Donck, Adriaen van der, Remonstrance of New Netherland and the occurrences there.

(Albany :  Weed, Parsons and Co.,  1856.)

Tools


 

Jump to page:

Table of Contents

  Page 8  



8                                                                       Remonstrance of

'^^i\itx\^L''Ll^Z{'''-^^^%: I TftQ.Co3'St is generally clean and sandy ; the Foreland doubles or is broken
 

or'^is^'broken" into into Islauds.    To the east of the North River lies Long Island, about 40 leagues

in length, forming a fine wide river which opens into the Ocean at each extremity

and affords a very convenient passage inside, along the shores, without much

risk from the Sea, on account of the great abundance of safe bays and other

The East river is a auchorago grouuds; SO that vessels can securely sail through it, both Eastward

and Westward, even in the winter.    There are several inlets along the south

coast, before reaching the South River, but they are mostly muddy and sandy;

nevertheless, with proper experience, they could be made use of.    Inside these

again, are large bays and valleys, but the bays are for the most part shallow.

««fd and^'flr'm   ^ ^'^   ^^ ^^^   ^^^®   ^^ ^^^^  ^^ commouly saudy or compact (singelachtich), not

very high, yet tolerably fertile, so that it is for the most  part  covered   with

handsome trees.

Of the mountain^      The Country generally is in many places hilly, with some high Mountains,

'^^'^''y®'               likewise many very fine Flats and Maize lands, together with extensive Valleys,

some of which are salt, others again are fresh ; all very good Meadows.    With

the exception of the Maize lands, flats and valleys, which have few or no trees

and   could  with  little labor be converted  into good  tillage  land, the soil  is

commonly covered with all sorts of timber standing, however, without order as in

other wildernesses.

TheSeusons;            The Scasous hsre are about the same as in Netherland, but the summer is

also the-Weather,    warmer and begins more suddenly ; the winter is cold, and far in the interior, or

towards the most northern part, colder than in Netherland ; 'tis likewise subject

to a great deal of Snow which  also remains a long time, far in the interior

however,   fully  3, 4 @ 5  months  on the ground;  but   near the  Seacoast  it

is quickly dissolved by the Southerly wind ; moreover. Thunder, Lightning, Rain,

l?e*th"riand°^*^^™ heavy showcrs. Hail, Snow, Rime, Dew, Frost and such like are the same here

as in Netherland, except that in summer 'tis subject to more sudden tornadoes.

ws^of'eropTwifh      The soil is fit and adapted to the bearing of all kinds both of Winter and

Netherland.   *'"*' Summor crops, and   that with  less  labor and   tilling than in  Netherland.    It

Of ttie timber found produces scvcral kinds of timber, suitable for the construction of houses and ships,

in New Netherland.   '                                                                                                                                                                                   ^

be they large or small, consisting of various sorts of oak, to wit: — Post-oak,
smooth white bark, rough white bark, grey bark, black bark and still another
sort, which, by reason of its softness, is called butter oak ; (5) but it is the poorest
of all, and not very valifable. The others, if cultivated as in Netherland, would
be as good as any Flemish or Brabant oaks; various sorts of Nut timber, such
meffn^N.^^ether- ^s oil uut, large and small; hickory, also large and small. This timber is very
abundant here, and much used as firewood, for which it is also right well
adapted; Chestnuts, as in Netherland, but they grow wild without regularity;
three sorts of Beeches, such as the water-beech,^ common beech and hedge beech,
axhandle wood, two sorts of canoe wood,^ ash, birch, pine, lathwood, Imberen or
wild cedar, linden, alder, willow, thorn, elder, with divers other species adapted

' Sometimes  called  by farmers,  Blue beech.    (Carpinus Americanus.)
* Liriodendron Tulipifera. Johnson.
 

land.
  Page 8