The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-15
SOHE NEU BOOkS.


tied Anuais Of Staten f,idnL Thc work appears
T. havo been unl 'rtnscn at the susgratitrl of
erycrai clt2 M of Itrhnonl county. WHO were
aware tnnt The wrt'r. during - residence OF
neury hy years. had Accumulated large
amount Of lrta rolntin to that pleasant iusular
community dw .lln at our KAT ~. For som OF
the PERSONAL IN dents anil hio.riphi al 4 't'.ls
the author lis us he is indnht'd to old people
with whom he wis on trims OF intimacy. and
como Of whom w'rr cont"nnriuns when they
died At first sight this thick volume seems to
threaten us with the oppressive proliNity char
not,ristic Of the tnor,u .hbrsl antiquarian hut
in this rase the raw mat RAILS OF history are
ralcgnt,d 10 - separate place. and the narrative
proper will bp fpund not wanting in compress
sion and vivacity.
In the record of American discovery and aot-
Element. We come botimes on the wcl-Voodcd.
wave eirdl"d land which Eneushmcn OF the
s'vcnt zenith. as well rs Of the nineteenth. cen
turv have liked 10 compare to the Isle o! Wight.
II was only IN y-tw) Y AIRS afr Columbus
sighted san 81 80 TOR that Giovanni VcrhHlno
entered NV York bay. anl lay mt anchor Tor
some hours in view Of the rounded sloping
chores which MI tn fore .rounl OF the s'eno.
But gallo drove this navigator 70 sna. and an
other century had wrll nigh pass II when the
Hhip Half Moon which bore Henry Hudson and
his follow voyasrrs. rounding the Hook gent
out boats crow. which coast ii along the
shores on the lrit han |. AMI penrtratnl some
distance into the X Ills. There Is no cvid"n 80
that Hudson himself eyer cir umnavgatrd tho
island. but knowedgc Of its insular character
f. evincrd n the name he gave it-Stlaten Ey-
lnt-thc island Of the States @ moral under
whose dug he was sailing. The Indians
dwelling hero ut the tne wore the
laritns. branch of that goat
-. a. A
we hear so much in Coopcr's novels From in
dicatons founl in various localities. such rs
large heaps " shells aud homes. it il clear that
they lived on or near the shores and this is
confirmed by the fact that their burial places
are found in the same vicinity. Stone hatchcts
and arrow heads. and springs rudely enclosed
with stone walls have been discovered not far
from the water line; one 81 the latter. known as
Logan Spring. may still be seen "A short distance
northeast Of the Frenh Pond in Casticton.
Besides an abundant supply Of water fowl and
OF wild fruits. the aboriginal dcniznns OF Staten
Island had maize. beans. and tobacco Of their
own cultivation. The dense forests winch then
occupied the interior were the hunting ground.
and the present inhabitants may he surprise
b. hear that deer. bears. and other large game
were en- 'ountered in large numbers Forty
years ago. We are told a fox might occasionally
be detected prowns through the bushes. but
now Of all the Qualruprds viii n once roamed
over the island. only the timid rabbit IL left.
AZ is well known. the first great landed pro-
prictlrs Of the Now Netherlands were called pa
troons their names were Samuel Godyn Samuel
Boemart. Kian Van Il 'n-s 'laer. and Michael
PAW. Of whom the first two settled in Delaware.
Michael Paw obtained n patent for All the
country extending southwark from Hpbokcn
along the bay and the sound then called Arht.r.
Arm kufI It t.f