the life time of their old pastor Ericus Biorck, and perhaps under his immediate in spection. In it would probably be found important information of an au thentic character, as well as in the work of Hesselius, who having lived at Christina eleven years must have written of facts personally known to himself.

As Hesselius succeeded Biorck at Christina, it is probable the two works might give us a chain of facts, of an interesting character, from the year 1697 to 1723. The manuscripts of Du Simitiere, in the Philadelphia Library, contain a large amount of interesting information, from which might be extracted much that would illustrate the history of the early settlements in America. It is to be hoped that none of these depositories of historical knowledge will be suffered long to remain as dead stock to the inquirer into our colonial history. The following narrative is not offered to the public as a complete or perfect history of the period it embraces. The author is well aware that more extensive research than his opportunities afforded, and higher qualifications than he can lay any claim to, are necessary to produce such a work.

The limits which he had prescribed to himself, made it necessary for him to study brevity, and to convey the information in his possession in as concise a manner as possible, so as to accomplish the object he had in view. A larger work might have been written from the same materials. The author has been much indebted to the New York Historical So ciety for the materials of his history. The last volume of their collections is invaluable. With the notes and observations of its able editor, it fur nishes, within a small compass, a greater amount of matter relating to the first settlements of the Dutch and Swedes, within the present limits of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, than can be found within the same space elsewhere in our country. To the state authorities at Albany for their kindness and liberality in permitting him to have free access to their records, and to copy from them such matters as he deemed needful, the author is greatly indebted : as he also is for the same privileges to the Historical Society of New York. He also gratefully acknowledges his obligations to J. C. Clay, 1* VI

PREFACE.

. Rector of the church at Wicaco, and to the vestrymen and church-war dens of the old Swedish Church at Christina, for the liberal use of their church records respectively. The kindness of the City Council at Wil mington in the loan of their records is acknowledged with gratitude. That part of the following work which is devoted to the ecclesiastical affairs of the Swedes, is the result of much labour, and a careful use of the materials in the author's possession. If it should be thought that he has gone too much into detail, the deep and general interest felt on this subject must be his apology. In the part allotted to the local history of Wilmington, it is not ex pected that the distant reader will feel much interest. To his fellow citizens he has endeavoured by a free use of the authentic information in his possession to make it interesting.

Some ancient documents con nected with the early history of Wilmington, which were found among the records of the proprietaries of Pennsylvania, after the revolutionary war, have been inserted entire. The author has not been deterred from giving them to the public by any consideration of their length, or the minor importance of some subjects which they illustrate. Small matters at home, when they relate to remote periods of time, often excite a higher degree of interest than great things at a great distance. In the historical documents to which the author has been indebted for the facts contained in the following work, the dates present some dis crepancies, not of any material importance to the reader, but involving some difficulty in the attempt to reconcile them. Under these circum stances it has been deemed most advisable that the dates should be given as they are found in the works of the authors referred to, without regard to the different calendars, or the manner of expression.

It might have been moie useful to the exact chronologer, and would have been more agreeable to the author, to have reduced all the dates to one plain standard, and all to the Gregorian or new style; but the difficulty and labour of such an attempt were deemed to be greater than was called for by the circumstances. In the compilation of this history the author has been careful not to insert any thing that c annot be sustained by competent authority. His highest aim has been to state facts in a plain and perspicuous manner, that the work may be referred to as an authentic record of events. If he has sailed in either of these objects, the failure has not been intentional. The future historian may add much interesting matter to enrich and adorn the narrative, but it is confidently believed that nothing will be discovered materially to impair it, or to alter the chain of events as they are related in the following work. Wilmington, \2th mo. 3d, 1845. CONTENTS.

Part I

Chap. I. — Original discoveries of America. Hudson discovers and enters Delaware Bay. Enters New York Bay. Ascends the North fiver. Settlement at Manhattan. First settlement on the Delaware, near Gloucester Point, by Cornelius May. Second settlement by De Vries, near Lewestown. Destruction of his colonists by the Indians, 13 Chap. II. — Usselinx, in the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, forms a company to settle a colony of Swedes on the Delaware. Its failure, 28 Chap. III. — Minuit, Governor of the New Netherlands, dismissed. Succeeded by Van Twiller. Minuit goes to Sweden. Proposes a settlement of Swedes on the Delaware. Proposition accepted. Appointed to command the expedition, 32 Chap. IV. — Minuit arrives with a squadron in the Delaware. Lands on Mispillion Point. Settles at Christina. First town on the Delaware founded.

Fort Christina built. Kieft, the successor of Van Twiller, protests, but submits, 40 Chap. V. — Several Dutch Companies, under Swedish authority, settle on the west side of Delaware. Their privileges. Some English families settle at Salem, N. J., and are expelled by the Dutch and Swedes. Minuit's death. Succeeded by Hollendare. A company of English from New Haven take possession of land on the Schuylkill and are expelled by Kieft, 52 Chap. VI. — Hollendare returns to Sweden and is succeeded by Printz. He arrives in the Delaware. Damaged by a storm. Settles at Tinicum. His instructions. Policy of Sweden. Fort Gottenberg erected. Fort Elfsborg built at the mouth of Salem Creek. Printz builds Fort Gripsholm on an island in Schuylkill. Monopolizes the trade. The Dutch complain. First mill in Pennsylvania.

Printz quarrels with the Dutch. Land on which Philadelphia stands first occupied by Europeans. Contention between Printz and the Dutch Commissary. Kieft succeeded by Stuyvesant as Governor at New Amsterdam. Stuyvesant CONTENTS builds Fort Cassimir at New Castle. Printz protests, returns to Sweden and is succeeded by Pappegoia, 61 Chap. VII. — Rising succeeds Pappegoia. Arrives in the Delaware. Captures Fort Cassimir. Strengthens the Fort. The Dutch capture a Swedish ship. Rising holds a council with the Indians at Tinicum. Stuyvesant sends a squadron into the Delaware. Recaptures Fort Cassimir. Lays siege to Fort Christina. It surrenders. Articles of capitulation. Fort at New Gottenburg falls into the possession of the Dutch, and the Swedish authority on the Delaware terminates, ■ 81 Chap. VIII. — Character of Printz and Rising.

Peaceable character of the Swedish colonists. Their situation after the conquest'by the Dutch. Colony divided. Municipal regulations at New Am6tel. Jaquet and Beekman Governors. Jaquet dismissed. Alrich succeeds him. New Fort built near Cape Henlopen. Stuyvesant orders the Swedes to settle in one place. They refuse. Stuyvesant forebodes a conquest by the English. Alrich dies. The Colony of the Company transfers its rights to the Colony of the City. Review of the Dutch Government, 99 Chap. IX. — The English prepare for the conquest of the New Netherlands. Sir Robert Carr sent with a squadron to New Amsterdam. Anchors in Gravesend Bay. Demands the surrender of the country. Stuyvesant demurs. Colonel Hide ordered to reduce the authorities to submit, by force. Stuyvesant surrenders. Sir Robert Carr sent with a squadron to reduce the Dutch forces on the Delaware.

His commission and orders. Fort Cassimir surrendered. The inhabitants submit. The government changed. Colonel Nichols governs the New Netherlands under the Duke of York. Rebellion, headed by Konigsmarke, the Long Finn. Konigsmarke taken, branded and sent to Barbadoes to be sold. Sir Francis Lovelace Governor. His policy. Exacts duties on exports and imports. War between England and Holland. Dutch beat the combined fleets of England and France. New Netherlands recaptured by the Dutch. Restored to England by treaty. Andross arrives as Governor. His oppressive government. New Jersey remonstrates, Obtains redress, 113 Chap. X. — Swedish settlements on the Delaware^ in 1680. New Castle. George Fox's journey from the Raritan to New Castle. Marcus Hook. Finland. Chester. Wicaco. Character of the Swedes, by William Penn..

His arrival in the Delaware. Address to him by the Swedes. They chosen officers of the new government. Kind treatment by the proprietaries, CONTENTS. IX Chap. XI. — William Penn. Quakers' sufferings under Charles II. and James II. Penn opposes the arbitrary measures of the courts in England. Character of the government instituted in Pennsylvania, 140

Part II. Ecclesiastical Affairs Of The Swedes

Chap. I. — Old Swedes' Church at Christina. First church in the Fort at Christina. Crane-hook Church built for the Dutch and Swedes. The two races intermarry. Lock, their only pastor, twenty years. Fabritius pastor at Wicaco. His death. Swedes on the Delaware without a minister. Lay readers. Disorders prevail. Swedes send to Amsterdam for a clergyman. Effort ineffectual. Prospect dark. William Penn sends them religious books, and a Bible for their church. Colony prospers. Andrew Printz, from Sweden, visits his countrymen. Returns to Sweden. Letter from Thelin at Gottenburg to Swedes on Delaware. They answer it. Three missionaries sent by the King. They arrive. Account of their voyage. First meeting at Crane-hook Church. Agree to build a church at Christina. State of the country, 144 Chap. II. — Crane-hook church unfavourably situated.

Corner stone of Christina church laid. Articles with the mason and carpenter. Church finished, 159 Chap. III. — Church dedicated. Subscriptions. Belfry and bellringing. Inscriptions. Porticoes built. Steeple erected. Oldest grave-stones. Present state of the old church and lands round it. Crane-hook church property sold. John Hans Stellman-'s bounty, 168 Chap. IV. — Missionaries from Sweden. Account of them. Reorus Torkillus. John Campanius Holm. Lawrence Charles Lokenius. Israel Holg. Peter. Matthias. Jacob Fabritius. Ericus Biorck. Andrew Hesselius. Samuel Hesselius. John Eneburg. Peter Tranberg. Israel Acrelius. Erick Unander. Andreas Borell. Lawrence Girelius. The Swedish language ceases to be intelligible. Missions cease. Girelius recalled. Letter from the Archbishop of Upsal to the Swedish congregations in America. Monumental inscriptions, X CONTENTS. 192 203 210 222

Part III. History Of Wilmington

, Chap. I. — Location. Christiana river. Brandywine. Original patents to Tymen Stidham and John Anderson. Rattle Snake Kill. Black Cat's Kill. Brandywine, origin of its name. Division of Anderson's tract. Description of the parts. Stalcop, origin of the name. Church land. Leases by the trustees of lands in Wilmington. Peterson's grant to Andrew Justison. Description of the tract. Chap. II. — Thomas Willing marries Catharine, the daughter of Andrew Justison. Justison assigns land to Willing. He lays out a town. First house certainly known to have been built. William Shipley purchases land in the town. Second purchase. Removes to the town. Town plan enlarged. Grows rapidly. Petition for a charter. Market-house built. Times for holding markets. Advertisement, Chap. III. — William Shipley's first residence.

Disputes concerning market place. Determination to build another market house. Protests against it. Appeal to Governor Penn. He interferes. Letter to him. William Shipley's letter to Penn. David Ferris' letter to Penn. Joseph Hewes' letter to Penn, Chap. IV. — Contract for the purchase of the market house. Subscriptions. Uneasiness between parties increases. Personal violence. Charter granted. Name changed from Willingtown to Wilmington. Disputes settled. Lower market house finished. Description. Two markets established. Burgesses made conservators of the peace. Ground purchased for prison. Cage, stocks and whipping-post erected. Cage called " smoke-house.'' Its description. Fairs. First election under the charter. First officers of the Borough. Number of inhabitants. First vessel built fur foreign trade.

Cargo. Trade to the West Indies and Ireland. Increases. Insurrection at St. Domingo. Refugees settle in Wilmington. Consequences. Yellow Fever in Philadelphia. Wilmington crowded with her citizens. Consequences. French Revolution. Jay's treaty. Opposition to it. Consequences. Bank of Delaware. Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine. Farmers' Bank. Union Bank of Delaware. City hall built. Town clock. Bell. Library. Cells. CONTENTS. XI 237 252 Chap. V.— Yellow fever in Wilmington in 1798 and 1802. Quarantine ineffectual. Board of Health. Memorial of the board on one of its members. Prosperity of Wilmington. First cotton factory. Berlin and Milan decrees. British Orders in Council. Manufactures instituted. Road over the Old Ferry to New Castle. Wilmington bridge over the Christiana. Turnpike roads.

Rail roads and canals. Events ofthe war of 1812. Treaty of peace. Death of James A. Bayard. Powder mill explosion. Its consequences. Death of E. I. Dupont. Changes in the surface of the ground. Ascents and descents fixed by law. Water works. Wilmington a city. Rows of houses. Manufactories. Shipyards. Markets. Rail road. Steamboats, Chap. VI. — William and Elizabeth Shipley. Old Joan. Smoke-house. Drumming out. Wheelbarrow men. Health and longevity. List of aged persons. Cherry Island. Sixty years ago. Michael Wolf. Peter Steinmetz. Wilmington fairs. Pugilism. Contracion of the Christeen. Filling up. First stone cutter. Sheward's race. Charles Springer. Joseph Springer, his son. Joseph Springer, his grandson. Caty Dean. First apothecary shop. Schools and barring out. Griffith Minshall. Academy hill.

Rejoicing for the peace of 1783. Clements' Creek. Travellers' tales. Rattle-snakes. Sea spiders. Fish-tree. Silver region. Black maize, lions, &c. Grapes. Manitto or devil-fish. Great trees. Land about Christina flowing with milk and honey. Gamboge found at the Old Ferry. Red paint at Kimensi used instead of Cinnabar. Wonderful calabashes. Remarks. Table of exports and imports at New Amsterdam. Old houses. Houses for worship now in Wilmington. Prices ofthe market, &c. First bridge over Brandywine. First mill in Wilmington. Second bridge over Brandywine. Old bolting mill. Old saw mill. List of Swedish families on the Delaware. Health of Wilmington. Testimony of physicians. New Castle church and other old places of worship, ERRATA. The following errors escaped attention as the work was passing through the press.

Page 4 line 13 from the top, instead of " motion" read emotion. 113 line 13 from the top, instead of << New Hope" read Good Hope. 135 (in the note) instead of " page 81" read page 80. 137 line 14 instead of" 1672" read 1682. 171 last line instead of" 1719" read 1718. 187 line 23 instead of " 1719" read 1718. 198 line 9 instead of " Frances'' read Francis. 199 line 10 instead of " limits" read limit. 232 line 2 instead of " May" read June. 261 line 19 instead of "subsided" read subsisted. HISTORY OF SETTLEMENTS ON THE DELAWARE.

Part I. Chapter

I. ORIGINAL SETTLEMENTS. To Italy belongs the honour of producing two of the>most dis tinguished navigators of the world. Whilst the inhabitants of the British Isles were yet in a state of semi-barbarism, Italy was enriched by commerce, and had made advances in the sciences and in the arts, which entitled her to rank among the most enlightened and polished nations of Europe. Her mariners, nursed from their infancy on the water, had acquired that skill and boldness which experience only can give. The limits of their own inland seas were too narrow for their enterprise ; they boldly extended their adventures beyond the Straits ot Gibraltar, and ventured their little and frail vessels on the broad bosom of oceans, as yet trackless and unexplored. Columbus, a native of Genoa, in 1492, had discovered some islands on the American coast ; it was reserved for a Venetian merchant to discover the main land.

To John Cabot, the father of the celebrated Sebastian Cabot, is due the credit of first seeing this vast continent. On the 24th of the month called o June, 1497, he saw the coast of Labrador, near Byron's bay, N. lat. 56°. England claims the honour of this discovery, and had it been made by a native of that country, and at the expense of the crown, the claim would be indisputable. But the voyage was undertaken by a native of Venice. It was executed at his own proper costs, and at his own risk. The energy to plan, the skill to direct, the means to prosecute the voyage, must all be credit ed to the science, ardour, and public spirit of foreigners. The reigning monarch, Henry VII., notorious for his parsimony, allowed them to labour for the profit of the crown at their own costs, and after all their perils and expenditures, bound them to pay to the king one-fifth part of the emoluments.

In the year 1498, Cabot, in company with his son Sebastian, a noble-minded youth, then only twenty-one years old, made a second voyage to America. They reached the continent near Cape Grimington, on the coast of Labrador, N. lat. 58. Find ing the region intensely cold, and the country inimical to the objects of their enterprise, they bore away to the south-west, and were the first navigators who discovered and sailed along the coast, from the far north to the capes of the Chesapeake. But it does not appear that they landed, or took possession of any part of the country, either beyond or within the present limits of the United States. The expedition was obliged to return for want of provisions, and the voyage terminated, more to the ho nour than profit of the adventurers. From this period the ardour for maritime enterprise spread with great and unparalleled rapidity through the States of Europe.

The Portuguese fitted out Cortereal, who reached the shores of North America in 1501, and sailed along our coast from Cape Cod to the 50th degree of north latitude. Within ten years after Cabot's discovery, the French were well acquainted with the banks of Newfoundland, and had a fleet of vessels there en gaged in the fishery. They gave the name to Cape Breton, — and Dennis, a citizen of Honfleur, drew a map of the Gulph of St. Lawrence. Verrazzini, a Florentine, under the patronage of Francis I., of France, arrived on the coast of Carolina in 1524, and it is supposed was the first European who had ever seen that part of the continent. He sailed northward, — entered the bay of New Port, in Rhode Island, and afterwards pursued his course as far as Newfoundland.* He was delighted with the country and its inhabitants, and on his return to France wrote a narrative of his adventures, which is still extant, containing one of the earliest descriptions of our coast.

In 1534, Carrier, a French adventurer, discovered the Gulph of St. Lawrence, and sailed so far up the river that he could see either side of it at the same time. In the following year the king furnished ships for a second adventure, and Cartier penetrated the country as far as Montreal, to which he gave its present name. No further discoveries of much importance were made of ter ritories within the present limits of the United States, during the next half century. Much had been expended, many had perished, and little pecuniary reward had followed the daring enterprise of a host of adventurers. In the following century, how ever, the spirit of adventure revived. Within the first ten years of it the French were active along our north-eastern and northern frontier. In 1603 Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence, and finally explored the country along the Sorel, and to the lake, which is destined, as an imperishable monument, to bear his name down to the latest ages.

In 1604 De Montz explored the shores and rivers of New England, as far south as Cape Cod. The first French settlement in America was made in that year at Port Royal. Nothing, connected with the object of the present work, oc- *It has been supposed that Verrazzini entered New York bay. As there is no tradition among the natives, of any Europeans having been there before Hudson, some have doubted the fact. The account of Verrazzini, however, makes it probable that he discovered the entrance to the bay, and that he sent his boat some distance up it, far enough to ascertain its form. But no practical advantage ensued. The Indian account of the first arrival of the Europeans, given by Hecke welder, agrees remarkably with the account of Hudson's first visit to Manhattan. See New York Hist. Soc. Collections, vol. 2, p. 71. curred after this event, until the celebrated Henry Hudson un dertook to penetrate our northern seas, in search of a passage through them to China and Japan.

For this purpose he was fitted out by some London merchants, and set sail in a small ves sel, on the first day of May, 1607. With a crew of ten men and a boy, he boldly pushed into the North sea, and sailed as high as lat. 80°; but being stopped by the ice, he retured to Eng land in the following autumn. Pursuing the same object, he sailed again in 1608, but could get no further than Nova Zem bla, and returned the same year. Hudson having twice failed to attain his end, it is supposed his employers became discouraged and abandoned the scheme. l'he hopes and the ardour of this great navigator were not, how* ever, crushed by this failure, for we find him the next year in Holland, then one of the most commercial countries in the world, contracting with the Dutch East India Company to seek for them a nearer route to China by the northern seas.

The arrangements being completed, on the 4th day of April, 1609, in a ship called the Crescent, but more commonly the Half-Moon, he sailed toward the north. Not succeeding in his object, his crew be came dissatisfied ; upon which he determined to examine the more southern coasts of America. Pursuing this object, he sail ed southerly as far as Cape Cod, and supposing it an original dis covery, he called it New Holland ;* thence steering a south westerly course, he kept along our coast till he came to a point south of the capes of the Chesapeake. Knowing that a colony had been settled on some of the shores within those capes, he turned his course towards the north-east, and on the 28th day of August, he entered the Delaware. t After passing into the bay above Cape Henlopen, they found the "land to trend away toward the north-west, with a great bay and rivers, but the bay was shoal," and seeing it dangerous by reason of sand bars, they did not attempt to explore it, but very soon stood out to sea, * De Vries, 274. f The Delaware took its name from Lord Delaware, who discovered it in 1610, one year after Hudson had been in the bay. and on the 3d of the following month passed Sandy-Hook.