The Hudson: Three Centuries of History, Romance and InventionBruce, Wallace
History
The Hudson: Three Centuries of History, Romance and Invention
Bruce, Wallace
Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) -- Guidebooks
=The Story of Captain Kidd.=--"My name was Captain Kidd as I sailed,"
are famous lines of an old ballad which was once familiar to our
grandfathers. The hapless hero of the same was born about the middle
of the seventeenth century, and it is thought, near Greenock,
Scotland. He resided at one time in New York, near the corner of
William and Cedar Streets, and was there married. In April, 1696, he
sailed from England in command of the "Adventure Galley," with full
armament and eighty men. He captured a French ship, and, on arrival at
New York, put up articles for volunteers; remained in New York three
or four months, increasing his crew to one hundred and fifty-five
men, and sailed thence to Madras, thence to Bonavista and St. Jago,
Madagascar, then to Calicut, then to Madagascar again, then sailed and
took the "Quedah Merchant." Kidd kept forty shares of the spoils, and
divided the rest with his crew. He then burned the "Adventure Galley,"
went on board the "Quedah Merchant," and steered for the West Indies.
Here he left the "Merchant," with part of his crew, under one Bolton,
as commander. Then manned a sloop, and taking part of his spoils, went
to Boston via Long Island Sound, and is said to have set goods on
shore at different places. In the meantime, in August, 1698, the East
Indian Company informed the Lords Justice that Kidd had committed
several acts of piracy, particularly in seizing a Moor's ship called
the "Quedah Merchant." When Kidd landed at Boston he was therefore
arrested by the Earl of Bellamont, and sent to England for trial,
1699, where he was found guilty and executed. Now it is supposed that
the crew of the "Quedah Merchant," which Kidd left at Hispaniola,
sailed for their homes, as the crew was mostly gathered from the
Highlands and above. It is said that they passed New York in the
night, _en route_ to the manor of Livingston; but encountering a gale
in the Highlands, and thinking they were pursued, ran her near the
shore, now known as Kidd's Point, and here scuttled her, the crew
fleeing to the woods with such treasure as they could carry. Whether
this circumstance was true or not, it was at least a current story in
the neighborhood, and an enterprising individual, about fifty years
ago, _caused an old cannon_ to be "discovered" in the river, and
perpetrated the first "Cardiff Giant Hoax." A New York Stock Company
was organized to prosecute the work. It was said that the ship could
be seen in clear days, with her masts still standing, many fathoms
below the surface. One thing is certain--the company did not see it or
the _treasurer_ either, in whose hands were deposited about $30,000.
* * *
Beauty and majesty on either hand
Have shared thy waters with their common realm.
_Knickerbocker Magazine._
* * *
Their summits are the first to meet
The morning's golden ray,
And last to catch the crimson fires
That warm the dying day.
_Minna Irving._
* * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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