Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-27
A talk ON LONG ISLAND.

ATALK ON LONG ISLAND.
An Interesting Paper by Captain G. H.
Townshend Read Before the EH1stor.
zeal Society-Derivat1on of Gamer
ica,,-Long Island from Cape Cod to
sandy Hook.
There was large attendance at last |
nights meeting of the Historical society in |
the court room of the common pleas. |
chair, and ex-Mayor 81. g. Lewis, Henry
L. Hotchkiss, Thomas R. Trowbridge,
Major R. P. Cowles, D. S. Thomas, DR..
Bishop, E. G. Beecher, General 3. E. Brad
ley, Hon. Caleb B. Bowers and other prom
inent members, with large number of la
dies, were in attendance.
The paper of the evening was read by
Captain Charles Hervey Townshend upon
'sLong Island and it's Early Approaches"
Captain Townshend confined himself 10 the
stretch of coast between Cape Cod and
Sandy Hook. He first traced the deriva-
ton of the name "America" from a native
source, and the country was known
throughout Europe, he said, as early as
1900 by the early forms of this word.
Amerigo Vespucci published the first ac-
but the name America was really from
the native name and not from Vespucci's,
as has long been supposed.
As late as the fifteenth century, said he,
the evidence of navigators seems to point
to q string of islands along the southern
New England coast kept open by the flow
age of rivers and other currents. French
| and English fishing vessels early frequent
| ed this coast and later the Dutch explorers
give us accounts of it. Before the May
| flower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1920
| the French journals point to extensive fish
| cries near Cape Cod. In some years later,
/ it is said, the French have employed one
| hundred thousand fishermen upon the
American coast from Labrador down. The
French now hold treaty which gives them
practical control of the Newfoundland
shore, and the English have endeavored for
years in vain to obtain this right.
In the fall of 1887 Governor Eaton
made a journey through Cape Cod pass
age, and other accounts seem to show
| that there was a passage through Cape
| Cod at this time It is evident that the
| formation of the coast has changed
materially since the sixteenth century
The Dutch navigator, Block, made the
| passage of He'll Gate in 1867, and entered
the waters of Long Island sound. He
located the islands off Norwalk upon his
chart and the islands off Stratford. What
| are known now as Stratford shoal grounds
are undoubtedly the foundations of these
early islands. In Port jefferson are many
cedar canes that were cut from scrub
cedars on Stratford shoal grounds. Block
explored the islands at the mouth of the
Housatonie river and named this river
Rodenberg. This name was suggested, no
doubt, from two prominent bluffs;
seen plainly over the hills. These bluffs
were our East and West rocks, which are
in plain sight from the mouth of the Hous-
atomic over the Milford hills Block later
visited New Haven harbor and the coast
d;acent and placed it upon his chart.
Oyster point was then inhabited by ma
tives, as was shown by the oyster shells
and Indian relics there. He sailed east.
ward and located numerous shoals and isl
| ands, among which were Faulkner's island
| and the Thimbles to which he gave names
| of his own upon his chart. Block island
was located by him and still bears his
name. Near the site of the now city Of
Hartford, after sailing up the Connecticut
he found small settlement. He sailed
down the river and located the islands tt
the eastward. He sailed along thu
south ,,, side of Long Island s snt
demonstrating Long Island. The Dutcl
kept their explorations in Long Islant
: sound very secret, but another exploration
is found to have been made in 1919. Mar
tha's Vineyard was the principal field O
this voyage of exploration. The explorer
met much trouble with the Indians. The,
were taken prisoners several times by then
and escaped from the hardships of thi
voyage by the narrowest of chances.
Il. The paper continued with accounts o
later navigators and with the story O
l fhoir hor I'd nil
I | and stormy voyages. The speaker demon
strated that the early approaches to Lon
Island were different from those which ez
. list at present, and that the islands of san
! along the coast from Cape Cod to Sand
Hook are continually changing by the az
ton of the rivers and the currents an
l tides of the sound.
= The paper was an interesting one.
j | was carefully compiled and full Of infol
@ nation and ideas regarding this portion Q
the coast, which are comparatively new
A vote of thanks was given Capital
: Townshend by the society for his ente1
tanning paper and a short discussion {
: . the facts advanced by it followed the reac
: ing.
Secretary Bowers reported that sever,
autograph signatures of Benedict Arnol
had been received by the society, wit
! ! several works and details upon genealogy
4 | The farley Wax Works at the Cit
Il Missions.
al By special request the Young People
society of the Humphrey street Congregs
tional church have cons ented to give thei
Q exhibition of Madam Jarley's wax work
s on Thursday evening of the present wee
3 January 29), at the City Mission hall, CO.
9 | ner of Court and State streets. There wi
be small price for admission, fftee
cents for adults and ten cents for childre
under fifteen, and the proceeds will be i
part for the woman's department of th
] city missions. Tickets may be obtained {
! | the hall any afternoon or evening, an
, those who assist in selling the tickets wi
receive one ticket in every ten that the
. | sell to others.