Peter Stuyvesant, the Last Dutch Governor of New AmsterdamAbbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
History
Peter Stuyvesant, the Last Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Stuyvesant, Peter, 1592-1672
But the night passed quietly away; the morning dawned, and a few
canoes approached from another part of the bay, with no signs of
hostility. These peaceful Indians had manifestly heard nothing of the
disturbance of the night before. They came unarmed, with all friendly
attestations, unsuspicious of danger, and brought corn and tobacco,
which they offered in exchange for such trinkets as they could obtain.
The next morning, two large canoes approached from the shores of the
bay which was many leagues in extent, one of which canoes seemed to be
filled with warriors, thoroughly armed. The other was a trading boat.
It is probable that those in the war canoe, came as a protection for
their companions. It is hardly conceivable that the Indians, naturally
timid and wary, could have thought, with a single war canoe containing
scarcely a dozen men, armed with arrows, to attack the formidable
vessel of Sir Henry Hudson, armed, as they well knew it to be, with
the terrible energies of thunder and lightning.
The Indians were so unsuspicious of danger, that two of them
unhesitatingly came on board. Sir Henry, we must think treacherously,
seized them as prisoners, and ordered the canoes containing their
companions, to keep at a distance. Soon another canoe came, from
another direction, with only two men in it. Sir Henry received them
both on board, and seized them also as prisoners. He intended to hold
them as hostages, that he might thus protect himself from any
hostility on the part of the natives.
One of these men upon finding himself a captive, leaped overboard and
swam ashore. Sir Henry had now three prisoners and he guarded them
very closely. Yet the natives, either from policy or from fear, made
no hostile demonstrations against him.
The half Moon remained in the outer bay nine days. Several exploring
tours had been sent out, visiting what is now known as the Jersey
shore. None of these, with the exception of the one to which we have
alluded, encountered any hostility whatever from the natives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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