The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-16
VOYAGE OF THE HALF MOON.
Mrs. Bells Entertaining Story of the Early
Settlement of New York.

mouth Church, her subject being "The Voyage
of the Half -moon." 10 which that incorrigible
navigator, Hendrick Hudson, endeavoring to
find northwest or northeast passage-it didn't
matter which to Hendrick-to India for the
East India Company of the Netherlands, after
fumbiing along the coast of North America
popped into New York bay, and sailed up the
noble river which was given his name The
Half-moon was afterwards wrecked off the island
of Mauritius in the Indian ocean. Hendrick
Hudson, still hunting the northwest passage,
was left with his son and number of sailors by
rebellous crew in the great bay which bears
his name, and where all persisted, leaving no
record nor trace of their fate.
In concluding the lecture Mrs. Bell gave a
brief history of New York when it was Dutch
colony. The first colony was sent out in 1923.
fourteen years after Hudson's visit. Part of this
company settled at Fort Orange, situated on the
site of the present city of Albany, and the re-
mainder on the island of Manhattan. where they
laid the foundation Of New York city, which
they called Manhattanville. Two years later
Peter Minuit was sent out as Director general of
all New Netherlands, as the country was called.
His first act was to purchase and pay for the
Manhattan, fifteen miles long, from three -fourths
to two miles wide containing twenty
two thousand acres, was purchased OF
the guileless Indians by these honest
Dutchmen for sixty guilders, twenty four dol
lars. There is q legend that the Dutchmen re-
sorted to little trickery in securing shis bar
gain in real estate some 260 years ago. These
Dutch ancestors of ours wore clothes fashioned
very differently from those worn by our fathers
and brothers. They wore long-waisted coats
ckirtQ almost
with great flaps and many pairs of brooches.
Five pairs of breeches were common, and one of
the colonists, from the fact that he Wore
ten, was called TenBroeck or Ten
estate agent, whose services were en-
ployed, offered sixty guilders for as
much ground as could be inclosed by one
| mans breaches. The offer was accepted. Mr..
Ten Brooches was the man whose neither gar
ments were chosen as the unit of measurement
The ten pairs were torn in extremely narrow
strips as narrow as the material would permit
and united they We're made to go entirely
around the island. So Dutch cunning got the
better of Indian simplicity
Having bought the island Governor Minuit
built block-house at the southern extremity.
surrounded by palisades This he called Fort
Amsterdam and was intended as place OF ref
uge in case of an attack from the Indians. Dur
ing the rule of Minuit-seven years-there was
neither church nor schoolmaster. He was sue
ceeded by Wouter Van Twiller in 1853.
Washington Irving tells a funny story con-
corning him. He says he was a very wise Dutch
man because he never said foolish thing, and
of such great gravity that he was not known in
the course of long and prosperous life to laugh
or even smile; tina: early in his career as Gov
ernor, one morning, as he was making his break
fast from great earthen dish of mush and milk,
he was suddenly interrupted by the entrance of
Wandle Van Schoonoven, very impor
tant merchant in the city. He came
to complain of one Borent Blocker.
Blocker owed Schoonover and refused to settle
because he did not want to pay over the amount
DUE Governor Twiller shoveled in spoonful af
ter spoonful of his breakfast, listened in silence
to the complaint and then calling to his con-
stable sent him after Blocker. In the absence
of warrant he sent his tobacco box. Blocker
appeared with his account book Both parties
being before him. the wise man took both books
and held them apparently testing their weight
Then he fell straightway into great doubt and
smoked half an hour without saying word.
Then, laying his finger beside his nose and shut
ting his eyes for moment as though he had
just caught an idea he pulled out a
great cloud of smoke, and with great
gravity, said that, having carefully counted over
the leaves and weighed the books, he had found
that one was just as heavy and thick as the
other, aud therefore it was the opinion of the
court that the accounts balance, therefore
Wandle should give Barent receipt, and
Barent should give Wandle a receipt, and the
adds this is the only time Van Twiller
ever reached decision in his whole life.
| Van Twier was finally recalled and William
| Kieft was appointed in his place. He was called
| William the Testy, from his hot temper He
| kept the colony in great deal of trouble be-
| cause he was constantly at strife with the In
| dams, SO there was little regret when he was re-
called and Peter St1yvesant, the fourth, the last
and the best of the Governors of New Neither
| lands, was put in his place. He was brave and
honest. but obstinate so that he went by the
name of Peter the Headstrong. He had lost a
| leg in the war, and it's place had been supplied
| with g. wooden stump ornamented with metal
| strips of silver, so that Old Silver
| leg was another nickname for the old
! Governor. The colony increased greatly under
| his wise and polite rule-l647-l664. In 1864 an
| English feet passed into New York harbor
| and demanded the surrender of the town. Stuy
| vesant tore the letter demanding the surrender
in pieces; but the people made him put it togeth-
er again and accept the terms proposed. So, in
/ 1864, New Amsterdam passed from the control
of the Dutch to that of the English. and became
| New York.
| We are indebted to the Dutch for doughnuts
and sauerkraut. and we are indebted to these
same ancestors for the best ways of celebrating
| some of our great festivals. The custom of call
ing on New Years day had its origin in Manhat-
tanville. Easter was notable festival in New
| Amsterdam, and the fashion of colorinc eggs was
| general. Although Christmas is general, the
many ways of celebrating it are largely of Dutch
| origin. The image of a jolly, rosy checked
| little old man with q low-crowned hat,
trunk hose. and pipe Of great length. who drove
his reindeer sleigh loaded with gifts for all good
children is creation of the country from which
| the early Dutchman came. The Christmas tree
| grew from a Dutch brain, together with the
| most beautiful idea of the Christ child 1t seems
| a long way from Hendrick Hudson aud the Half
moon tc Christmas and Santa Claus but I hope
l have indicated the steps and the connection,
! and have made you feel grateful to Hudson and
the Half-moon for making you inheritors of SO
many Dutch privileges
| The lecture was illustrated by maps, and
| Harry Williamson, the artist furnished two
| large crayons, excellent pictures. representing
! dam.
In No Hurry for Conversion.
| A wellknown family ND town has an eight
| year old urchin upon whom revival at one of