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LECTURE 
 
 ON THE 
 
 HISTORY OF STATEN ISLAND; 
 
 DELIVERED BEFORE 
 
 BY RAYMOND M, TYSEN, ESQ. 
 
 TUESDAY APRII. 12tli, 1842. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY REaUEST OF THE DIRECTORS. 
 
 STATEN ISLAND: 
 P. L. HAGADORN, PRINTER. 
 1843. 
 
4 
 
 to mo than to Bketcb, as well as I am able, the 
 principal occurrences upon our Island bince its 
 diflcovr'ry. 
 
 Three hundred arjil lifiy years u;;o, this con- 
 tinent was ii)l)al)il<(), as you will know, by a 
 numerous ra( (! who bad never seen a while aiun. 
 They weredividi'd into nations or tribes, under 
 the government of their chiefs, men who obtain- 
 ed their rank and power by fi-ats in war; and 
 their laws and histories were handed down by 
 tradition. The people who possessed this por- 
 tion of the country, were the Lei»ni-Lenapc, af- 
 terwards called the Delawares, a warlike and 
 powerful nation, who lived many years before, in 
 the Werit ; but allured hither by the accounts 
 of these dcli(;htful regions, they attacked the Al- 
 ligcwi who dwelled here, and having overcome 
 them in a great battle, expelled them from tho 
 country, and established themselves between 
 the Potomac atid Hudson rivers. There were 
 several branches of the Delaware nation, one of 
 which occupied Staten Island. Manhattan Island, 
 nnd the lantl on tho east side of the Hudson. (I) 
 This was the Mahiccan or Manhattan tri!>c. ('J) 
 It was distinguished as the niost fierce and war- 
 like member of the Delaware family; ani in- 
 deed that portion of It which dwelh-ri upon this 
 Island appear to have conquered and held parts 
 of the surrounding country, for the land upon 
 which Elizabe'.h-Town now stands, was pur- 
 chased of their chiefs. (3) 
 
 While they lived the careless, and apparently 
 happy lives of savages, spending most of their 
 time in warring with tljoir neigtibors, and sub- 
 sisting chiefly upon the fruits of the chase, or 
 the spontaneous [iroductions of the earth, some 
 of tl)e.Ti who were fishing upon the coast, observ- 
 ed a strange sight; and a number were soon 
 gathered together, to gaze at a remarkable ob- 
 ject, such as had never before been seen, float- 
 ing upon the water, and nearing the land. Va- 
 rious were the conjectures as to its nature; some 
 supposing it an immense fish, others a large 
 house. As its appearance wsr4 alarming, run- 
 ners were immediately sent off in every direc- 
 tion with the new's, and these shores are soon 
 covered with a multitude of warrior?. As it 
 continues to approach, they imagine that it must 
 he a house or canoe, containing the Manitto or 
 Supreme Being, who was come to make them a 
 visit. The chiefs are assembled, the conjurers 
 and wise men are consulted, and a sacrifice is pre- 
 pared to appease the Manilfo. As it comes near 
 the^ see that it is filled with beings of a different 
 colo\>Tfrom themselves, dressed in a strange man- 
 
 ner ; and one who is clothed in red, they HUp- 
 posc to be the Manitto. But now the hout*f 
 stops ; and a smaller canoe leaver it, containing 
 the red man, and some others. When these 
 reach the shore, they greatly admire the dress of 
 the Manitto, but ihey wonder why he should 
 have a white skin. He now approaches, en- 
 ters the circle they have formed, and salutes them 
 in a friendly manner; and wiien ihey have re- 
 turned his salute, one of his servants brings for- 
 ward a large gourd or vessel, pours from it a li- 
 quid into a smaller one, and gives it to the Ma- 
 nitto, who drinks it. lie then has the cup filled 
 again, and hands it to the nearest chief, who 
 takes it, smells it, and passes it to the next, who 
 does the same; and so it goes round the circle, 
 none having the courage to taste it. At length 
 a great warrior addresses the assembly ; tells 
 them that it was given ihem to drink, that to re- 
 turn it untouched might offend the Manitto, 
 and cause their destruction; and that as it is 
 better for one man to die, than for a whole na- 
 tiofj to be destroyed, he himself will drink it. — 
 Then, like Curtius, he dcvotes'himself for his 
 country, bids them adieu, and swallows the 
 draught. All eyes are now upon him; he stag- 
 gers and falls; but while they are lamenting his 
 death, they discover that he breaihes, and after 
 a little time he ribes, declares he was never so 
 liappy before, and wishes to repeat the experi- 
 ment. Curious to experience his sensations, 
 they join in his request, and a general intoxica- 
 tion ensues. The placil was ever afterwards 
 called by the Indians Mannahattinink — tho 
 place of intoxication. (4) 
 
 This is the traditionary account of the visit of 
 the Europeans to these shores, and of the first 
 introduction among the Indians of their deadli- 
 est cneniy, the destroyer alcohol. The scene 
 just described is supposed by some to have oc- 
 curred upon the shores of Slaten Island or Long 
 Island in 1521, when they say John de Verrazano, 
 a Florentine in the service of the King of France, 
 discovered and vjsited this port. This conjec- 
 ture arose from a description in his narrative of 
 his voyage, which closely applies to the narrows 
 and bay. He says " after proceeding one hun- 
 dred leagues, we found a very pleasant situation 
 among some steep hills, through which a very 
 large river, deep at its mouth, forced its way in- 
 to the sea; from the sea to the eastuaray of the 
 river any ship heavily laden might pass with the 
 help of the tide, which rises eight feet. But as 
 we were riding at anchor in a good berth we 
 would not venture up without a knowledge of 
 
5. 
 
 the mouth ; therefore wo took the boat and en- 
 tering the river, we found the country on its 
 banks well peopled, the inhabitants not differing 
 much from the others, being dressed out with 
 the feathers of birds of various colours. They 
 came towards us with evident delight, raising 
 loud shouts of admiration, and showing us vvhere 
 we could most securely land with our boat. We 
 passed up this river about half a league, when 
 we found it formed a beautiful lake, three leagues 
 in circuit, upon which they were rowing thirty or 
 more of their small boats, from one shore to the 
 other, tilled with multitudes who came to see us. 
 All of a sudden, as is wont to happen to nuviga- 
 tors a violent contrary wind blew in from the 
 sea, and forced us to return to our ship, greatly 
 regretting to leave this region, which seemed so 
 commodious and delightful." Others, particu- 
 larly the Dutch writers, have contended that 
 Hudson was the first who discovered the river 
 which bears his name. Nor ^have the claims to 
 that honor been confined to these two. It has 
 been imagined that the Northmen who sailed to 
 the Northern part of America, in the middle of 
 the eleventh century, pushed their discoveries at 
 least as fir as this Island, and that these regions 
 were included in iheir famous Vinlnnd; while it 
 is asserted, with some probability, that the Span- 
 iards at least saw the river, and named it "the 
 River of the Mountains." 
 
 Henry Hudson, however is generally consid- 
 ered to have been the fir:-': European whu visited 
 these shores. He sailed from Holland, in t!ie 
 employment of the East India Company, in 1601^, 
 and on the 3d of September of that year, entered 
 this harbour, and anchored within the Santly 
 Hook. As he explored the neighborhood, he 
 was delighted with the pleasant aspect of the 
 country ; with its noble trees, its fine scenery, 
 and its fragrant air ; and " the land" he says " is 
 the finest for cultivation, that I ever in my life 
 set foot upon." Having been kindly treated by 
 the Indians except on one occasion, when his 
 boat was attacked by the fierce Mahiccans, and 
 in the flight, one man shot with an arrow, and 
 killed, and having proceeded up the North Riv- 
 er nearly as far as Albany, he returned to Hol- 
 land with the news of his discovery. 
 
 To Hudson our Island owes the name it yet 
 retains. Its Indian name was Aquehonga — 
 Manacknong ; (5) which signifies in English, 
 the place of bad woods. This is properly th. 
 signification of the latter part of the term, Man- 
 acknong ; the former has no necessary connex- 
 ion with it ; it means— <zs far as. The whole is 
 
 evitr^mfythi*-TmsT<rCT fff-a-qife&fitni'; antJ-if we* 
 inrf2f^''h«rtti£ft'tlfl!rreplj^*wh'e'rt- 1^ an- In- 
 dian, was caught up, and preserved as the name 
 of the Island, we have a satisH^ctory reason why 
 the two parts have been handed down togeth- 
 er.* 
 
 The settlement on Staten Island was one of 
 the first, probably the very first, made in this 
 part of the country. It is true that traders bad 
 resided in the neighborhood for several years pre- 
 viously, but they were without families, and con- 
 fined themselves to the forts. The glowing de- 
 scriptions given by Hudson, on his return to 
 Holland, ;jf the beauty and riches of the country, 
 caused it to be called the New Netherlands, and 
 created a drsire to visit it. Accordingly several 
 voyages were made to it, for the purpose of traile; 
 and in 1G15 a fort was erected on Manhattan 
 Island for the protection of the traders. (G) — 
 These voyages were occasionally continued un- 
 til 1G'31, wlien the Dutch West India Company 
 was created, and invested with a monopoly of 
 the trade to the New Netherlands. But they 
 did not commence operations till 1G23, when 
 '.hey sent out a ship with several families of colo- 
 nists. (7) Previous to this timCj however, a fam- 
 ily named Rapelje had established themselves 
 upon this Island. But they did not remain here 
 long. The ship that brought them, had two 
 years before returned to Holland, and no other 
 had been sent out ; they were at a distance from 
 th(Mr iriiMids al Manhattan, without easy u)eans 
 of communicalin^T with them ; they were sur- 
 rounded and annoyed by hostile savages ; ihey 
 were destitute of clothing, their scanty stock of 
 provis^ions was exhausted, and they had not yet 
 cultivated the land sufTiciently to raise a supply. 
 Yielding, then, to their necessities, and longing, 
 doubtless, for social intercourse, they sailed in 
 their little boats to Kap-se.t But the condition 
 of iheir friends was but little better than their 
 own, and they were presently obliged to convert 
 the sails of their boats into clothes. They soon 
 sufiered too, from scarcity of food ; and it is rela- 
 ted that the commander of the station took from 
 Mrs. Rapelje the last morsel, a piece of dum|)ling 
 which she had preserved and hid in the chimney 
 
 *• Manacknong \^ derived Iroin the iiianiniate form 
 of the adjective, manadud (a bad thing,) auk, the 
 term, i.i compound words, for trees (living trees,) 
 d^uAnong, the jjeneral intioction for locality.' 
 
 The translation and derivation of these words 
 was furnished nu, in the most obliging manner by 
 Henry R. Schoolcraft Esq., whose learning in all 
 that relates to the antiquities of our country, is well 
 known. 
 
 t"Thc Indian name for the extreme southern 
 point of the (Manhattan) Island. — Judge Benson. 
 
G. 
 
 * Mrii. tt fV f M Iji ill' W 4ii i t il lMin tf l ^ l> i[l i BB ri iHt J i|i M yi|wrrr 
 
 v mIiim Ii . li mit . i. I -|i h. 'i i U ' l l .IIIH I i I U in l li i u lii iii i n y 
 for lu r huMjiry ciiildri'i). FuriiJiiatcly, lln; n« xt 
 • lay iifhT lliis mTurrrrtcc, tlioy were gladilcnrd hy 
 IIh; hi^hi «ifa sliip vvliii h brou^jhl llu'iii relief. (8) 
 This was the whip of llie co:iii»'my, whirl), at: I 
 have |i»'fore ft iled, arrived here lit lG2'.i. R.ipel- 
 ju Huuii atlt rwards reuiuvcd to the Wal Cocht, 
 and becnme fmiiou!' as the fatljer of the first \\ Iiile 
 child horn in the New Nolheihndri 1 ('.)) 
 
 No further atteiiipl was made, for j't.iiic liino, 
 (ocoloiiize SiaU'ri Island. In it was pur- 
 
 chased from Ilje Indians l»y Miihaol Pauw.one 
 of Ihe Patroofis (10) lie owned also the Imtl 
 on the West si io t)f (lie h.iy, and o|i|ioHite the 
 foil, where Jersey City no.v s'anils, and culled 
 Ihe whole P.ivonia.t Dul he apjiears from some 
 rau:?c Io have nenlccteil his lands, and they at 
 length hecaiiie the properly of the company. — 
 Thif? Island was llien yranted to David Pieter- 
 BZ'-n Du Vrie.H, one of the Patromis vvlio liad 
 come over some years he fore wiih Godyn, V;:ii 
 ReUfeselner, and olhcrJ*. De Vries arrived lieru 
 from Holland, hringinj^ a niitnlter of coli^nistr in 
 lGo8, aJul in January of the nexl year, he cmii- 
 meneed Iiis seltlejicnt. Dul his colony u;rt 
 with a iiielanehnly fate, causi'd by liie short 
 sighted policy pursued with respect to the na- 
 tives. De Vries himself treated them wi><ely, 
 and was hi;^hly respected by them, I'Ut the Gov- 
 ernor., William Kiefi, took the opposite course. 
 Being a man of stem and vigor»)us disposition, 
 UfM>n the sli^^litest provocation, he punished them 
 \vi;h ;;r«'at cruelly, and upon swver.d occasions 
 caused llicui to bo destroyed with savage barbar- 
 ity; which severity never fuilcd to be retorted l.y 
 them upon the Dutch. This was the case with 
 regard lo the colony of De V rics. Some pnrsons 
 from a vessel which had stopped here f.)r wood 
 ^nd water, had commiiled a petty thet'l, which 
 was laid to the charge of the Raritan Indians, 
 a tribe wlio lived near Aral oy, and a troop of 
 one hundred men was sent to jiunish them. — 
 These coniaiiUed violent exce.Taies, killing witli- 
 oqt mercy ; and the only residi of the expedition 
 was to excite a thirst for revenge, which was af- 
 terwanls fully gratified. Upon the first oppor- 
 tunity, the Uaritans invaded the Island, altack- 
 ed the coionist.s and ojunlered ihem lo a man ; 
 at the same litiie telling some friendly Indians 
 thai the whiles should now have cause to Sght 
 Ihem, having before assailed them unjustly. 
 
 This occurred in the latter pari of 16-11, and 
 about the same time, a person named Malyn ar- 
 rived here from Holland, and claimed the Island, 
 
 under an alleged grant from the West India 
 Company. (12) Dc Vries at first disputed hia 
 right, but, after the murder of his people, hcaban- 
 doned hid design to plant a colony here, and 
 Malyn obtained possession, and made some im- 
 provements. He maintained his claim until near 
 the end of the Dutch government, when he 8ur- 
 rendi red it lo the Company. (13) The Inilians, 
 however, were always ready to renew ihcir claims 
 to the Island, and re-sell it, as often as ihey could 
 find piirchasr rs ; and. accordingly, it was sold 
 by tiiem again in 1G51, to Auguslin Herman, 
 (I I) and again io 1Cj7 to the Baron Van Capel- 
 lan. (15) The Sachems who made this sale weie 
 called Warrincr, Aguepos, and Mingua, and the 
 |)rice paid was) ax f»»llows : 10 shirts, 30 pair of 
 stockings, 10 guns, 30 bars of lead, 30 pounds of 
 powilpr, I'J coufs, 2 pieces of dufTell, 30 kettles, 
 50 h.ii:hets, 23 hoes, and a number of knives and 
 awKs. (IG ) 
 
 Uul the Dutch never tucceedrd in securing 
 the frieixlship of the Indians. Prudence, if no 
 brtd r moliu! should have inducer! them, at first, 
 to act mildly towards (hose whose lands they 
 were usurping, and experii-nce should have 
 taught ihem that if i.s beltcrto be loved than fear- 
 ed by our ncighl'ours. But ihey abandoned 
 this principle, and their ill-judged measures [iro- 
 duced in tlie minds of the savages an exaspera-^ 
 lion, of which llicy often felt the cfTects; and as 
 Sialen Island was easy of access, and its white 
 inhabitants too few lo make much resistance, 
 it was again made the K'cnt: of vengeance. In 
 IGjj about five huniircd warriors, in sixty four 
 canoes, landeil at New Amsterdam, and com- 
 mrncid hostilities. Having iHade great havoc 
 there, killing the inhabitants, burning houses, 
 and destroying cattle, they at last made a des- 
 cent upon this Island where they massacred six- 
 ty seven persons, which must have embraced 
 nearly the whole white population. (17.) Ac- 
 cording lo tradition there were two or three 
 houses at Olil Town, where all were murdered, 
 except a little girl, w ho ran into the woods, but 
 having been decoyed back to the house by an 
 Indian diessed in her father's clolhcs, was pre- 
 served, and carried away unharmed. 
 
 We hear nothing more of Stalen Island dur- 
 ing the Dutch government, except that all pri- 
 vate claims to it were extinguished, and that it 
 became again the property of the Company. In 
 1GG4, the English conquered the province and 
 took the most efTeclual means to encourage emi- 
 galion, by granting lo any person the lands he 
 should subdue, [Many then came over, and 
 
1. 
 
 nChosethis Island as their residence. It had ai- 
 rways been a favorite spot with tlie Dutch, and 
 vits advantages continued to attract their success- 
 ■ ors. It was eligibly situated, and its soil was 
 rich. Besides, it abounded with uset'ul wild an- 
 imals — deer, raccoons, and black bears, while it 
 was free from those of a dangerous or noxious 
 character; and its natives w/cre quiet and inof- 
 fensive. It received considerable accessions 
 about the year 1666, and its white population 
 rapidly increased. In 1G65 a shire called York- 
 shire was created, embracing Long Island, Sla- 
 ten Island, and probably the town of Westches- 
 ter, and a code of laws was promulgated for its 
 government : (18) and in 1667 the first Court of 
 Justice was established upon this Island. It 
 consisted of two overseers, who together with the 
 constable, were to administer justice in all cases 
 where the amount in controversy was not more 
 than five pounds. Cases which involved more 
 than that amount, were to be sent to the Court 
 of Gravesend, (19) The English, indeed com- 
 menced a law reform, with a sagacity worthy of 
 our present Legislature, They sat down in 
 council, with a wisdom that would have been 
 ridiculed in the Dutch, gravely to deliberate 
 whether attorneys were useful to plead in Courts, 
 or not ; and when it was resolved that they 
 thought not, a law was passed prohibiting them 
 to practice in the government. 
 
 As the policy of the English was to concili.ite 
 the Indians, and satisfy, as far as practicable, 
 their demands, those here were too cunning to 
 ;Iose the opportunity of making another specula- 
 tion. Accordingly in 1670, they made their ap- 
 pearance before Governor Lovelace and his coun- 
 cil, and claimed the Island, or pay for it. (20) 
 When they were referred to the sale in 1657 
 they denied that the Dutch had completely ful- 
 filled their part of the contiact; and they then 
 fixed a price, at tvhich they would forever reHn- 
 quish their claims, and abandon the Island.— 
 Like skilful speculators, raising their price as the 
 demand increased, they at first named a sum 
 from which they might safely recede; and pro- 
 posed to receive six hundred fathoms of wam- 
 pum ; which was worth far more than they had 
 ever before been offered. This demand was at 
 length somewhat abated, and they consented to 
 take four hundred fathoms of wampum, together 
 with a number of guns, axes, kettles, and watch- 
 coats. But here the oarallel ceases, for, on pay- 
 ment of those articles, they faithfully performed 
 their contract, and delivered up, not a map with 
 the country laid out upon it, but the land itself, 
 
 and they never afterwards occasioned any (rouh- 
 le.* The ceremony of conveyance was jierform' 
 ed by delivering to those deputed to take posset:* 
 slon, a ^<OLl, and a shrub of every kind exoe[)t t!ie 
 ash and theulder. 
 
 It may be interesting to have here some ac- 
 count the wampura, or seawan, before spoken 
 of, which was so bi;zh!y prized by the Indians. — 
 It was of two kinds, the while, and the black, 
 the black being twice as valuable as the white, 
 on account of its scarcity ; and was composed of 
 small portions of the inside of certain sea shells, 
 ground down to the proper size, and strung like 
 beads. When t!)us prepared, it was used for a 
 variety of purposes. It was their money, and it 
 was employeil to ornament their persons and 
 dress; it was the gift of friendship, and with it 
 treaties were ratified, and all important actions 
 confirmed. As it was used by the Dutch and 
 English as the circulating medium, in all trans- 
 actions with them, its value was regulated by 
 law. 
 
 The poiilation of this Island now increased so 
 rapidly that in 1675 it was sufiiciently large to 
 call for the establishment of Courts of larjier ju- 
 risdiction ; and accorilinaly in that year, its ju- * 
 dicial department was entirely separated from 
 that of Long Island, and it was permitted in the 
 language of the record, "to have a juris<liclion 
 itself." (21) In 1683 it contained two hundred 
 families, and as the Province was then first ili- 
 vided into counties, it was made one under the 
 name of Richmond Countyt, and two represent- 
 atives in the Assembly were allowed to it; and 
 the next year, for the first time, a tax of fifteen 
 pounds was imposed upon it. 
 
 Soon after this time, our Island received an 
 accession of inhabitants illustrious for their suf- 
 ferings and their virtues. These were the tlu- 
 gonots, or French Protestants, who were driven 
 from their country by religious persecution. It 
 is probable that a few of these had emigrated to 
 this land some years previously, but it was not 
 till this period that they came in numbers, con- 
 tributing to purify and enrich our country with 
 their own virtues, and the arts of Europe. To 
 understand and appreciate the sufferings of that 
 persecuted people, in whose history too, we feel a 
 lively interest, let us return for a moment to the 
 story of the oppression and cruelty that drove 
 them into exile. The Reformation, which spread 
 over Europe, in the middle of the sixteenth cen- 
 
 *lst May, 1670. 
 
 TJudge Benson says this name was after that of 
 Charles, but this is evidently a mistake ; Charles 2d 
 had no children, and Charles 1st none by that name. 
 
8. 
 
 lory, and alarmcJ the Catholics for the safety of 
 their institutions, from Germany and Switzer- 
 land penetrated into France, where it made rap- 
 id progress. The Ilugonota, as tho reformers 
 were called, soon btcaine mimcroub ; and the 
 proscription with which religious bigotry always 
 meets its opponents, served only to increase their 
 numbers among which were found some of the 
 most eminent men in the kingdom, and even 
 of the royal family. The greatest intolerance 
 Was quickly manifested on the pari of the Cath- 
 olics towards their Protestant brethren; and "it 
 was made a point of honor,*' says llumc, "whf th- 
 er the one sect could exercise or the other suffer, 
 most barbarity." " The father was divided 
 against the son, brother against brother, and wo- 
 men themselves, sacrificing their humanity, as 
 well as their timidity to the religious fury, dis- 
 tinguished themselves by acts of ferocity and 
 valour." But the lJugonots were at length driv- 
 en to defend themselves. Powerful armies were 
 then assembled on either side, led by the greatest 
 men, and France was converted into a scene of 
 strife and bloodshed. As often as they were 
 exhausted by their conflicts, peace was procUim- 
 rd, and observed by the treacherous Catholics 
 only till they could regain their strength. At 
 length King Charles IX was obliged by the firm- 
 ness of the Hugonots to come to an accommoda- 
 tion, and grant them full liberty of conscience ; 
 but this was made by the perfidious monarch, the 
 surest means of their destruction. Lulled into a 
 sense of security, by the deepest dissimulation, 
 the raairiage of their leader with the King's sis- 
 ter was made the occasion of drawing tliera in 
 great numbers to Paris, where the most barba- 
 rous massacre recorded in history took place, led 
 on by the King in person. Men of the highest 
 rank, women, and children were involved in a 
 common destruction 5 and the streets of Paris 
 were deluged with the blood of ten thousand 
 mangled bodies. The massacre then spread over 
 France, and the devoted Huconots, surpiised 
 and unprepared, met, at many places, with a 
 similar fate. But the blow which had been in- 
 tended to exterminate them, seems only to have 
 excited them to greater vigour, for, assisted by 
 troops from Germany, and money from England, 
 they again raised an army, and took the field in 
 defence of their rights. Six times had a treach- 
 erous peace been concluded, and as often broken 
 by the Catholics with new perfidy, and for for- 
 ty years had France been devastated by civil war, 
 when the leader of the Hugonots, at the death 
 of Henry III, succeeded to the crown, and pub- 
 
 lished the famous edict of Nantes, which sccilf- 
 od to them the free exercise of their (religion.— 
 They now enjoyed an inttrval of rest until the 
 accession to power of the Cardinal Richelieu. 
 One of the first schemed of that celebrated man, 
 wns the destruction of the Hugonots, and amidst 
 all his great designs, this was kept continually 
 in view. After his death, during the reign of 
 Lewis XIV, the popish clergy worked steadily 
 to consummate the wicked plan, and induced 
 that otherwise magnanimous monarch to co-op- 
 crate with them. The privileges that had been 
 secured to the protestants were gradually inva- 
 ded, they were again harrassed with persecutions 
 more violent than before, and at length the edict 
 of Nantes was entirely revoked, and they were 
 obliged to renounce their religion, or abandon 
 their country. Choosing the latter alternative, 
 above five hundred thousand sought in foreign 
 land^, that libf rly which was refused them at 
 home, the liberty of worshipping their Maker 
 according to their conscience. A large number, 
 fiillowing the example of the Puritans, fled for 
 refuge to America; and many found an asylum 
 in tiie bosom of our Island. 
 
 IJioh moral courage always commands our 
 admiration. We cannot but respect those who 
 resist oppression, and our finest sympathies are 
 awakened when they suffer. But when we 
 coniempl.ite the character of those, who in de- 
 fence of their religion, would hazard all the 
 comforts of life ; w ho, rather than do violence to 
 their conscience, would sacrifice all that men 
 hold dear ; who rather than purchase peace and 
 safety by dissenting, would abandon company, 
 friends and wealth ; would quit the vineyards of 
 their own sunny land, and by a boisterous pas- 
 sage across the pathless ocean, would seek a 
 home in a distant and unsettled region, whose 
 unknown coast was beset with dangers ; where 
 no smile of sympathy greeted their arrival; and 
 no hand of welcome drew them to the shore; 
 where scarce a white face was seen amidst hordes 
 of scowling savages ; and the only sounds that 
 met their ears, were the howl of the wolf, the 
 whoop of the Indian, the sound of the axe, and 
 the sullen crash of the falling forest, all the en- 
 thusiasm of our nature is kindled in their behalf. 
 Talk not of noble parentage, and blood derived 
 from a remote ancestry, tainted and polluted in 
 its passage, by the vices of every age ; the man 
 who owes his birth to the Puritans of England, 
 or the Hugonots of France, may well be proud 
 of his lineage. 
 
 Such is the narrative of the events which 
 
SI. 
 
 brought hither those, from whom many families 
 tlpon this Island are desccndeJ ; and from it we 
 may easily decide their character. Frugal and 
 industrious, they ccninenced and extended the 
 cultivation oflhc earth; brave and independent, 
 ihey imparted to the growing population a heal- 
 thy and vigorous habit of thinking ; attentive to 
 religion, they built churches, and carefully cher- 
 ished pious customs. "We have indeed abun- 
 dant evidence that all the early inhabitants of 
 this Island were careful of religion, for there are 
 records of churches, corresponding with the 
 three nations from whom our population is de- 
 rived. We have accounts of a French, a Dutch, 
 and an English church, built early in (he last 
 Century, if not in the latter pirt of the preceding, 
 and of a Moravian congregation in 1743. (22) 
 But as land was plenty, and to be had upon easy 
 terms, and their wants but few, many of the in- 
 habitants about that that time were careless, ea- 
 sy, and improvident, and an anecdote is related, 
 which, while it proves this shows also how freely 
 Gonernors gave away their lands. Governor 
 Hunter, sailing about the Island on an excur- 
 sion of pleasure, having been kindly treated by a 
 Dutchman, whose name shall not be mentioned, 
 offered, in consideration of his kindness, to give 
 him a patent for a large tract of land. The an- 
 swer made by the recipient of this liberal offer 
 was " Good Lord ! Governor, what shall I do 
 with ill" and not knovwng what to do with 
 it, he refused to accept it. This is, indeed, al- 
 most incomprehensible at the present day ; and 
 to show more fully the improvidence of the man, 
 his grand children wore paupers, supported by 
 the public. 
 
 We find now for several years but little mat- 
 ter of interest relating to our Island. The en- 
 couragement of schools, the establishment of fer- 
 ries, (23) and the military movements of the Eng- 
 lish, was all that occurred previous to the Revo- 
 lution. As this state was the theatre of operations 
 during the contests between the French and 
 English, so our Island bore its full share of the 
 burthen of war. Many of its inhabitants enlis- 
 ted in the ranks and fought the battles of the 
 King ; and it was always a favorite place for the 
 incompetent of the British armies. (21) 
 
 But with the contest which resulted in our 
 independence, commences perhaps the most in- 
 teresting portion of its history. It is a descrip- 
 tion of the suffering of the inhabitants from flie 
 day when the British army first touched this soil, 
 •ill the closeof a war, which was to them, literal- 
 ly, a "seven years war," for during that time, 
 
 they knew no peace. It has been said that tlie 
 people of this Island flocked to the British stan- 
 dard, on the first landing of the enemy, and bail- 
 ed with enthusiasm their arrival ; but the asser- 
 tion is without a shadow of authority, and on 
 the contrary, I believe that by far the greatest 
 portion of the inhabitants were friends of their 
 country. This falsehood was at first taken from 
 a work published at London in 1780, (25) before 
 the close of the war, and even there it was as- 
 serted only of a portion of the inhabitants; but, 
 copied and considered carelessly, it has been 
 made a general remark ; but |the very measures 
 adopted by the British themselves go to disprove 
 it. It is true, there was no open hostility, but 
 that was a matter of necessity ; and doubtless 
 many present, and I myself, have often, in child- 
 hood, listened to the tales related by the aged 
 from their own recollection, of the sufferings of 
 the people, their execration of their oppressors, 
 and the joy diffused by the independence of their 
 country. 
 
 On the 4th of July, 1776, the enemy took pos- 
 session of this Island and kept it during the war, 
 as a depot and fortified camp. On landing, they 
 entrenched themselves strongly in this part of 
 the Island, and extended their posts along the 
 Northern shore, as far as Port Richmond. — 
 Their next step was to seize the boats found be- 
 ycnd that ijlace and to prohibit all communica- 
 tion with the opposite shore. These regulations 
 were continued in force during their stay ; and 
 thus the inhabitants, shut out from intercourse 
 with their countrymen and watched over by a 
 powerful army, were obliged for their own lives, 
 and the safety of their families to submit. They 
 were compelled to provide sustenance for the 
 army, quarters for the officers, and hospitals for 
 the sick. The soldiery drove away and killed 
 their cattle and they dared not make resistance. 
 Their horses were taken to transport the bag- 
 gage of the army, carried upon distant expedi- 
 tions, seldom paid for and rarely returned.— 
 The farmers were compelled to thresh out their 
 grain, carry it to market, and sell it for a fixed 
 price, under penalty of loss of property, and im- 
 prisonment. Persons from other places had lib- 
 erty to cut wood for fences upon the lands of 
 those who were not under the projection of the 
 British ; and license was granted to others to cut 
 fire wood wherever it could be found, and to im- 
 press the farmers and their teams to carry it 
 away. (2G) As the British made excursions in- 
 to the surrounding country, pillaging and des- 
 troying, the American soldiers often attacked 
 
10. 
 
 the defcncclcFfi parts of iho Ibland, and us aH 
 Were considered within the enemy's lines, all 
 suflTered alike; and with them catoe many to 
 I'lunder, who commiitcd acts of excessive cmclty. 
 There were three attacks made during the 
 War, by the American army, U|)on this post, but 
 on account of the strong position of the enemy, 
 neither was successful. The first was a gallant 
 enterprise, planned and ltd by General Sullivan, 
 about the middle of August 1777. lie sought to 
 surprise the provincial troops, stationed oppofritc 
 the Jersey shore, and succeeded in capturing two 
 Regiments commanded by ColoneU Lawrence 
 and Barton ; but the alarm having f^pread, and 
 reinforcements arriviiia, he thought it prudent to 
 retreat. Unfortunatrly he had not provided a 
 sufficient number of lioats to traiispurl his lro"[)s, 
 and his rear guard was attackeil by the Crilisb 
 General Campbell, and after a spirited resistance, 
 overpowered and taken prison* rs. (•37) In No- 
 vend)er of the same year General Dickinson 
 planned another entttprise. IJe observed the 
 Utmost secrecy with regard to it, and look jjrcal 
 pains to prevent ihc knowledge of his intentions 
 from reaching the enemy ; but they obtained 
 information of it, and when he landed on the 
 Island they had retiTed to thtir entrenchmeivts, 
 and he relumed without success. ('2ft.) The 
 last invasion was in the winter of 1779 and SO, 
 called " the haid witiler," on account oflhe ex- 
 cessive coldness of the weather. The American 
 army had been beaten in New York and driven 
 into New Jersey, where they were in winter 
 quarters, [loorly clail, poorly provisioned, and 
 poorly ariucd. The defeat^ of the past, and the 
 dreary prosjiect of the future, had dainjied the 
 ardourofthe nation; and as action was neces- 
 sary to revive the drooping spirits of the soldiers. 
 General Stirling bi hevcd that a sucres.-jful bluw 
 might be stru k upon this I<!.ind. He supposed 
 that the floating ice would cfTt dually prevent 
 aid from the City, while by a rapid march, he 
 would storm the works, desfroy the storci:, and 
 capture the troops of the British ; and according- 
 ly he crosseii upon t!ie ice with twelve hundred 
 men, and commenced his m:;rch. But the se- 
 verity of the cold, and the depth of the snow im- 
 peded his progress till the enemy roci ivcd rein- 
 forcements; when fir.ding him too strong to be 
 successfully attacked, he retraced liiss-teps, break- 
 ing down the bridges behind him. His troops, 
 unfit for a winter expcdiiion, fcUlTered severely. 
 Being ill provided with clothing, they were ex- 
 posed to the utmost severity of the weather, and 
 many were severely frost bitten and several died 
 
 in consequence. Much depredation wai coni'' 
 mitled during this expedition by some disorderfy 
 soldiers and followers of the army. They rob- 
 bed many fautilies, and drove away a quantity of 
 cattle, but l>y the exertions oflhe General, most 
 of their booty was restored. ("2^) 
 
 Hut it was near the clo«ic of the war when the 
 inhabitants of this I^ilund suflTercd mo.st from this 
 species of arrogance. Organized bands oftories 
 then prowled about, robbing friend and foe ; and 
 it was no uncommon thing, during a scent of 
 dreadful violence, for a man to distcorer that he 
 was pillaged I'y his nearest relations. These 
 wretches attacked the defencelcbs houses, and if 
 they expected concealment, inflicted on the rn- 
 raates the most horriil tortures, and even death 
 itself. On one occasion, they seized a notorious- 
 miser, and having in vain endeavored to discov- 
 er his treasures, he was lied to a po.->t, surroun- 
 ded with straw, and given I© choose between his 
 money and his life. But the passion of avarice 
 conquered, the flame was applied, and the rob- 
 bers departed; and though the wrttched marv 
 suffeieil the mo>l lion il'le agony, he yel lived to 
 enjoy afterwards his accursed lust f>f riches, — 
 To such a |Htch indeed had these miscreants car- 
 ried their audacity, that on anolli^rocca.sion they 
 dragged an enemy before the Biiiish commander, 
 and accused him as a spy ; and when, upon in- 
 vestigation, the man was set at liberty, determin- 
 ed Ujjon his destruction, they again seized him, 
 carried him across the kills, and in sight of tbe 
 army, hanged him upon the marestlree. Each 
 man sb-pt with arms at his side, uncertain when 
 •he shou^d be a.ssailed - and many adopted the ex- 
 pedient of removing their efl'ects to the upper 
 story of their houses, where at night, having as- 
 cended by a ladder which was drawn up after 
 tl)em. they remained in comparative security. — 
 Ol!»ers obtained and kejtt at thtir houses, guards 
 of Bri'.rsh soUiers. and in many neii^hborhoods 
 regular patrols were established each night. But 
 the robSiers were not so defeated, for they exten- 
 ded their depredations into New Jersey, whence 
 they returned loaded with booty; and marvcl'ous 
 stories are yet told of the immense tre.nsures 
 which they carried with them to Nova Scotia, 
 w!)ero, at the close of the war, they, and other 
 tories, found refuge from the vengeance oftheir 
 countrymen. 
 
 As our Island was the first position occupied 
 by the enemy in this State, so it was tlie last de- 
 serted; and from its situation between the con- 
 tending armies, it was the scene of some interes- 
 ting events. Here first landed those splendid 
 
11 
 
 legions, which, proud in their unconquereJ val- 
 our, went forth to battle, and here were they as- 
 sembled, years afterwards stripped of their plu- 
 mage, broken and conquered by the despised 
 troops of undisciplined freemen. Here occurred 
 ihat inter^'iew between the Engli:sh General 
 Howe on the one hand, and Frankhn, Adams, 
 and Rutledge on the other, when those patriots 
 rejected with contempt all offers for submission, 
 and refused to listen to a single proposition that 
 Jid not contemplate the independence of their 
 •country. (30) Here was the famous Ethan Al- 
 ien exchanged and restored to liberty, after years 
 of suffering in an Eiglish prison, where he re- 
 ■ceived the treatment of the vilest culprits. (31) 
 Here, as the last Hessian left our shore, was a 
 salutary lesson given to tyrants, in the humilia- 
 tion of a powerful nation before an exa?[)era- 
 ted colony. Heaven forbid that the pride and 
 arrogance ofthat very nation should again cause 
 these hills to witness the marshalling of armies, 
 and the assembling of navies, to assert and pro- 
 tect our national rights, the freedom of the seas, 
 and, in the language of Dallas, "the searchloss 
 shelter of the flag." 
 
 It is useful, at the close of the war of our in- 
 dependence, to pause and reflect for a moment. 
 Who, ignorant of history, and observing the 
 termination ofthat mighty struggle, and the de- 
 liberate institution by the people of a ne w form of 
 government, could believe Uiat two centuries be- 
 fore, the foot of civilization had never touched 
 this soil ; that daring that time, a numerous and 
 ancient people had melted away like the mist of 
 the morning, or been driven into remoter wilds, 
 as westward the star of empire took its way, and 
 a few puny colonies had expanded into the na- 
 tion which achieved these triumphs'? Who, 
 then, looking forward to the present lime, would 
 <lream that in little more than half a century, so 
 wonderful should bs the improvements in the sci- 
 ence of government, and in the arts of life ; that 
 the benefits of steam should be so great, inter- 
 course so easy, commerce so extended ; that such 
 huge engines of locomotion should thunder along 
 the brow of the precipice and with the rapidity 
 of the wind, fly across the plain ; that immense 
 floating batteries, constructed of iron, propelled 
 swiftly against wind and tide by unseen agents, 
 bristling with new and tremendous instruments 
 of destruction, should change entirely the art of 
 warl Who could imagine that upon our own 
 Island, within so short a time, the crest of every 
 hill should be a palace, every slope and valley, 
 a garden, and a population of twelve thousand 
 
 souls should be found, unsurpassed for industry, 
 
 frugality and contentment. 
 
 It is proper to relate here that long controversy 
 between the states of New York and New Jer- 
 sey, so far as it involved the question to which 
 of those states Staten Island should belong. In 
 1661, soon after the Duke of York had obtained 
 from the King, a grant of the province of New- 
 York, he granted to others a part of his territory 
 which was called New Jersey. This grant was 
 afterwards repealed, and the deed conveyed land 
 "lying to the westward of Long Island, bounded 
 on the east, part by the main ocean, and part by 
 Hudson's river." By this description Staten 
 Island seems, at first sight, to have been included 
 within the boundary of New Jersey ; and claims 
 to that effect were early advanced by that prov- 
 ince. In 1GS4 GoverHor Donga n observes, in 
 reply to a remonstrance of the proprietors of East 
 Jersey, against his encroachur.cnts, "Your agents 
 have d is [Horsed printed papers, to the disturbance 
 of the inhabitants of Staten Island, which hath 
 l>een in the possession of his Royal Highness 
 aliove twenty years (except the liitle lime the 
 Dutch had it) purchased by Governor Lovelace 
 of the Indians, in the time of Sir Georf^e Carla- 
 ret, without any pretences, till youi agents made 
 claim of it." (3'2) But notwithstanding this the 
 Governor himself was not satisfied that the title 
 of New York was good, for when he obtained 
 from the Duke a patent for a large tract of land 
 upon the Island, being uncertain to which prov- 
 ince it of right belonged, he obtained another pa- 
 tent for the same land from the proprietors of 
 East Jersey. (33.) This was about the time 
 when New York was first divided into counties, 
 of which this Island was one; and possession of 
 it was afterwards kept by that province (ill the 
 Revolution. After the independence of our 
 country was secured, and the organization of the 
 slate governments completed. New York, per- 
 ceiving that the Island was of vital imfjortance, 
 as it was necessary for the defence of her empo- 
 rium, and the execution of her health laws, de- 
 termined to keep possession. She claimed be- 
 sides and exercised exclusive jurisdiction as far 
 as low water mark on the Jersey shore. This 
 was opposed by New Jersey, and that stale in- 
 sisted that, by the terms of the original grant, 
 she had jurisdiction to the middle of the nar- 
 rows, and consequently owned Staten Island ; 
 and when New York urged her long possession 
 New Jersey denied the equity of the argument, 
 and insisted that she had always protested 
 against that possession, but that as New- York 
 
12. 
 
 was tho Btronycr province, she had never been 
 able to contend with her.* This condition of 
 tliin>»3 coiiiiriuod till the excited fcelin;;:! cauacd 
 by the controversy, demanded that it should be 
 Helllcd, and acconlin^ly coinmitiriioncrb were ap- 
 pointed in 1807 for that purpose, by both states. 
 A Communication passed between them in which 
 U was alU-ged on the part of New Jersey that 
 that state "would insist tl)at Staten Island was 
 within her bounds," but an olfer was made to 
 relin<iuis!i that claim, in return for certain con- 
 cessions on the part of New Yoik. 'I'his prop- 
 osition was not acceedi'd lo, and the commission 
 terminated in angry feelings. (31) Nothing 
 further was done, on the sul jecl, for several, 
 years, whe.i llic excitement along the border, 
 among the itihabitants of both states had rise^ lo 
 a high pilch. The deputy sherifl'of this county, 
 who had served process on board a vessel an- 
 cliorcd near the sliore oI Noa' Jersey, was arrest- 
 cil and imprisoned for a violation of her territory; 
 but this was avowed, by llic auiliorities of that 
 state, to be done only to test the question of ju- 
 risdiction. (35) This led again lo the appoint- 
 ment of Commissioners on both sides in lb"i7. — 
 Propositions were again exchanged, in which 
 a claim to this Island was again urged and re- 
 fused as before; and the commissioncra again 
 separated without having in any manner adjust- 
 led the controversy. Those appointed by this 
 state attempted in their report to sliow her right 
 lo the Island by arguing tliat it could not belong 
 to New Jersey by the terms of llie original 
 grant, which was of land bounded on the East 
 part by the main ocean, and partly Hudson's 
 river, for they assert that th_ Hudson terminates 
 at its junction with the I£ast river, and th.it the 
 water surrounding Slaten Island was en inlent 
 of the sea. (3G) This matter was at length set- 
 tled in 1833 l>y commissioners, who, "waiting all 
 discussion of the strict rights of either party, 
 made such concessions as they supposed to be 
 not only compatible with the sp')staniial interests 
 ofeaehofthe states, but conducive to the har- 
 mony and welfare of both : (37) New York ob- 
 tained an acknowledgement of her right (o this 
 Island, and to exclusive jurisdiction over a por- 
 tion of the adjact nt waters, by conceding to 
 New Jersey a similar jurisdiction over another 
 portion; and thus was happily settled a vexa- 
 tious question, which at one time threatened to 
 
 *This tact I learned from the Hon. B. F. Butler 
 who was one of the commissioners who finally set- 
 tled the ccitrovei sy in a manner so safisfactory, that 
 their arrangements were adopted, I believe, unan- 
 imously, by the Lcgi.-latures of both states. 
 
 disturb the harmony of the slales. 
 
 Wo have now traceil down the course of 
 events to the present time, but I should do scan- 
 ty justice to my subject, and you would feel that 
 tho occasion ^\crc ill-i(r.j)roved, did we fail to pay 
 appropriate homage lo the memory of one, inti- 
 mately connected with the prosperity of our 
 lolvMid ; one who ma ie it his home, wjio, after a 
 long career of public service, brought hither with 
 him from al! good men, rei»peet for his talents, 
 and love for his virtues, and who died here, ic- 
 grcttcd by all as a patriot, a statesman, a philan- 
 thropist. I need not Irll you, al Tompkinsville, 
 that I allude lo Daniel D. Tompkins.* The 
 character of that cninent man seems lo have re- 
 alized the ancient adage concerning the seventh 
 son. His father, one of the |)alriots of the llev- 
 olution, his ancestors, the Puritans-, he inherited, 
 and concentrated in himselfthe illoslrious quali- 
 ties of l oth those classe s. Sustained by his abil- 
 ities alone, he rose through the highest stations 
 in our state, to the second office of our country, 
 distingui-hed alike upon the judicial bench, and 
 in the executive chair. But it was while Gov- 
 ernor of this State, that his greatness was most 
 conspicuous. FJected lolhat oITice for ten succes- 
 sive years, a period which embraced the war with 
 Great Giilain, he administered too government 
 with the greatest success, though opposed by the 
 bitter hostility of a violent fjciion. When tho 
 public good called for it, he did not hesitate to 
 adopt the boldest measures, and in no instance 
 did the people fiil to support him; and at the 
 darkest period of the war; when our soil was 
 threatened with invasion, when the treasury 
 was empty, and the credit of the government ex- 
 hausted, liy pledging his personal responsibility, 
 for above a million of dollars, he contributed 
 more than any other lo those victoiies, which 
 pieserved our slate from devastation. (38) His 
 care, extended over all the interests of the State, 
 and embraced all classes of persons; and no man 
 can read his messages, without having his finer 
 feelings kindled by a spark of his benevolence, — 
 Agriculture, raanufactureSjand educa ion receiv- 
 ed his support; to improve the condition of the 
 degrailed Indians, was an object of his exertionsj 
 and he strongly urged upon the Legislature, "the 
 extinction from amongst us of slavery, that re- 
 proach of a free people." An enemy to capital 
 and corporal punishment?, he calls tbe former, 
 "that vestige of barbarism," and of the latter he 
 says, "no reformation can be wrought, by the 
 
 *Born 21st June, 1774, in Westchester Co. He 
 was the seventh son of Jonathan G. Tompkins. 
 
13. 
 
 agonies of a hccrated body." He deprecated 
 party spirit, and exerted himself to appease its 
 malignity; he was anxious to place the poor and 
 the rich upon a perfect political equality ; and, in 
 his last message, after congratulating the Legis- 
 lature upon the glorious results of the war, he 
 observes, "amidst these considerations, let not 
 those who have achieved those great oJjccts, un- 
 der the most adverse fortune, be forgotten. Let 
 them not retire at once the objects of the respect 
 and ingratitude of their country." But, ' pity 
 'tis 'tis true, '* the misfortunes he was so desirous 
 to avert from others, were reserved for himself; 
 and his retirement was embittered by the tardy 
 justice of his country, in remunerating the sacri- 
 fices his patriotism ha<l led him to make. But 
 truth at length prevailed, and he returned, un- 
 sullied, from a contest, in which his services and 
 his merits triumphed over the spirit of a faction. 
 He will be regarded by posterity as one of the 
 brightest ornaments of his country; and you 
 who knew him in private, will bear me out when 
 
 I say. that he was alike fitted to manage the af- 
 fairs of state, and to secure from those about him 
 respect and affection. 
 
 I have now finished the sketch I promised. It 
 is an epilome of the history of our state, from the 
 ti.Toe when the red man ranged the forests, 
 through all its wars and changes. We may al- 
 so easily imagine that a glance at our Island af- 
 fords us a picture of our country. Its situation 
 shows how she is fitted to command an extensive 
 commerce ; our mines and quarries, show how 
 rich she is in the hidden treasures of the earth ; 
 the rail road? which convey their products to the 
 shore, represent those vast works of internal im- 
 provement, which, while they bind her firmly to- 
 gether, circulate rapidly her products through ev- 
 ery portion of her territory ; our prosperous and 
 happy condition shows the results of her glorious 
 institutions; and the descendants of the Flugo- 
 nots, at every step, remind us that she is the 
 home of the oppressed, the asylum of nations. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 1 . Jones' no!rs to Clmton^a discourse, N. Y. 
 Historical collection. 
 
 2. N. Y. His. col. vol. 3, p. 41. 
 
 Moiiltons' Hist. N. Y. p. 222, refers to note 5, 
 app. to Jefferson's Virginia. 
 
 3. Smith's His. ofN. Jersey, p. 62. 
 
 4. There are two accounts of this tradition among 
 the manusriipts of the Rev. D. Miller, in the library 
 of the N. Y. Historical Suciety ; one contributed 
 by the Rev. Mr. Heckwelder, and published in 
 their collections, and the other an extract from Dr. 
 Bartons journal. 
 
 5. Moulton 351 n. from vol.4 of books of patents 
 in the office of Secretary of State ofN. Y. 
 
 Aquelinnqa Manncknong.- It has been observed 
 by some learned gentlemen, that there is a remark- 
 able coincidence m this name; it being applied to a 
 place surrounded with water, and contains the Lat- 
 in word a'jua, wiiich means water; and the writer 
 of an account of Staten Island published some years 
 ago, seems to have had the same idea, when he says? 
 'The Indian name was AquehongaManai-knong, and 
 as early as the year 1623 it was know n to aboimd 
 with excellent Springs of Water." But was the 
 discovererof this coincidence aware of its import; nee, 
 Does it not solve a question which has long per|ikx- 
 ed the learned '! If this is a Latin word so appro- 
 priately a()plied, it cou d have been don? on'v by 
 the Romans themselves, and consequently the Ro- 
 mans weie the ancestors of the American Indiaws ; 
 and thus are at once destroyed those theories, &'o 
 ingloriojsly formed to account for the original peo- 
 pling of this continent. 
 
 An equally [)robabIe account has been given of 
 the origin of the name Stattn Island. The English 
 writers to justify the seizure by the British of the 
 province of New Netherlands, made many ridicu- 
 lous attempts to sustain the claim of England to the 
 right of discovery. As Henry Hudson was an En- 
 glishman, (though in the employment of tlie Dutch 
 East India Company.) they assert that he sold his 
 discovery to the Dutch, without the permission of 
 his King. The province, they say, was embraced 
 within the boundaries of their colonies ; and its pos- 
 session by the Diitrh is thus accounted for — "by 
 tlie permission of Kins James they had granted 
 from him to their slates only a certain Island, called 
 therefore by them States Island, as a watering place 
 for their West India fleets, although as they havr 
 encroached upon, so they have given it a new Dutch 
 
 name wiping out the old English names, in 
 
 those parts of America, in those old sea charts, and 
 have new Dutchified them." 
 
 Thurloes State papers vol. 5, p. 81. 
 
 See in Hazard's State papers vol. I, pp. *'04, 605. 
 6- Smith's history of New York vol. i. p. 
 
 7. Lambteethseirs New New Netherlands. 
 
 8. Paper by Judge Mersereau of Clieiiango. Dr, 
 Mdlcr's notes. 
 
 9. Sarah Rapeljc born 7th June 1625. 
 
 Gov. P. D. Vroom's letter to E. Benson, J^sq"^ 
 ftliHer's notes. 
 
 10. lOrh August, 1630, conveyance recorded in 
 Br.ok A p. 6. of Dtitch Records, according to 
 iones' notes. 
 
 Moulton says "deed is dated July I5tli 1631-" 
 11- Vries' voyages N. Y. His. col. new ser, 
 vo'. 1. 
 
 12. Ih. 
 
 13. Barber and Howe's His. col. p. 474. 
 
 11. Duiilap's Hist. N. Y. app. 118. 
 
 15. Barber and Howe. 
 
 16. Dr. Miller's notes, from minutes of council. 
 
 17. Wood's sketch of Long Island p. 74. n. frow 
 the Dutch Records. 
 
 ]S. W()0(Ps sketch p. 87. 
 
 19. Miller's uoles. 
 
 20. JVIiuutes of council — ib. 
 
 21 . AVood's sketch. 
 
 22. Rev. John Etheveins letter to Dr. S. Miller. 
 Miller s notes- 
 
 23. The first ferrv was across the Kill Van Kull 
 Irom S. I. to Bergen, in June ,1764— Dunlap, 
 app. 135. 
 
 24. The troops, under Monckton, which were des- 
 tined to attack Martinique were encamped irp- 
 on Staten Island in 1768 ; and Gen. Amherst 
 was Knighted here by Monckton. — Dunlup, 
 1—406. 2. 40. 
 
 25 History of the civil War in America till 1799 
 —London, 1780. 
 
 26. Dunlap, app. 228. 229. 
 
 27. Marshall's Washington .vol. 1. p. 153. 
 
 28. Ib. p. 180. 
 
 29. Ib., and see Sterling's official letter, in Riv- 
 ingston's Royal Gazette, published, at that time^ 
 at New-York. 
 
 SO. Dunlap— vol 2. p. 73. 
 
 31. Sparks life of Ethan Allen, Am. Biog. 
 
 32. Chambers political annals vol. 1. p. 628. 
 
 33. Dunlap— app. 135. 
 
 34. Report of committee of N. Y. Senate'.— Sen- 
 ate journal 1827. 
 
 35. Sen. jour. 1827, pp. 18. 19. 
 
 36. Sen. jour. 1828, app. A. 
 
 37. Sen. jour. 1824. 
 
 38. M. Van Buren's report Sen. jour. 18 p. 20 
 207.