(3) REPRESENTATION OF NEW NETHERLAND, AS REGARDS ITS LOCATION,
PRODUCTIVENESS AND POOR CONDITION.
 

Among all the enterprising people in the world, who search for foreign countries, are^ai^ente^prldlg
navigable waters and trade, those who bear the name of Netherlanders will very FoT^fore/gn iTavl'ga?
easily be able to hold their rank among the foremost, as is sufficiently known to trade.
all those who have in any wise saluted the threshold of history.    It will, in like
manner, be also, confirmed by our following Relation, for in the year of Christ
1609, was  the Country, of which we now propose to speak, first found and New    Netherland

''                                                    '■      ^                     »                                                    was first discovered

discovered at the expense of the General East India Company—though directing Ihe^wp'^ ^^^atea
their aim and design elsewhere — by the ship de Halve Mane, whereof Henry ^'^^^'
Hudson was master and factor.    It was aftewards named New Netherland by our New   Netherland

*'             was   so  called  be-

people, and that very justly, for it was first discovered, and taken possession of, by jfe'theriand^fnSany

Netherlanders and at their expense, so that even at the present day, the natives '®*p^''*^-

of the country, (who are so old as to remember the event) testify, that on seeing whea the Indians

•'     ^                                                                                                '          ,                                       °   first saw the ship,

the Dutch ships on their first coming here, they knew not what to make of them, H^s^"^fte°'k^ew

and could not comprehend, whether they came down from Heaven or whether wid or peopie?^"^

they were Devils.    Some among them, on its first approach, even imagined it to

be a fish, or   some  sea  monster, so  that a strange rumor concerning it flew

throughout the whole country.    We have heard the Indians also frequently say,

that they knew of no  other world or people   previous to the arrival of the

Netherlanders here.    For these reasons, therefore, and on account of the similarity

of Climate, Situation and fertility, this place is rightly called New Netherland.

It is situate along the North Coast of America, in the latitude of 38, 39, 40, 41, NaSnf ^^^

42 degrees,   or  thereabouts.    It  is bounded on the  North East side by New Boundary of New

''                 Netherland.

England, on the South West by Virginia; the coast trends mostly South West
and North East, and is washed by the Ocean; on the North runs the river of
Canada, a great way off in the interior; the North West side is partly
still unknown.

(4) The land of itself is fertile, and capable of being entirely cultivated by an
abundance of people, were it judiciously divided according to circumstances.
The climate  here is pleasant, and more temperate than in Netherland.    The The climate is tem-

*                                                        '                                                                                perate;   the   north

winds are changeable and blow from all points, but generally from the South ralTLion"*^of' the
west and North west:    The summer furnishes the first of these, the winter the *'°"°*''''-
latter, which sometimes blows very sharply, but it is, nevertheless, the preservation
of the country, in regard of the public health ; for, being very bracing and pure, it
drives all damps and superfluous moisture very far from the land, or exhausts