TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

CHAPTER I

Explorations of the North American Coast Previous to the Voy¬
age OP Henry Hudson   .... The Bev. Benjamin F. Be Costa, B.D,

The Dream of the '^Atlantis of the West" —The "Seven Cities" of the
Year 734 — Columbus Diverted to the Southwest — Fortunate for the Eng¬
lish — The Northmen in America — The Voyages of the Welsh in the Middle
Ages — The Zeno Brothers — The " Skraelling," or the Glacial Man —Voyage
of Sebastian Cabot in 1515 — The Portuguese along our Coast — Ayllon and
the Spaniards — The Voyage of Verrazano in 1524 — His Letter to Francis I. of
France undoubtedly Genuine — His Course and Landfall — Accounts of the
Indians and the Country—In New-York and Narragansett Bays — The Verra¬
zano Map — Gomez in 1525 Goes in Search of Cathay — Eibeiro's Map of 1529
Founded on this Voyage—Bay of New-York, How Indicated Thereon—
Oviedo's Account of the Map of Chaves — The "Rio de Sanct Antonio"—
Locality of the Hudson River Known from the Time of Gomez — Sandy Hook
—Were the Dutch on Manhattan Island in 1598 *?—The Map of 1610, Prepared
for James I. of England and Found in Spain — The Period of Reconnoissance.
 

CHAPTER II

The Native Inhabitants op Manhattan and its Indian Antiqui¬
ties........•      •.......Edward Manning Buttenher.   33

The Location of Manna-hata — Who were the Manhattans ^ — The Word
Manna-hata does not Refer to any Indian Tribe—Verrazano's Testimony —
Accounts of Dutch Writers: Van der Donck's Description of the Dress of
Indian Women — The Food of the Natives, and How Prepared — The Indians'
Treasury and Currency — The Houses of the Aborigines — Villages or
" Castles," and Where Located — Weapons of War — Their Medicines and
Medical Treatment — Their Form of Government a Pure Democracy —
Criminal Laws and Rights of Property—Tribal Subdivisions with their Chiefs

— The Indian Religion — Their Respect for the Devil — The Sanhikans, or
Fire Workers — Observation of the Stars — The First Moon of the New Year

— Names and Location of Tribes on and about Manhattan Island — The Wap-
pinoes Inhabited this Island—The Mohican Nation; their Language a Dialect
of the Algonquin — The Indian Castle of Nipinichan, on Spuyten Duyvel
Creek — Tribes to the North and East of these — Nimham, King of the Wap-
pingers — The Weckquaesgecks of Westchester j their Part in Kieft's Wars —
The Languages of the Indians of this Vicinity — Great Diversity in their
Dialects— A Fundamental Characteristic—Indian Geographical Terms—The