Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-07-27
[Ror the Journal and statesmAn.l
REVIEW

oF THE ADDRESS CONCERNING HENRY HUD-
soN-IIIs FRIENDS, RELATIONS, EARLY
LIFE, AND VOYAGES DELIVERED BE
FORE THE 1TsToWcAL SOCIETY OF
DELAWARE, 18Th OCTOBER, 1864, BY
GENERAL JoHN MEREDITH READ, JR,
or ALBANY, New YORK.
In October, 1864, General john Meredith
Reai, of Albany, New York, delivered. at the
request Of tue Historical Society Of Delaware,
an Address on the Life and Discoveries of Henry
Hudson, Il copy of which, with the thanks of
the Society for his able and eloquent oration,
was requested for publication. The Society and
public are now favored with this Address, ex-
Ianded into a volume of over two hundred pages,
from the press of joel Munsell, Albany, New
York, 80 tasteful and elegant as must please the
most iastdous. The delay in the publication
Of this work is amply compensated by its fruit,
additional facts obtained by extensive and care
iul ulresealch of which almost all its pages furnish
evidence.
The disooverer of the Delaware bay and river
must, We believe, be an historical parsonage Of
great interest, especially 10 the dwelers on their
Shores and they grateful to General Read for
the facts he has added TO their scanty knowledge
Of aman 30 distinguished. Why may not the
river be rs enthusiastically loved as the noun
tain Is it not equally work Of nature, some
times grand, at others beautiful I Does not the
German love his Rhine no less than the Swilzer
ha Alps? The Delaware may not have associ-
atiOn5 as interesting as those Of the Rhine her
cities the scenes Of great historical events; her
bays, and headands, and ruined castles, with
each its legend, rich materials for poetry and
Romance. But the Delaware has associations
not unworthy its high place in the roll of great
rivers, Just within Cape HenlOpen the Swedish
colony, sent forth by Company under u charter
from the renowned Gustavus hdophus, made
their first setlement-Swaandal At New Castle
Penn landed, and received, by the delivery Of
turf and water symboically, possession of the
territory granted TO him by his sovereign. On
Tue bank of the Christiana, so named in honor
Of tie eccentric daughter of Gustavus, yet stands
the Church reared by tho swedes, within which
ihcr descendants still worship. Fort MifHin ia
memorial of the gallant defence of Mud Island
in the war of our Revolution aud Red Bank,
opposite, of the defeat and death of Donop. Al
Philadelphia, Penn, in advance of his conteh-
poraries, gave to his colonsts a government
based on the great principles of freedom, repre-
sentation and tolerance, but marred when ad-
mnistered by some of the erroneous tenets oil
his sect AT Philadelphia stood for more thar
century the TREArY-ELm, noble monument OIL
Penn's fair dealing with the Indians. AT Tren
ton Washington, crossing with hia army, amids
floating ice, and seet, and snow, in the darkness
oi a December night, won victory which turn
tl The tide of defeat aud disaster that followeC
tae battle Of Brooklyn. Aud lot us not forge
that the Indian tribe-the Leni~Lenupe--tht
Delawares, once so numerous and powerful
lwelt on this river, from which they have beel
swept by the irresistible wave of civilization
which has rolled over them.&
The history of navigation, discovery and com
alerce would be d most valuable addition Il
literature Its field is vast, but it's material
acanty, in it's earliest periods: to our review o
The "A Address," as we think not unapt intro
'luellOu to it, we prefix sketches of some @
them.
To Arabia, probably. belongs tho honor q
having first prosecuted foreign commerce. lie
geographical position invited to maritime I'D
Senure-pe peninsular, washed by the Arabian
Persian and Indian seas, and possessing man
excellent hArbors. The first recorded traiiicei
were lshmaelites, caravan, carrying frol
Arabia balm, and myrrh, and spices to Egyp
The spices being products of India, were brougl
ilom thence by Arab merchants and as thel
isAmaelites bought Joseph from his brethren III
sold him to POtiphar, they were, probably, sla,
traders alsO.t 1t is improbable that they we
A0t acquainted with the mOnsoons which fac
lated go much voyages to and from India
The Arabs claim to be descended from Jokti
and ishnael, but their early history is obscur
For ten centuries they maintained their ind
pendencc against the Babylonian, Egyptian Al
rets'an Kings, aud we're conquered by Alexa
Ner' but recovered their independence upon |
%se'h' They were partially conquered by I
NVnsas For several centuries, during the d
0l'ne, and after the fall of Rome, the Arab trh
rl..uaHe nave journeyed beside the Delaware, awsd
Wharal hel w grand mountain scenery, it's sour
Il sie e child might have Waded or cast pebble Acr
mity ituy ehanne; and the next afternoon looked,
sna nausy, on The noble river swollen by countless RI
st Lny slhuent7 and navigable by ships Of the gre
su'uen anu most potent armaments.
iu'u'si', clip, 81 verses % to &c.