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There are very few rivers upon the island. The largest is Peakonok, which rifes about ten miles weit of a place called River head, where the court-house stands, and runs eafterly into a large bay, dividing Southhold from Southampton. In this bay are Robin and Shelter Inlands.

The fouth fide of the island is indented with numerous streams of various fizes, which fall into a large bay, two or three miles over, formed by a beach, about eighty rods wide, which appears like a border to the island, extending from the weft end of it to Southampton. Through this beach, in various places, are inlets of fuch depth as to admit of veffels of fixty or seventy tons,

This bay was formerly fresh water. As evidences of this, the stumps of trees are to be feen in great numbers on the falt marfh, near the upland. Oysters, clams, and fifh of various kinds, are caught with cafe, and in great plenty in this bay, with feines, during the winter feafon. It is not uncommon to fee forty or fifty veffels here loading with oyfters at the fame time. And what is almoft incredible, though I was told of it by two gentlemen of truth, and who were well informed as to the matter, thirty waggon loads of bass have been caught in this bay at one draught.

Rockonkama pond, lies about the centre of the ifland, between Smithtown and Iflip, and is about a mile in circumference. This pond has been found by obfervation, to rife gradually for feveral years, until it had arrived to a certain height, and then to fall more rapidly to its lowest bed; and thus it is continually ebbing and flowing. The caufe of this curious phenomenon has never been investigated. Two miles to the fouthward of this pond is a confiderable ftream, called Connecticut river, which empties into the bay.

There are two whale fisheries; one from Sagg harbour, which produces about 1000 barrels of oil annually. The other is much fmaller, and is carried on by the inhabitants in the winter feafon, from the fouth fide of the island. They commonly catch from three to feven whales in a season, which produce from twenty-five to forty barrels of oil. This fifhery was formerly a fource of confiderable wealth to the inhabitants, but through a fcarcity of whales, it has greatly declined of late years.

There is a confiderable trade carried on from Sagg-harbour, whence is exported to the Weft-Indies and other places, whale oil, pitch-pine boards, horfes, cattle, flax-feed, beef, &c. The produce of the middle and western parts of the ifland is carried to New-York.

The island contains 30,863 inhabitants.

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but the island

Staten Island lies nine miles fouth-weft of the city of New-York, and forms Richmond county. It is about eighteen miles in length, and, at a medium, fix or feven in breadth, and contains 3,152 inhabitants. the fouth fide is a confiderable tract of level good land ; in general is rough, and the hills high. Richmond is the only town of any note on the island, and that is a poor, inconfiderable place. The inhabitants are principally Dutch and French.

Hiftory.] Hudfon's River was firft difcovered in 1608, by Henry Hudfon, an Englishman, who fold his claim to the Dutch,

In 1614, the States General granted a patent to several merchants, for anexclufive trade on the river Hudfon. The fame year this company built

a Fort

a Fort on the weft fide of the river, near Albany, and named it Fort Orange.

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In 1615, a fort was built on the southwest point of Manhattan's, now York ifland; but the first fettlers planted themselves about two miles from this fort, and built a church there, the ruins of which, it is faid, are ftill vifible, near the two mile ftone on the public road. In this fituation, finding themselves infecure during the wars between the English and Dutch, they left this place, and planted their habitations under the guns of the fort, which laid the foundation of the prefent city.

In 1614, Captain Argall, under Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia, vifited the Dutch on Hudson's river, who being unable to refift him, prudently fubmitted for the prefent, to the king of England, and under him to the governor of Virginia. Determined upon the fettlement of a colony, the States-general, in 1621, granted the country to the West India Company; and in the year 1629, Wouter Van Twiller arrived at Fort Amfterdam, now New York, and took upon himself the government.

In August 27, 1664, governor Stuyvefant furrendered the colony to colonel Nicolls, who had arrived in the bay a few days before, with three or four fhips, and about 300 foldiers, having a commiffion from king Charles the II. to reduce the place, which then was called New Amfterdam, but was changed to New York, as was Fort Orange to Albany, in honour of his Royal Highness James Duke of York and Albany. Very few of the inhabitants thought proper to remove out of the country; and their numerous defcendants are still in many parts of this ftate, and New-Jersey.

In 1667, at the peace of Breda, New York was confirmed to the English, who in exchange ceded Surinam to the Dutch

The English kept peaceable poffeffion of the country until the year 1673, when the Dutch, with whom they were then at war, fent a fmall fquadron, which arrrived at Staten Island, on the 30th of July. John Manning, a captain of an independent company, who had at that time the command of the fort, fent a meffenger down to the commodore, and treacherously made his terms with him; on the fame day the ships came up, moored under the fort, landed their men, and entered the garrifon, without giving or receiving a fhot. All the magiftrates and conftables from Eaft Jerfey, Long Ifland, Æfopus, and Albany, were fummoned to New York; and the major part of them fwore allegiance to the States General and the Prince of Orange. The conquerors, however, did not long enjoy the fruits of their fuccefs, for on the 9th of February the year following, a treaty of peace between England and Holland was figned at Weftininfter; by the fixth article of which, this province was restored to the English, in whose hands it remained until the late revolution.

While New York remained in poffeffion of the Dutch it was called New Netherlands, and governed by a Scout, Burgomafters and Schepens, From its furrender to the English in 1664, to 1683, the province was ruled by governors, appointed and commiflioned by the Duke of York, and their council, whofe rules and orders had the force of laws. From the last named period, the people were admitted to a fhare of the legislative authority.

The confederated Cantons of Indians, before the incorporation of the Tufcaroras, a people driven by the Carolinians from the frontiers of Virginia, confifted of five nations, viz. the Mohaws, Oneidas, Senecas,

On ondagas,

Onondagas, and Cayuagas. The alliance and trade of these fix nations, inhabiting the territory weft of Albany to the diftance of more than 200 miles, though much courted by the French of Canada, have been almost uninterruptedly enjoyed by the English.

In 1684, the French attempted the deftruction of these Indians, because they interrupted their trade with the more diftant tribes, called the Far Nations. The Seneca Indians interrupted this trade, because the French supplied the Miamies, with whom they were then at war, with arms and amunition,

To effect the deftruction of the Indians great preparations were made by the French. But famine and ficknefs prevailing among them the expedition proved fruitless. Four years after this, 1200 Indians attacked Mon'treal, burnt many houses, and put 1000 of the inhabitants to the sword.

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In 1689, Colonel Dongan, the governor, being called home by king James, and a general difaffection to Government prevailing at New York, one Jacob Leifler took poffeffion of the garrifon, for king William and queen Mary, and affumed the fupreine power over the province. His reduction of Albany, held by others for William, and the confifcation of the eftates of his opponents, was an impolitic measure; and fowed the feeds of mutual animofity, which for a long time greatly embarraffed the public affairs.

The French, in 1689, in order to detach the fix nations from the British intereft, fent out feveral parties against the English colonies. One of the parties, confifting of about 200 French, and fome of the Caghnuaga Indians, commanded by D'Ailldebout, De Mantel, and Lemoyne, was intended for New York. But by the advice of the Indians, they determined first to attack Skenectady."

For this place they accordingly directed their courfe, and after twenty days march, in the depth of winter, through the fnow, carrying their provifions on their backs, they arrived in the neighbourhood of Skenectady, on the 8th of February, 1690. Such was the extreme diftrefs to which they were reduced, that they had thoughts of furrendering themselves prifoners of war. But their fcouts, who were a day or two in the village entirely unfufpected, returned with fuch encouraging accounts of the abfolute fecurity of the people, that the enemy determined on the attack. They entered, on Saturday night about eleven o'clock, at the gates, which were found unfhut; and, that every houfe might be invefted at the fame time, divided into small parties of fix or feven men. The inhabitants were in a profound fleep, and unalarmed, until their doors were broke open. Never were people in a more wretched confternation. Before they were risen from their beds, the enemy entered their houses, and began the perpetration of the most inhuman barbarities. No tongue can exprefs the cruelties that were committed. The whole village was inftantly in a blaze. Women with child ripped open, and their infants caft into the flames, or dafhed against the pofts of the doors. Sixty perfons perished in the maffacre, and twenty-feven were carried into captivity. The reft fled naked towards Albany, through a deep fnow which fell that very night in a terrible ftorm; and 25 of the fugitives loft their limbs in the flight, through the feverity of the froft. The news of this dreadful tragedy reached Albany, about break of day, and univerfal dread feized the inhabitants of that city,

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the enemy being reported to be one thousand four hundred ftrong. A party of horse was immediately difpatched to Skenectady, and a few Mohawks then in town, fearful of being intercepted, were with difficulty fent to apprife their own castles,

The Mohawks were unacquainted with this bloody scene until two days after it happened, our meffengers being fcarcely able to travel through the great depth of the fnow. The enemy, in the mean time, pillaged the town of Skenectady until noon the next day; and then went off with their plunder, and about forty of their beft horfes. The reft, with all the cattle they could find, lay flaughtered in the streets.

Upon the arrival of a governor at New-York, oommiffioned by the king, Leifler imprudently refused to furrender the garrifon, for which he and his fon were condenined to death, as guilty of high treafon.

The whole province of New-York was originally fettled by non-epifcopalians, chiefly by prefbyterians, except a few epifcopal families in the city of New York. In 1693, Col. Fletcher, then governor of the province, projected the fcheme of a general tax for building churches, and fupporting epifcopal minifters, and artfully effected his defign in part. This overture laid the foundation for a difpute between the prefbyterians and epifcopalians, which, until the revolution, was maintained on both fides with great warmth and animofity. Several of the governors, particularly the infamous Lord Cornbury, fhewed great partiality to the epifcopalians, and perfecuted the presbyterians.

To prevent the Roman Catholic miffionaries from Canada from influencing the Indian allies of the province to renounce their allegiance to the British crown, under the pretext of religion, the legislature of the province, in July 1700, passed a law, prohibiting Jesuits and Popish Priests

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* The following extract from the Hiftory of New-York, will fully justify this epithet. Speaking of Lord Cornbury, the hiftorian fays, His lordship's Jenfe of honour and justice was as weak and indelicate, as his bigotry was rampant and uncontrolable: and hence we find him guilty of an act complicated of a number of vices, which no man could bave perpetrated without violence to the very flightest remains of generofity and juftice. When bis excellency retired to Jamaica, on account of the Great Sickness in 1702, one Hubbard, the prefbyterian minifter, lived in the best boufe in the town. His lord/hip begged the loan of it for the use of his own family, and the clergyman put himself to no fmall inconveniencies to favour the governor's request; but in return for the generous benefaction, his lordship perfidiously delivered the parfonage-house into the hands of the epifcopal party, and encouraged one Cardwel, the Sheriff, a mean fellow, who afterwards put an end to his own life, to feize upon the glebe, which be furveyed into lots, and farmed for the benefit of the epifcopal church. Thefe tyraunical measures juftly inflamed the indignation of the injured fufferers, and that again the more embittered his lordship against them. They refented, and be perfecuted nor did be confine his pious rage to the people of Jamaica. He detefted all who were of the fame denomination; nay, averfe to every sect except his own, he infified that neither the minifters nor Schoolmasters of the Dutch, the most numerous perfuafion in the province, had a right to preach or instruct without his gubernatorial licence; and some of them tamely submitted to bis unauthoritative rule.'

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from exercising their office in the province, on pain of perpetual imprifon ment. If any one fhould efcape from prison, and be afterwards taken, he was to be put to death. This law, however vindicable in a political view, is certainly to be condemned on the principle of religion, as it favoured as highly of perfecution as any law ever paffed in New-England. The truth is, the legiflators in both inftances intended to prevent political evils, but their laws for this end were highly exceptionable. The offenders against the public peace ought to have been treated in a civil, not in a religious capacity. Civil and ecclefiaftical power are intirely diftinct, and never ought to be blended. The religious perfecutions, which have proved the deftruction of thousands of pious people, may, in a great measure, be afçribed to the undue interference of civil with ecclefiaftical authority.

This law against the Roman Catholics remained unrepealed (though it was never enforced) until the revolution.

In 1709, a vigorous expedition was meditated against Canada, in making preparation for which, this province expended above £. 20,000; but the expected affiftance of Britain failing, it was never profecuted, Soon after, Col. Schuyler, who had been very influential with the Indians, went to England with five facheins, who were introduced into the prefence of Queen Anne. The object of this vifit was to ftimulate the miniftry to the reduction of Canada.

In 1711, a confiderable fleet was fent over for that purpose, but eight tranfports being caft away on the coaft, the rest of the fleet and troops returned with making any attempt to reduce Canada.

In 1710, Governor Hunter brought over with him about 3000 Palatines, who, the year before, had fled to England from the rage of perfe cution in Germany. Many of thefe people fettled in the city of NewYork; others fettled on a tract of feveral thousand acres in the manor of Livingston; and fome went to Penfylvania, and were inftrumental in inducing thousands of their countrymen to emigrate to that province,

The prohibition of the fale of Indian goods to the French, in 1720, excited the clamour of the merchants at New-York, whose interest was affected by it. The measure was undoubtedly a politic one; and the reafons for it were thefe: The French by this trade were supplied with articles which were wanted by the Indians. This prevented the Indians from coming to Albany, and drew them to Montreal, and they being employed by the French, as carriers, became attached to them from intereft. About the fame time, a trading-house was erected by the English at Ofwego, on Lake Ontario; and another by the French at Niagara..

In 1729, the act prohibiting the trade between Albany and Montreal was imprudently repealed by the king. This naturally tended to undermine the trade at Ofwego, and to advance the French commerce of Niagara; and at the fame time to alienate the affections of the Indians from Britain. Not long after this, the French were fuffered to erect a fortress at Lake Champlain. To prevent the ill confequences of this, a scheme was projected to fettle the lands near Lake George with loyal proteftant Highlanders from Scotland. A tract of thirty thousand acres was accordingly promised to Captain Campbell, who, at his own expence, tranfported

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