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BULLETIN 
 
 OP THE 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY • 
 
 OP 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA 
 
 YOL. L] 
 
 MARCH, 1845. 
 
 [NO. I. 
 
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
 
 N E W -T O R K, 
 
 FORMERLY CALLED 
 
 NEW NETHERLANDS, 
 
 WITH THE PLACES THEREUNTO ADJOINING, 
 TOGETHER WITH THE 
 
 MANNER OF ITS SCITUATION, FERTILITY OF THE SOYL, 
 
 HEALTHFULNESS OF THE CLIMATE, AND THE 
 
 COMMODITIES THENCE PRODUCED. 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 SOME DIRECTIONS AND ADVICE TO SUCH AS SHALL GO THITHER: 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT COMMODITIES THEY SHALL 
 
 TAKE WITH THEMI THE PROFIT AND PLEASURE 
 
 THAT MAY ACCRUE TO THEM THEREBY. 
 
 LIKEWISE, 
 
 A BRIEF RELATION OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE INDIANS THERE. 
 BY DANIEL DENTON. 
 
 LONDON. 
 167 0. 
 
 I 1*1 I ED BY JOHN PENNINGTON Membei of the Historical Society of Perm 'a, 
 PRESS OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 1845. 
 
To THE 
 
 READER 
 
 !; 
 
 
 Reader : 
 
 I have here through the investigation of divers persons in England and 
 elsewhere, presented you with a brief but true relation of a known and un- 
 known part of America. The known part which is either inhabited or lieth 
 near the Sea, I have described to you, and have writ nothing but what I have 
 been an eye-witness to, all, or the greatest part of it, neither can I safely 
 say was I willing to exceed but was rather willing the place itself should 
 exceed my Commendation which I question but will be owned by those that 
 shall travel thither. For the unknown part which is either some places 
 lying to the Northward, yet undiscovered by any English, or the bowels of 
 the Earth not yet opened though the natives tell us of Glittering Stones, 
 Diamonds or Pearl in the one, and the Dutch hath boasted of Gold and Silver 
 in the other yet I shall not feed your expectation with any thing of that na- 
 ture but leave it till a better discovery shall make way for such a relation. 
 In the meantime accept of this from him who desireth to deal impartially 
 with every one. 
 
 Daniel Denton. 
 
 NOTE. — " Daniel Denton's Brief Description of New York, formerly New Netherlands," 
 is the first English account of the country now divided into New York and New Jersey, and 
 was evidently drawn up before that division was made, or at least promulgated. 
 
 It ie one of the rarest items in the Bibliotheca Americana. The only sale-catalogues in 
 which it has appeared are Nassau's, Warden's and Rich's, and as these three are of different 
 dates, the notices of Denton occurring in them may all refer to the same copy. A copy is 
 in the Library of Mr. Aspinwall, American Consul in London, and in that of the Britisli 
 Museum ; from a transcript of this last, the edition now laid before the public has been 
 printed. Meusel (x. 367,) gives " Denton's description of New York, London, 1701, 4to," 
 and adds, " Liber rarissimus videtur, de quo nullibi quidquam, prseter banc epigraphen 
 mancam, reperire licet." The title as given by Meusel appears among the quellcn of 
 Eberling's masterly compends of the histories of New York and New Jersey, but with the * 
 prefixed, indicating that the author had never seen the work itself. Hubbard and Neal have 
 had access to it, and the materials of the article New York in the America of " John Ogilby, 
 Esq., his Majesty's Cosmographer, Geographic Printer and Master of the Revels," are 
 drawn without the slightest acknowledgment from Montanus and Denton. 
 
 The author was among the first English settlers of the township of Jamaica in 1650, and 
 appears to have been a prominent man among the magnates of Long Island. In the spring 
 of 1665 he represented, with Thomas Benedeict, Jamaica in the General meeting of delegates 
 from the towns held at Hempstead, on which occasion was formed the code called the 
 " Duke's Laws," (Thompson's Long Island.) In 1661, Denton was associated with John 
 Bailey and Luke Watson of Long Island, in the purchase from the Indians of nearly 500,000 
 acres of land in the present counties of Middlesex, Essex and Bergen, New Jersey, Bt Hie 
 rate of about half a mill per acre. This is apparently a slight consideration, but as this 
 tract or portions of it had been sold twice before, and several times after this transaction, 
 the " operation" was after all not a bad one for " the poor Indian." Denton soon sold his 
 share to Capt. John Baker of New York, and John Ogden of Northampton, and it is believed, 
 returned to England. 
 
A 
 
 BRIEF RELATION 
 
 OP 
 
 NEW YORK, 
 
 WITH THE PLACES THEREUNTO ADJOINING FORMERLY CALLED 
 
 THE NEW NETHERLANDS,* &c. 
 
 That Tract of Land formerly called The New Netherlands, doth 
 contain all that Land which lieth in the North-parts of America 
 betwixt New-England and Mary-Land |in Virginia, the length 
 of which Northward to the Country, as it hath not been fully 
 discovered, so it is not certainly known. The bredth of it is 
 about two hundred miles : The principal Rivers within this tract, 
 are Hudson's River, Raritan River and Delewer-bay River. The 
 chief Islands are the Manahatan-IslRxid, Long-Island & Staten- 
 Island. 
 
 And first to begin with the Manahatans Island so called by the 
 Indians, it lieth within land betwixt the degress of 41 and 42 of 
 North latitude, and is about 14 miles long and two broad. It is 
 bounded with Long Island on the South, with Staten-lsland on 
 the West, on the north with the Main Land : and with Conecticut 
 Colony on the east side of it, only a part of the Main Land be- 
 longing to New York Colony, where several Towns & Villages 
 are setled, being about thirty miles in bredth, doth intercept^the 
 Manahatans Island & the Colony of Conecticut before mentioned. 
 
 New York is settled upon the West end of the aforesaid Island, 
 having the small arm of the sea, which divides it from Long- 
 Island on the South side of it, which runs away Eastward to New 
 England, & is navigable, though dangerous. For about ten miles 
 from New York is a place catted Hell-Gate, which being a narrow 
 passage, there runneth a violent stream both upon flood & ebb, 
 & in the middle lieth some Islands of Rocks, which the Current 
 sets so violently upon, that it threatens present Shipwrack, & 
 upon the flood is a large Whirlpool, which continually sends 
 
 * Printed from a copy made by the direction of Mr. John Pennington, from the original in 
 the British MuseurrV and presented by him to the Historical Society. 
 
forth a hideous roaring, enough to affright any stranger from 
 passing further, & to wait for some Charon to conduct him 
 through ; yet to those that are well acquainted little or no danger ; 
 yet a place of great defence against an enemy coming in that 
 way, which a small fortification would absolutely prevent & ne- 
 cesitate* them to come in at the West end of Low^-Island by 
 Sc.ndy Hook where Nutten Island doth force them within Com- 
 mand of the Fort at New York which is one of the best Pieces 
 of Defence in the North-parts of America. 
 
 New York is built most of brick & stone, & covered with red 
 & black tile, & the Land being high, it gives it at a distance a 
 pleasing aspect to the spectators. The inhabitants consist more 
 of English & Dutch & have a considerable Trade with the Indians 
 for Bevers, Otter, Raccoon skins, with other Furs ; as also for 
 Bear, Deer & Elk skins ; & are supplied with Venison & Fowl 
 in the winter & Fish in the Summer by the Indians — which they 
 buy at an easie rate ; and having the Countrey round about them 
 they are continually furnished with all such provisions as is need- 
 ful for the life of man, not only by the English & Dutch within 
 their own but likewise by the adjacint Colonies. 
 
 The Commodities vented from thence is Furs & skins before 
 mentioned; as likewise Tobacco made within the Colony as good 
 as is usually made in Mary-Land. Also Horses, Beef, Pork, Oyl, 
 Pease wheat & the like. 
 
 Long -Island, the west end of which lies South-ward of New- 
 York, runs Eastward above one hundred miles, & it is in some 
 places eight, in some twelve, in some fourteen miles broad ; it is 
 inhabited from one end to the other. On the West end is four or 
 five Dutch Towns, the rest being all English to the number of 
 twelve, besides villages & Farm houses. The Island is most of 
 it of a very good soyle & very natural for all sorts of English 
 Grain ; which they sowe & have very good increase of, besides 
 all other Fruits & Herbs common in England, as also Tobacco, 
 Hemp, Flax, Pumpkies, Melons, &c. 
 
 The Fruits natural to the Island, are Mulberries, Posimons, 
 Grapes great & small, Iluckelberrics, Cramberries Plums of se- 
 veral sorts, Rosberries & Strawberries, of which last is such abund- 
 ance in June that the Fields & Woods arc died red : Which the 
 Countrey-people perceiving instantly arm themselves with bottles 
 of Wine, Cream & sugar, & in stead of a Coat of Male every one 
 takes a Female upon his horse behind him,& so rushing violently 
 
into the fields, never leave till they have disrob'd them of their 
 red colours & turned them into the old habit. 
 
 The greatest part of the Island is very full of Timber, as Oaks 
 white & red, Walnut-trees, Chesnut trees, which yield store of 
 mast for swine, & are often therewith sufficiently fatted with Oak- 
 Corn : as also Maples, Cedars, Saxifrage, Beach, Birch, Holly, 
 Hazel, with many sorts more. 
 
 The Herbs which the Countrey naturally afford, are Purzlain, 
 white Orage,Egrimony, Violets, Penneroyal, Alicampane, besides 
 Saxaparilla very common, with many more. Yea, in May you 
 shall see the Woods & Fields so curiously bedecke with Roses, 
 & an innumerable multitude of delightful flowers, not only plea- 
 sing the eye, but smell, that you may behold nature contending 
 with Art, & striving to equal, if not excel many Gardens in Eng- 
 land: nay, did we know the vertue of all those Plants & Herbs 
 growing there (which time may more discover) many are of opi- 
 nion & the natives do affirm, that there is no disease common to 
 the Countrey, but may be cured without materials from other 
 Nations. 
 
 There is several Navigable Rivers & Bays which puts into the 
 A r ori?A-side of Long-Island, but upon the South-Side which joyns 
 to the Sea, it is so fortified with bars of sands & sholes that it is a 
 sufficient defence against any enemy, yet the South-side is not 
 without Brooks & Riverets which empty themselves into the Sea, 
 yea you shall scarce travel a mile but you shall meet with one of 
 them, whose Christal streams run so swift, that they purge them- 
 selves of such stinking mud & filth, which the standing or low- 
 paced streams of most brooks & rivers westward of this Colony 
 leave lying, & are by the Suns exhalation dissipated, the air cor- 
 rupted, & many Fevers & other distempers occasioned, not inci- 
 dent to this Colony: Neither do the Brooks & Riverets premised, 
 give way to the Frost in Winter, or draught in Summer,but keep 
 their course throughout the year. 
 
 These rivers are very well furnished with Fish, as Bosse, 
 Sheeps-heads, Place, Pearch, Trouts, Eels, Turttles, & divers 
 others. 
 
 The Island is plentifully stored with all sorts of English Cattel, 
 Horses, Hogs, Sheep, Goats, &c. No place in the North of 
 America better, which they can both raise & maintain by reason 
 of the large & spacious medows or marches wherewith it is fur- 
 
6 
 
 nished, the Island likewise producing excellent English grass, the 
 seeds of which was brought out of England, which they some- 
 times mow twice a year. 
 
 For wilde Beasts there is Deer, Bear, Wolves, Foxes, Racoons, 
 Otters, Musquashes & Skunks. Wild Fowl there is great store 
 of, as Turkies, Heath-Hens, Quailes, Partridges, Pidgeons,Cranes, 
 Geese of several sorts, Brants, Ducks, Widgeons, Teal, & divers 
 others : There is also the Red-Bird, with divers sorts of singing birds, 
 whose chirping notes salute the ears of Travellers with an har- 
 monious discord. And in every pond & brook green silken Frogs, 
 who warbling forth their untuned tunes strive to bear a part in 
 this musick. 
 
 Towards the middle of Long-Island lyeth a plain sixteen miles 
 long & four broad upon which plain grows very fine grass that 
 makes exceeding good hay & is very good pasture for Sheep or 
 other Cattel : where you shall find neither stick nor stone to hinder 
 the horse heels or endanger them in their Races, & once a year 
 the best horses in the Island are brought hither to try their swift- 
 ness^ the swiftest rewarded with a silver cup, two being annualy 
 procured for that purpose. There are two or three other small 
 plains of about a mile square which are no small benefit to those 
 Towns which enjoy them. 
 
 Upon the South side of Xow^-Island in the winter, lie store 
 Whales & Grampasses, which the Inhabitants begin with small 
 boats to make a trade Catching to them no small benefit. Also 
 an innumerable multitude of Seals, which make an excellent oyle : 
 they lie all the Winter upon some broken Marshes & Beaches, 
 or bars of sand before-mentioned , & might be easily got were there 
 some skillful men could undertake it. 
 
 To say something of the Indians, there is now but few upon 
 the Island & those few now ways hurtful but rather serviceable 
 to the English, & it is to be admired how strangely they have de- 
 creast by the Hand of God since the English first settling of these 
 parts ; for since my time, when there were six towns, they are 
 reduced to two small villages, & it has been generally observed 
 that where the English come to settle, a Divine Hand makes way 
 for them, by removing or cutting off the Indians, either by wars 
 one with the other, or by some raging mortal disease. 
 
 They live principally by Hunting, Fowling & Fishing : their 
 Wives being the Husbandmen to till the Land, & plant their 
 corn. 
 
The meat they live most upon is Fish, Fowl, & Venison ; they 
 eat likewise Polecats, Skunks, Racoon, Possum, Turttles, & the 
 like. 
 
 They build small moveable Tents, which they remove two or 
 three times a year, having their principal quarters where they 
 plant their corn : their Hunting quarters, & their Fishing quar- 
 ters : Their recreations are chiefly Foot-ball & Cards, at which 
 they will play away all they have excepting a flap to cover their 
 nakedness : They are great lovers of strong drink, yet do not care 
 for drinking, unless they have enough to make themselves drunk: 
 & if there be so many in their Company, that there is not suffi- 
 cient to make them all drunk, they usually select so many out of 
 their Company proportionable to the quantity of drink, & the rest 
 must be spectators. And if any one chance to be drunk before 
 he hath finisht his proportion (which is ordinarily a quart of 
 Brandy, Rum or Strong-waters) the rest will pour the rest of his 
 part down his throat. 
 
 They often kill one another at these drunken matches which 
 the friends of the murdered person do revenge upon the murderer 
 unless he purchase his life with money, which they sometimes 
 do : This money is made of a Periwinkle shell of which there is 
 black & white, made much like unto beads & put upon strings. 
 
 For their worship which is diabolical, it is performed usually 
 but once or twice a year, unless upon some extraordinary occa- 
 sion, as upon making of war or the like; their usual time is about 
 Michaelmass, when their corn is first ripe, the day being appointed 
 by their chief Priest or pawaw, most of them go a hunting for 
 venison: When they are ail congregated, their priest tells them 
 if he want money, their God will accept of no other offering, 
 which the people believing, every one gives money according to 
 their ability. The priest takes the money, & putting it into some 
 dishes sets them upon the top of their low flat-roofed houses, & 
 falls to invocating their God to come & receive it, which with 
 many loud hallows & outcries, knocking the ground with sticks, 
 & beating themselves, is performed by the priests, & seconded by 
 the people. 
 
 After they have thus awhile wearied themselves the priest & 
 his Conspiration brings in a devil amongst them, in the shape 
 sometimes of a fowl, sometimes of a beast, & sometimes of a man, 
 at which the people being amazed, not daring to stir, he improves 
 
8 
 
 the opportunity, steps out, & makes sure of the money, & then 
 returns to lay the spirit, who in the mean time is sometimes 
 gone, & takes some of the Company along with him : but if any 
 Euglish at such times do come amongst them, it puts a period to 
 their proceeding, & they will desire their absence, telling them 
 their God will not come whilst they are there. 
 
 In their wars they fight no pitcht fields ; but when they have 
 notice of an enemies approach, they endeavour to secure there 
 wives & children upon some Island, or in some thick swamp, & 
 then with their guns & hatchet they way-lay their enemies, some 
 lying behind one, some another & it is a great fight where seven 
 or eight is slain. 
 
 When any Indian dies amongst them, they bury him upright, 
 sitting upon a seat, with his Gun, money, & such goods as he 
 hath with him, that he may be furnished in the other world, 
 which they conceive is Westward, where they shall have great 
 store of Game for Hunting, & live easie lives. At his Burial his 
 nearest relations attend the Hearse with their faces painted black, 
 & do visit the grave once or twice a day, where they send forth 
 sad lamentations so long till time hath wore the blackness off their 
 faces, & afterwards every year once they view the grave, make a 
 new mourning for him, trimming up of the Grave, not suffering of 
 a Grass to grow by it : they fence their graves with a hedge, & 
 cover the tops with mats, to shelter them from the rain. 
 
 Any Indian being dead, his name dies with him, no person 
 daring ever after to mention his name, it being not only a breach 
 of their Law, but an abuse to his friends & relations present, as 
 if it were done on purpose to renew their grief: And any other 
 person whatsoever that is named after that name doth incontinently 
 change his name & takes a new one, their names are not proper 
 set names as amongst Christians, but every one invents a name 
 to himself, which he likes best. Some calling themselves Rattle- 
 snake, Skunk, Bucks-horn, or the like : And if a person die, that 
 his name is some word which is used in speech, they likewise 
 change that word, & invent some new one which makes a great 
 change & alteration in their language. 
 
 When any person is sick, after the means used by his friends, 
 every one pretending skill in Physick, that proving ineffectual 
 they send lor a Pawaw or Priest, who Bitting down by the sick 
 person without the least enquiry after the distemper, waits for a 
 
gift which he proportions his work accordingly to: that being 
 received, he first begins with a low voice to call upon his God, 
 calling sometimes upon one sometimes on another, raising his 
 voice higher & higher, beating of his naked breasts & sides, till 
 the sweat runneth down, & his breath is almost gone, then that 
 little which is remaining, he evaporates upon the face of the sick 
 person three or four times together & so takes his leave. 
 
 Their marriages are performed without any ceremony, the 
 match being first made by money. The sum being agreed upon 
 & given to the woman it makes a consummation of their marriage, 
 if I may so call it : After that he keeps her during his pleasure, 
 & upon the least dislike turns her away & takes another : It is no 
 offence for their married women to lie with another man provided 
 she acquaint her husband, or some of her nearest Relations with 
 it, but if not it is accounted such a fault that they sometimes 
 punish it with death : An Indian may have two wives or more if 
 he please, but it is not so much in use as it was since the English 
 came amongst them they being ready in some measure to imitate 
 the English in things both good & bad : Any maid before she is 
 married doth lie with whom she please for money without any 
 scandal, or the least aspersion to be cast upon her it being so cus- 
 tomary, & their laws tolerating of it. They are extraordinary 
 charitable one to another, one having nothing to spare, but he 
 freely imparts it to his friends & whatsoever they get by gaming 
 or any other way, they share one to another leaving themselves 
 commonly the least share. 
 
 At their Canticas or dancing matches, where all persons that 
 come are freely entertained, it being a Festival time : Their cus- 
 tom is when they dance, every one but the Dancers to have a 
 short stick in their hands & to knock the ground & sing alto- 
 gether, whilst they that dance sometimes act war-like postures, 
 & then they come in painted for War with their faces black & 
 red, or some all black, some all red, with some streaks of white 
 under their eyes, & so jump & leap up & down without any 
 order, uttering many expressions of their intended valour. For 
 other dances they only shew what Antick tricks their ignorance 
 will lead them to, swinging of their bodies & faces after a strange 
 manner, sometimes jumping into the fire, sometimes catching up 
 a Firebrand, & biting off a live coal, with many such tricks, that 
 will affright, if not please an English man to look upon them, 
 
 2 
 
10 
 
 resembling rather a company of infernal furies than men. When 
 their King or Sachem sits in Council he hath a company of armed 
 men to guard his person, great respect being shewn him by the 
 People, which is principally manifested by their silence : After 
 he hath declared the cause of their convention he demands their 
 opinion, ordering who shall begin : The person ordered to speak, 
 after he hath declared his minde tells them he hath done : no 
 man ever interrupting any person in his speech, nor offering to 
 speak though he make never so many or long stops, till he says 
 he hath no more to say : the Council having all declared their 
 opinions, the King after some pause gives the definitive sentence, 
 which is commonly seconded with a shout from the people, every 
 one seeming to applaud & manifest their assent to what is deter- 
 mined : If any person be condemned to die, which is seldom, un- 
 less for Murder or Incest, the King himself goes in person 
 (for you must understand they have no prisons, <§* the guilty per- 
 son flies into the Woods,) when they go in quest of him, & 
 having found him, the King shoots first, though at never such a 
 distance, & then happy is the man can shoot him down, & cut off 
 his which they commonly wear, who for his pains is made 
 some Captain or other military officer. 
 
 Their C loathing is a yard and a half of broad Cloth, which is 
 made for the Indian Trade, which they hang upon their should- 
 ers; & half a yard of the same cloth, which being put betwixt 
 their legs, & brought up before & behind & tied with a Girdle 
 about their middle, hangs with a flap on each side : They wear 
 no Hats, but commonly wear about their Heads a Snake's skin, 
 or a belt of their money, or a kind of a Ruff made with Deer's 
 hair & died of a scarlet colour, which they esteem very rich. 
 
 They grease their bodies & hair very often, & paint their faces 
 with several colours as black, white, red, yellow, blew, &c, 
 which they take great pride in, every one being painted in a 
 several manner: Thus much for the Customs of the Indians. 
 
 Within two leagues of New York lieth Statcn Island, it bears 
 from New York West something southerly. It is about twenty 
 miles long, 6c four or five broad, it is most of it very good land, 
 full of Timber and produceth all such commodities as Long 
 Island doth, besides Tin 6c store of Iron oar, & the Calamine 
 stone is said likewise to be found there : There is but one Town 
 upon it consisting of English 6c French, but it is capable of en- 
 
11 
 
 tertaining more inhabitants : betwixt this & Long Island is a large 
 Bay, & is the coming in for all ships and vessels out of the Sea: 
 On the North side of this Island After- Skull River pubs into the 
 Main Land on the West side, whereoff is two or three Towns, 
 but on the East-side but one. There is very great Marshes or 
 Meadows on both sides of it, excellent good land, & good con- 
 venience for the setting of several towns; there grows black 
 Walnut & Locust as there doth in Virginia with mighty tall 
 streight Timber, as good as any in the North of America: It 
 produceth any Commoditie Long Island doth. 
 
 Hudsons River runs by New-York northward into the Coun- 
 trey, toward the Head of which is seated New-Albany, a place 
 of great Trade with the Indians, betwixt which & New York, 
 being above one hundred miles, is as good Corn-land as the 
 world affords, enough to entertain hundreds of Families, which 
 in the time of the Dutch Government of those parts could not be 
 setled : For the Indians, excepting one place called the Sopers 
 which was kept by a Garrison, but since the reducement of those 
 parts under his Majesties obedience, & a patent granted to his 
 Royal Highness the Duke of York which is about six years since 
 by the care of diligence of the Honorable Coll. Nicholls sent 
 thither Deputy to His Highness (we have) a League of Peace 
 was made & Friendship concluded betwixt that Colony & the 
 Indians that they have not resisted or disturbed any Christians 
 there, in the setling or peaceable possessing of any Lands with 
 that Government, but every man hath sate under his own Vine 
 & hath peaceably reapt & enjoyed the fruits of their own 
 labours, which God continue. 
 
 Westward of Aftcr-Kull River before mentioned about 18 or 
 20 miles runs in Raritan River Northward in the Countrey, some 
 score of miles, both sides of which River is adorn'd with spacious 
 Medows, enough to maintain thousands of Cattel, the Wood- 
 land is likewise very good for Corn & stor'd with wilde Beasts, as 
 Deer & Elks, & an inumerable multitude of Fowl, as in other 
 parts of the Countrey: This River is thought very capable for 
 the erecting of several Towns & Villages on each side of it, no 
 place in the North of America having better convenience for the 
 maintaining of all sorts of Cattel for winter & summer food : 
 upon this River is no town setled, but one at the mouth of it. 
 Next this River Westward is a place called Newasons, where is 
 
12 
 
 two or three Towns & Villages setled upon the Sea-side, but none 
 betwixt that & Delewer Bay, which is about sixty miles, all 
 which is a rich Champain Countrey, free from stones, & indiffer- 
 ent level; store of excellent good timber, & very well watered, 
 having brooks or rivers ordinarily, one or more in every miles 
 travel. The Countrey is full of Deer, Elks, Bear, & other Crea- 
 tures, as in other parts of the Countrey, where you shall meet 
 with no inhabitant in this journey, but a few Indians, where there 
 is stately Oaks whose broad-branched-tops serve for no other use 
 but to keep off the Suns heat from the wilde Beasts of the Wil- 
 derness where is grass as high as a man's middle that serves for 
 no other end except to maintain the Elks & Deer, who never de- 
 vour a hundreth part of it, then to be burnt every Spring to make 
 way for new. How many poor people in the world would think 
 themselves happy, had they an Acre or two of land, whilst here 
 is hundreds, nay thousands of Acres, that would invite inhabit- 
 ants. 
 
 Delewer bay the mouth of the River, lyeth about the Mid-way 
 betwixt New- York & the Capes of Virginia. It is a very plea- 
 sant river & Countrey, but very few inhabitants, & them being 
 mostly Swedes, Dutch & Finns; about sixty miles up the River is 
 the principal Town called Neiv-Castle, which is about forty miles 
 from Mary-land, & very good way to travel, either with horse or 
 foot, the people are setled all along the West side sixty miles 
 above New-Castle ; the land is good for all sorts of English grain, 
 & wanteth nothing but a good people to populate it, it being ca- 
 pable of entertaining many hundred families. 
 
 Some may admire, that these great & rich Tracts of land, 
 lying so adjoyning to New- England & Virginia, should be no 
 better inhabited, & that the richness of the soyl, the healthfulness 
 of the Climate & the like, should be no better a motive to induce 
 people from both places to populate it. 
 
 To which I answer, that whilst it was under the Dutch Govern- 
 ment, which hath been till within these six years, there was little 
 encouragement for any English, both in respect of their safety 
 from the Indians, the Dutch being almost always in danger of 
 them; & their Bcver-trade not admitting of a War, which would 
 have been destructive to their trade, which was the main thing 
 prosecuted by the Dutch. And secondly the Dutch gave such 
 bad Titles to Lands, together with their exacting of the Tenths 
 
13 
 
 of all which men produced off their Land, that did much hinder 
 the popularity of it, together with that general dislike the English 
 have of living under another Government ; but since the reduce- 
 ment of it there is several Towns of a considerable greatness 
 begun & setled by people out of New-England, & every day 
 more & more come to view & setle. 
 
 To give some satisfaction to people that shall be desirous to 
 transport themselves thither, (the Countrey being capable of en- 
 tertaining many thousands) how & after what manner people 
 live, &, how land may be procured, &c. I shall answer, that the 
 usual way is for a Company of people to joyn together either 
 enough to make a Town, or a lesser number; These go with the 
 consent of the Governor to view a Tract of Land, there being 
 choice enough, & finding a place convenient for a town, they re- 
 turn to the Governor, who upon their desire admits them into the 
 Colony, & gives them a Grant or Patent for the said Land, for 
 themselves & associates. Those persons being thus qualified, 
 setle the place, & take in what inhabitants to themselves they 
 shall see cause to admit of till their Town be full; these asso- 
 ciates thus taken in have equal priviledges with themselves, & 
 they make a division of the Land suitable to every man's occa- 
 sions, no man being debarr'd of such quantities as he hath occa- 
 sion for, the rest they let lie in Common till they have occasion 
 for a new division, never dividing their Pasture-land at all, which 
 lies in common to the whole Town. The best Commodities for 
 any to carry with them is Clothing, the Countrey being full of 
 all sorts of Cattel, which they may furnish themselves withal at 
 an easie rate, for any sorts of English Goods, as likewise Instru- 
 ments for Husbandry & Building, with nails, Hinges, Glass & 
 the like ; For the manner how they get a livelihood, it is princi- 
 pally by Corn & Cattel, which will there fetch them any Com- 
 modities; likewise they sowe store of Flax which they make 
 every one Cloth of for their own wearing, as also woollen Cloth, 
 & Linsey-Woolsey, & had they more Tradesmen amongst them, 
 they would in a little time live without the help of any other 
 Countrey for their Clothing : For Tradesmen there is none but 
 live happily there, as Carpenters, Blacksmiths, Masons, Tailors, 
 Weavers, Shoemakers, Tanners, Blacksmiths, & so any other 
 Trade ; them that have no Trade betake themselves to Hus- 
 bandry, get land of their own, & live exceeding well. 
 
14 
 
 Thus have I briefly given you a relation of New- York with 
 the places thereunto adjoyning; In which, if I have err'd, it is 
 principally in not giving it its due commendation, for besides 
 those earthly blessings when it is stor'd, Heaven hath not been 
 wanting to open his Treasure, in sending down seasonable 
 showres upon the Earth, blessing it with a sweet & pleasant air, 
 & a continuation of such Influences as tend to the Health both 
 of Man & Beast. And the Climate hath such an affinity with 
 that of England, that it breeds ordinarily no alteration to those 
 which remove thither ; that the name of seasoning which is com- 
 mon to some other Countreys hath never there been known ; 
 That I may say & say truly that if there be any terrestrial hap- 
 piness to be had by people of all ranks, especially of an inferior 
 rank, it must certainly be here : here any one may furnish him- 
 self with land, & live rent-free, yea, with such a quantity of 
 land, that he may weary himself in the walking over his fields 
 of Corn, & all sorts of Grain : & let his stock of Cattel amount 
 to some hundreds, he needs not fear their want of pasture in the 
 Summer or Fodder in the Winter, the Woods affording sufficient 
 supply. For the Summer-season, when you have grass as high 
 as a man's knees, nay, as high as his waste, interlaced with Pea- 
 vines & other weeds that Cattel much delight in, as much as a 
 man can press thorough : And these woods also every mile or 
 half-mile are furnished with fresh ponds, brooks, or rivers, where 
 all sorts of Cattel, during the heat of the day, do quench their 
 thirst & cool themselves ; these brooks & rivers being environed 
 of each side with several sorts of trees & Grape-vines, the 
 Vines, arbor-like, interchanging places & crossing these rivers 
 doth shelter from the scorching beams of Sols fiery influence : 
 Here those which Fortune hath frown'd upon in England, to 
 deny them an inheritance amongst their Brethren, or such as by 
 their utmost labors can scarcely procure a living, I say such may 
 procure here inheritance of lands & possessions, stock themselves 
 with all sorts of Cattel, enjoy the benefit of them whilst they 
 live, & leave them to the benefit of their children when they die : 
 here you need not trouble the Shambles for meats nor Bakers nor 
 Brewers for Beer & Bread, nor run to a Linnen-Draper for a 
 supply, every one making their own Linnen, & a great part of 
 their woollen-cloth for their ordinary wearing : And how prodi- 
 gal, if I may so say, hath Nature been to furnish the Countrey 
 
15 
 
 in the all sorts of wilde Beasts & Fowle which every one hath 
 an interest in & may hunt at his pleasure ; where besides the 
 pleasure in Hunting, he may furnish his house with excellent fat 
 Venison, Turkies, Geese, Heath-Hens, Cranes, Swans, Ducks, 
 Pidgeons & the like : & wearied with that, he may go a Fishing, 
 where the Rivers are so furnished, that he may supply himself 
 with Fish before he can leave off the Recreation: Where you 
 may travel by land upon the same Continent hundreds of miles, 
 & passe through Towns & Villages, & never hear the least Com- 
 plaint for want, nor hear any ask you for a farthing : then you 
 may lodge in the fields & woods, travel from one end of the 
 Countrey to another, with as much security as if you were lockt 
 within your own Chamber; and if you chance to meet with an 
 Indian-Town, they shall give you the best entertainment they 
 have, & upon your desire, direct you in your way : But that 
 which adds happiness to all the rest is the Healthfulness of the 
 place where many people in twenty years time never know what 
 sickness is : where they look upon it as a great mortality if two 
 or three die of a towne in a years time ; where besides the sweet- 
 ness of the Air, the Countrey itself sends forth such a fragrant 
 smell, that it may be perceived at Sea before they can make the 
 Land ; where no Air-fog or vapour doth no sooner appear, but a 
 North-west or Westerly winde doth immediately dessolve it, & 
 drive it away : What shall I say more ? you shall scarce see a 
 house, but the South-side is begirt with Hives of Bees, which in- 
 crease after an incredible manner : That I must needs say, that 
 if there be any terrestrial Caimans 'tis surely here, where all the 
 Land floweth with milk & Honey. The inhabitants are blest 
 with Peace & plenty, blessed in their Countrey, blessed in their 
 Fields, blessed in the Fruit of their bodies, in the fruit of their 
 grounds, in the increase of their Cattel, Horses & Sheep, blessed 
 in their Basket & in their store ; In a word, blessed in whatso- 
 ever they take in hand or go about, the Earth yielding plentiful 
 increase to all their painful labours. 
 
 Were it not to avoid prolixity I could say a great deal more, 
 & yet say too little, how free are those parts of the world from 
 that pride & oppression, with their miserable effects, which many, 
 nay almost all parts of the world are troubled, with being igno- 
 rant of that pomp & bravery which aspiring Humours are ser- 
 vants to, & striving after almost every where: Where a Waggon 
 
16 
 
 or Cart gives as good content as a Coach ; and a piece of their 
 home-made Cloth, better than the finest Lawns or richest Silks : 
 & though their low-roofed houses may seem to shut their doors 
 against pride & luxury, yet how do they stand wide open to let 
 charity in & out either to assist each other, or relieve a stranger, 
 & the distance of place from other Nations, doth secure them 
 from the envious frowns of ill-affected Neighbours, & the trou- 
 bles which usually arise thence. 
 
 Now to conclude, its possible some may say, what needs a Re- 
 lation of a place of so long standing as New- York hath been ? In 
 answer to which I have said something before, as to satisfie the 
 desires of many that never had any Relation of it. Secondly, 
 though it hath been long settled yet but lately reduced to his Ma- 
 jesties obedience, & by that means but new or unknown to the 
 English : Else certainly those great number of Furs, that have 
 been lately transported from thence in Holland had never passed 
 the hands of our English Furriers : Thirdly, never any relation 
 before was published to my knowledge & the place being capa- 
 ble of entertaining so great a number of inhabitants, where they 
 may with Gods blessing, & their own industry, live as happily 
 as any people in the world. A true Relation was necessary, not 
 only for the encouragement of many that have a desire to remove 
 themselves, but for the satisfaction of others that would make a 
 trade thither. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 The Accurate Accomptant or London Merchant, Containing an 
 Analysis for Instructions 6$ Directions for a Methodical Keeping 
 Merchants Accompts, by way of Debtor <^ Creditor very useful 
 for all Merchants or others that desire to learn or teach the Exact 
 Methods of Keeping Merchants Accompt, by Thomas Brown 
 Accomptant ; To be sold by John Hancoch at the first shop in 
 Popes Head Alley at the sign of the Three Bibles in Cornhill, 
 1670. 
 
2Gffi