44                                HISTORY   OF
 

CHAPTER V.

How the JVew-Amsterdammers became great in
arms, and of the direful catastrophe of a
mighty army—together with Peter StuyvesanVs
measures to fortify the city—and how he was
the original founder of the Battery.

But notwithstanding that the grand council,
as I have already shown, were amazingly dis-
ereet in their proceedings respecting the New-
Netherlands, and conducted the whole with al¬
most as much silence and mystery, as does the
sage British cabinet one of its ill star'd secret
expeditions—yet did the ever watchful Peter
receive as full and accurate information of
every movement, as does the court of France of
all the notable enterprises I have mentioned.—
He accordingly sat himself to work, to render
the machinations of his bitter adversaries abor¬
tive.

I know that many will censure the precipita¬
tion of this stout hearted old governor, in that
he  hurried into the expenses of fortification,