NEW YORKi
 

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CHAPTER IV.

Hescvibing the 'powerful army that assembled at
the city of JS'ew-Amsterdam—together with the
interview between Peter the Headstrong, and
general Von Poffenburgh, and Peter^s senti¬
ments touching unfortunate great men.

While thus the enterprising Peter was coast¬
ing, with flowing sail, up the shores of the lordlj
Hudson, and arousing all the phlegmatic little
Dutch settlements upon its borders, a great and
puissant concourse of warriors was assembling
at the city of New-Amsterdam. And here that
invaluable fragment of antiquity, the Stuyvesant
manuscript, is more than commonly particular;
by which means I am enabled to record the il¬
lustrious host that encamped itself in the public
square in front of the fort, at present denomina¬
ted the Bowling Green.

In the centre then, was pitched the tent of
the men of battle of the Manhattoes, who being
the inmates of the metropolis, composed the life
guards of the governor. These were commanded
by the valiant Stoftel Brinkerhoof, who whilom
had acquired such immortal fame at Oyster Bay
—they displayed as a standard, a beaver ram