303

................................ 172
302

Rev. J. H. Hardenbergh..........

317

Hon. H. D. Haliburton, and others............. 362
Rev. Asa Hillyer.
................................ 188

317

Gen. John Frelinghuysen..................... 451 Rev. Caleb Smith................................................. 187
Rev. John Frelinghuysen..................................................... 452 Pres. S. S. Smith............................. 279
Hon. Frederick Frelinghuysen................. 460 William Stewart...
Thomas Gordon ...................................................... 309 Capt. J. Swain and sons...................
Rev. Timothy Johnes
397 Rev. Daniel Taylor.........................................

Thomas Kent................................ 362 Col. Richard Varick..............
Christopher Kern.... ............................................. 402 Rev. Elias Van Bunschoten.....
Shepherd Kollock, Esq............................................. 172
Mrs. Dinah Hardenbergh

199

498

.. 362

.. 187

84
318

Rev. John S. Vredenburg.
Mrs. Ann Wade....

.. 452

Henry Waddell, D.D................................................................. 303
Capt. Cornelius Williams................................................. 199
Pres. J. Witherspoon..................................................... 299

NEW JERSEY.

OUTLINE HISTORY.

SOON after the voyages of Columbus, John Cabot and Sebastian his son, two Venetians, in the service of Henry VII. of England, were commissioned "to discover the isles, regions, and provinces of the heathen and infidels, which had been unknown to all the nations of Christendom, in whatever part of the globe they might be placed." Under this commission, on the 24th of June, 1497, the Cabots discovered the island of Newfoundland. From thence they sailed downward along the coast, it is believed, as far south as Cape Florida. It does not appear that they made any attempt to form settlements; but they landed at various places, and took possession of the country in the name of the English king.

From a variety of causes, the English took no further advantage of their discoveries till nearly a century afterwards. In 1584, Queen Elizabeth of England, by patent, granted to Sir Walter Raleigh authority to discover, occupy, and govern "remote, heathen, and barbarous countries," not previously possessed by any Christian prince or people. Under this commission, Raleigh and his associates sent two ships to America, commanded by Amidas and Barlow. These men landed at Roanoke, took possession of the country for the crown of England, and called it Virginia. An attempt was made to establish a settlement in 1585 and in 1590, both of which were unsuccessful. In 1606, King James, without regarding Raleigh's right, granted a new patent of the country of Virginia, the bounds of which were considered as extending from the southern boundary of North Carolina to the northern boundary of Maine. This tract was divided into two districts; the one called North, the other South Virginia. The southern district was granted to Sir Thomas Gates and his associates, chiefly resident in London, and therefore styled the London Company. North Virginia was granted to Thomas Hanham and his associates, who were styled the Plymouth Company.

In 1609, Henry Hudson, an English mariner, in the service of the Dutch East India Company, in attempting to find a passage through the American continent, entered Delaware bay, on the 28th of August. Finding the navigation somewhat difficult, on account of shoal water, he proceeded but a short distance. Following the eastern shore of New Jersey, he anchored his ship (called the Halfmoon) within Sandy Hook, on the 3d of September, 1609.

On the 5th of September, Hudson (as it appears from his journal) sent his boat ashore, for the purpose of exploring and sounding the waters lying to the south, within Sandy Hook, and forming now what is called the Horse-shoe. Here the boat's crew landed, and penetrated some distance into the woods, in the present limits of Monmouth county. They were very well received by the natives, who presented them very kindly with what the journal calls "green tobacco," and also with "dried currants," [probably whortleberries,] which were represented as having been found in great plenty, and of a very excellent quality.

"On the 6th of September, Hudson sent a boat manned with five hands to explore what appeared to be the mouth of a river, at the distance of about four leagues from the ship. This was no doubt the strait between Long and Staten islands, generally called the Narrows. Here, the writer of the journal observes, 'a good depth of water was found,' and within a large opening, and a narrow river to the west; in which it is evident he refers to what is now called the Kills, or the channel between Bergen Neck and Staten island. In exploring the bay and the adjacent waters, the boat's crew spent the whole day. On their way in returning to the ship, towards night, they were attacked by the natives, in two canoes; the one carrying fourteen men, the other twelve. A skirmish ensued, in which one of Hudson's men, named John Colman, was killed by an arrow, which struck him in the throat; and two more were wounded. The next day the remains of Colman were interred on a point of land, not far from the ship, which from that circumstance received the name of Colman's Point; and which, probably, was the same that is now called Sandy Hook."

On the 11th of September, Hudson sailed through the Narrows, entered the river which bears his name, which it appears he explored as far as Albany. On the 4th of October, Hudson came out of the river, and, without anchoring in the bay, proceeded directly on his voyage to Europe.

"The Dutch immediately began to avail themselves of the advantage which the discovery of Hudson presented to their view. In 1610, it appears that at least one ship was sent hither by the East India Company, for the purpose of trading in furs, which it is well known continued, for a number of years, to be the principal object of commercial attraction to this part of the new world. In 1614, a fort and trading-house were erected, on the spot where Albany now stands, and called Fort Orange; and about the same time another fort and trading-house were established on the southwest point of Manhattan island, and called New Amsterdam. The whole colony received the name of New Netherlands."

The precise date of the first European settlement, within the limits of New Jersey, does not distinctly appear. It is believed that the first settlement commenced at Bergen, about the year 1618, by a number of Danes or Norwegians, who accompanied the Dutch colonists who came over to New Netherlands. It appears that, as

early as 1614, a redoubt was thrown up on the right bank of Hudson river, probably at the present Jersey City point.

In 1621," the privileged West India Company" was formed in Holland: this company, in 1623, dispatched a ship, under the command of Cornelius Jacobse Mey, with settlers, fully provided with means of subsistence, and with articles of trade. Mey entered Delaware bay, and gave his own name to its northern cape, which it still retains, [Cape May.] He explored the bay and the river, and at length landed, and built a fort at Techaacho, upon a stream called by the natives Sassackon. This stream, now called Timber creek, empties into the Delaware, a few miles below Camden. The fortification was called Fort Nassau, and its erection may be considered as the first attempt to establish a settlement on the eastern shore of the Delaware.

"The West India Company, under whose direction the enterprise had been attempted, endeavored, by the offer of many advantages, to induce others to engage therein. They even granted charters to individuals, giving to them the exclusive right to large portions of land, subject only to the Indian claim. A number of persons took advantage of this privilege, and sent out agents to select and purchase tracts. One was obtained, in this way, thirty-two miles in length, and two in breadth, upon the western side of the bay. Another, sixteen miles square, on the peninsula of Cape May, was bought of nine Indian chiefs; and other portions were taken up in a similar manner."

"The possessors of these claims formed an association among themselves, having in view the permanent settling of these lands, as well as the prosecution of trade. They dispatched a vessel, under the command of David Peiterson De Vries. He left the Texel December 12th, 1630, and arrived in the Delaware in the course of the winter. It is stated that De Vries found none of the Europeans who had preceded him, and that Fort Nassau had fallen into the hands of the Indians. Misfortune also awaited the new settlers. Having erected a fort, the commander returned to Holland; and during his absence a feud arose with one of the native tribes, which at length terminated in the massacre of every one of the colonists."

"De Vries returned shortly afterward with a new company, and while he mourned the loss of his former companions, he narrowly escaped a similar fate. Pressed for provisions, he was compelled to conceal his resentment, and to continue an intercourse with the natives; and they, under the pretence of giving a supply, directed him to proceed up the river and enter the Timmerkill, a small stream, now called Cooper's creek. He was saved by the kindness of an Indian woman. She informed him that treachery was intended, and that the entire crew of a vessel had already been destroyed in that place. . . . . . Disheartened by repeated disasters, the Dutch soon afterward abandoned the country; and for some years not a single European was left upon the shores of the Delaware."