from the Southern continent, with a handsome open northeastern passage to the East Indies, and is designated as "Baccalao " ; while South America is accurately marked out with its present form, and called "America," - showing, that, although South America was at that time pretty well known, there was a complete ignorance in respect to the Northern continent, excepting portions of its Atlantic coast. And what renders the matter more curious is, that Campanella, in his advice to the king of Spain, on the establishment of an Universal Monarchy, (translated into English, and published with a preface, by the celebrated William Prynne, 4to., London, 1659,) speaks of North America by the name of "Bacalaos." The Portuguese to this day, call dried cod-fish "bacalao." It may be, that the fish has derived its name from the ancient name of the country from which it was brought.

Verrazzano gives us a very interesting account of the people whom he met with in coasting along this country. He exhibits them in their natural state, as they appeared before they were contaminated and debased by an intercourse with Europeans. If our readers derive one half the gratification from the perusal of his account of them, that we have, they will not only excuse, but thank us for affording them the opportunity. It should not, however, prevent them from procuring the book itself, for there are many gems of this nature, which it would not be just, if it was our province, to select. After describing his coasting along the shore, he says;

"The inhabitants being numerous, we saw everywhere a multitude of fires. While at anchor on this coast, there being no harbour to enter, we sent a boat on shore with twenty-five men to obtain water, but it was not possible to land without endangering the boat, on account of the immense high surf thrown up by the sea, as it was an open roadstead. Many of the natives came to the beach, indicating by various friendly signs that we might trust ourselves on shore. One of their noble deeds of friendship deserves to be made known to your Majesty. A young sailor was attempting to swim ashore through the surf to carry them some knick-knacks, as little bells, looking-glasses, and other like trifles; when he came near three or four of them he tossed the things to them, and turned about to get back to the boat, but he was thrown over by the waves, and so dashed about that he lay, as it were, dead upon the beach. When those people saw him in this situation, they ran and took him up by the head, legs, and arms, and

carried him to a distance from the surf; the young man, finding himself borne off in this way, uttered very loud shrieks in fear and dismay, while they answered as they could in their language, showing him that he had no cause for fear." Afterwards they laid him down at the foot of a little hill, when they took off his shirt and trowsers, and examined him, expressing the greatest astonishment at the whiteness of his skin. Our sailors in the boat seeing a great fire made up, and their companion placed very near it, full of fear, as is usual in all cases of novelty, imagined that the natives were about to roast him for food. But as soon as he had recovered his strength, after a short stay with them, showing by signs that he wished to return aboard, they hugged him with great affection, and accompanied him to the shore; then leaving him, that he might feel more secure, they withdrew to a little hill, from which they watched him until he was safe in the boat. This young

man remarked that these people were black like the others, that they had shining skins, middle stature, and sharper faces, and very delicate bodies and limbs, and that they were inferior in strength, but quick in their minds."- pp. 43, 44.

It is well here to remark, that the early navigators were accustomed to call all people darker than themselves, "of black or dark complexion.

At a distance of fifty leagues from the spot where the adventure before narrated occurred, but at what particular locality we are unable from the vagueness of his description now to determine, Verrazzano describes the country as having "many vines growing naturally, which entwine about the trees, and run up upon them as they do in the plains of Lombardy." And of them, he says;

"These vines would doubtless produce excellent wine if they were properly cultivated and attended to, as we have often seen the grapes which they produce, very sweet and pleasant, and not unlike our own. They must be held in estimation by them, as they carefully remove the shrubbery from around them, wherever they grow, to allow the fruit to ripen better. We found also wild roses, violets, lilies, and many sorts of plants and fragrant flowers different from our own.". p. 45.

Those of our readers who are acquainted with the voyages of the Northmen to Vinland, will recognise a great similarity between their description of the country, and that above extracted from Verrazzano.

Towards the close of this account of his voyage, Verraz

zano describes a harbour which he visited on our coast, as "situated in the parallel of Rome, being 41° 40′ of North latitude," which, he says, looks towards the south, with a large bay, twenty leagues in circumference," in which are five small islands of great fertility and beauty, covered with large and lofty trees. Among these islands any fleet, however large, might ride safely, without fear of tempest or other dangers.

Dr. Samuel Miller, in his "Discourse before the New York Historical Society," published in the first volume of the former series of their Collections, regarded this description as applicable to the bay and harbour of New York. And Lambrechtsen in his "Description of the New Netherlands," anxious as he is to give the honor of the first discovery to Hudson, and with all his ardor for the glory of Dutch seamanship, examines the question with much care; and, although he propounds some doubts and reasons in opposition to Verrazzano's claim, by no means comes to a satisfactory result against it. The editor of the volume now under consideration, with much reason on his side, thinks the description given by Verrazzano applies to Narraganset Bay, and the harbour of Newport, in Rhode Island, and not to that of New York. We are rather inclined to be of his opinion, upon the hasty examination we have given to the question; but do not wish to conclude ourselves on that point.

We are next presented with the Indian tradition of the first arrival of Europeans at Manhattan Island, derived from the manuscripts deposited among the Collections of the Society, by the Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., to whom it was communicated by the Rev. John Heckewelder, the cele

*It is supposed that Verrazzano first arrived on the American coast about Wilmington, in North Carolina; from which point he proceeded south to Georgia, and then changed his course, and voyaged northward to about latitude 40° north, where he entered the harbour we have above described. It is curious to witness the anxiety manifested by some writers, to secure to their own country the glory of having produced the original discoverer of this continent. As

"Seven famous cities strove for Homer dead,

Through which the living Homer begged his bread,'

so it was with Columbus. Disregarded and wronged in life, he was glorified and honored when dead; and, as if to carry out the parallel with the Grecian poet, in the preface to Molloy, De Jure Maritimo, the author affirms, that Columbus was born in England, but resided at Genoa.

brated Moravian missionary among the Indians of Pennsylvania, who has left us a valuable historical account of those Aborigines, and of the exertions of the Moravian missionaries for their religious improvement, and their culture in morals and civilization. In a letter which accompanies this tradition, Mr. Heckewelder says; "As I receive my information from Indians, in their language and style, I return it in the same way. Facts are all I aim at, and, from my knowledge of the Indians, I do not believe every one's story. The enclosed account is, I believe, as authentic as any thing of the kind can be obtained."

In this tradition it is stated, that all the Indians became intoxicated, during which time the whites confined themselves to their ships. It is said that the Delaware Indians to this day call New York Island by the name of Mannahattanink, or Mannahachtanink, which any one will see is the origin of the present name of Manhattan. And they frequently told the missionary, Hecke welder, that it derived its name from this general intoxication; and that the meaning of that word was, the island or place of general intoxication. Heckewelder also states, that the Mahicanders of the Dutch, and the Mohiggans of the English, had the same name for this is'and; but they thought it derived its origin from a kind of wood which grew there, of which they formed their bows and arrows, which wood they called gawaak. This is not in our judgment so probable a derivation as that given by the Delawares.

We are next presented with Lambrechtsen's "Short Description of the Discovery and Subsequent History of the New Netherlands, a Colony in America (at an early period) of the Republic of the United Netherlands," which was printed at Middleburg, Holland, in 1818, in the Dutch language; and is translated by the late Francis A. Vander Kemp, honorary member of this Society. It is an able political history of the colony, possessing a high degree of interest for all who delight in the enterprising character and manly virtues of the first settlers of this country. It is a work but little known even to the literary world, and the Society deserve the thanks of the community for having introduced it to the American public. At an early period, in June, 1819, * we

*See North American Review, Vol. IX. PP.

77 et seq.

gave a review of this History, while it yet remained in the Dutch language untranslated, to which we now refer our readers.

In the Introductory Note to this article in the volume now under review, it is stated, that Lambrechtsen,

"who is believed to be still living, is a gentleman of considerable rank and reputation in his own country, having been Grand Pensionary of Zealand, and connected with many learned societies in Europe; he is also well known to many of our countrymen, who have visited Holland. In 1816 he арplied to this Society, through a gentleman at Amsterdam, for information, concerning the early history of this city and State [New York], when the Corresponding Secretary was directed to forward him a copy of the two volumes of Collections then published. He was, at the same time, elected an honorary member; from which circumstance, he was probably led to dedicate his work to the Society, together with others to which he sustained a similar relation.'

وو

- p. 76.

The translator, Vander Kemp, who is described in Spafford's "Gazetteer of the State of New York," as "a fine classical scholar, and a volunteer patriot in the cause of America while struggling for independence," was the same gentleman to whom Governor De Witt Clinton, in 1818, confided the translating of the ancient Dutch records of that State, which he completed in twenty-five volumes, now extant in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany, and forming "an invaluable repository of materials for the future historian."

In this rich collection of historical works relating to the colony of New York, Adriaen Vander Donck's "Description of the New Netherlands, (as the same are at the present time,)" (second edition, Amsterdam, 1656,) has the next place. Vander Donck came to this country in 1642, and, after residing for some time at Albany, he purchased a tract of land on the Hudson river, sixteen miles from the city of New York, at a place now known as Yonkers, which derived its name from him. He was familiarly called the Yonker, a common appellation for gentleman among the Dutch farmers. One of his grants of land at that place was made to him in 1648, under the name of Jonker (pronounced Yonker) Vander Donck, and his estate was afterwards described in the colonial records as the Yonker's land.