Newark post., 1912-02-21
OF INTEREST TO
THE DELAWAREAN

Among the lew DbohS VI tS-
pecial interest to the Delawarean
/ is one edited by Albert Cook My
ers. Narratives of Early Penn
sylvania. West New Jersey and
/ Delaware.' 163O-17O7.
In addition to the general in
terest which it possesses for all
lovers Of history. this book is par
ticularly interesting to this local
ity, for it draws largely upon the
original narratives Of those who
came here during the earliest
period of the Delaware history
long before it was State-and
whose testimony cannot be dis
puted, because it is testimony at
first hand. In its entirety the
book is collection of narratives
in relation to the country assem-
bled along the Delaware Bay and
River. now comprising three i'm
portant States of the union. al
though one of them-Delaware--.
is not IA large one.
Among those whose personal in
formation is embodied in this in
teresting volume are David Piet-
ersz de Vries. who established the
ill-fated colony at Swanendael
| Uewes) and to whose memory
our State only recently erected
an appropriate monument at the
place where he landed his little
| band of cOlOnists, who were killed
by the Indians before his return !;
Capt. Thomas Yong. who navi-
gated the Delaware River and
took possession of the country for
the English; Rev. Israel Acrelius,
prominent in the first Swedish
settlement at Fort Christina (Wil-
mington) under whose auspices
our Old Swedes Church was built :;
Governors Johan Printz and Jo-
han Rising of the Swedish settle
ments; William Penn. Thomas
Paschall. DR.. Nicholas Moore,
/ Richard Frame and Francis Dan
/ iel PastOrius. whose numerous let
ters impart so much information
about the early history Of Penn
sylvania. Also, there is much
drawing upon letters written by
others who visited this part of
the'New World at that time - :.
De Nries notes, extracted from
the ''korte Historical ende Jour
mails Aenteykeninge,' 163O-33,
1643, 1865, are especially interest
ing in their recital of his adven-
turous voyages. to the lower part
of Delaware, he making three
voyages to the New World. Two
of these, the first and the last, in
cluded his landings at Lewes
Sententiously expressive is his ac,
count OF: his return visit after he
had established the Swanendae]
colony: "The 9th December 9th
1922 we went with the boat
into the river Uewes River), well
: armed, in order to see if we coulC
speak with any Indians. but com
ing by our house Cat Swanen
daeD, which was destroyed, founC
. it well beset with palisades il
? in place of breastworl<s, but it was
almost burnt up. Found iyins
: here and there the skulls ant
bones of our people whom they
t had killed, and the heads of tn,
| horses and cows which they hat
g brought with them De Vrie
e also sets forth in detail the ex
: planation by an Indian that tn,
r massacre was in revenge for tn,
: killing of an Indian by the Dutcl
settlers for an ignorant violation
r of their regard for national homo
= by taking a piece Of tin on whicl
had been drawn the arms of Hol
e land and converting it into a pip
e for his use.
: This collection Of interestin,
a and valuable early history is en-
d riched with reproduction o
g part Of n. j. Vissvcher map o
e New Netherland, New Englan,
q and part of Virginia, about 165:
" which includes the Delawar
e River and Bay and the territor
|, bordering thereon; Thoma
Holmes "Portraiture Of the Cit
, Of Philadelphia showing no,
It the city was laid out at the tim
II the map was drawn. in 1888, am
J. a reproduction of the title page G
le Pastorius "Umstandige Ge,
q graphische Beschreibung,' prin'
l. ed in 100.