SECTION XII.

Concerning the PROVINCE of

NEW YORK.

T

O deduce this colony and any other of the British colonies in America, ab origine, as it were, with their progreffive improvements and viciffitudes, fee vol. I. fect. 2. article 3. giving fome account of the discoveries and firft fettlements in America from Europe :and fect. 4. general remarks concerning the British colonies in America, - and particularly p. 204. concerning New-Netherlands, comprehending the prefent British provinces of New-York, New-Jerfies, and fome part of Penfylvania. In a fummary, references are more proper and confonant, than recapitulations.

As New-Jerfies, and part of Penfylvania, were formerly with New-York called the Dutch colony of New-Netherlands, or Nova-Belgia; I cannot here avoid by anticipation mentioning fome things concerning them.

In thofe times all the country from Maryland to NewEngland was called Nova-Belgia, or New-Netherlands.

King James I. by letters patent April 10, 1606, in one patent incorporated two diftinct companies or colonies. 1. The first colony to Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Summers, Richard Hackluit prebend at Weftminster, and Edward Maria Wingfield, Efq; adventurers of the city of London with their affociates; from 34d.

to

to 41 d. of northern latitude, including all the lands within an hundred miles directly over-against the sea coaft, and back into the main land one hundred miles from the fea coaft, and each plantation or fettlement to extend 100 miles along the fea coaft. 2. The second colony to Thomas Hanham, Raleigh Gilbert, William Parker, and George Popham, Efqrs. of the town of Plymouth, with their affociates; liberty to begin their first plantation and feat, at any place upon the coaft of Virginia, where they should think fit, between the degrees of 38 and 45 of northern latitude; with the like liberties and bounds as the first colony; provided they did feat within a hundred miles of them.

What relates to Virginia is referred to the fection of Virginia. Anno 1610, my lord Delaware was fent governor to Virginia by the South Virginia company; falling in with the land about two degrees to the northward of the capes of Virginia, discovered a fine large bay, in compliment to his lordship, called Delaware-Bay.

The Swedes and Finns feem to have been the first occupiers of fome parts of that large country, afterwards called by the Dutch, NEW-NETHERLANDS; they made settlements both fides of Delaware river, and began feveral towns and forts, Elfenburgh, Cafimier, now called New-Castle, &c. The Dutch traded thither and foon became more powerful and rich than the Swedes; the Swedes and Finns followed husbandry only, and being in conftant fears from their neighbouring numerous Indians, put themselves under protection of the Dutch 1655, and John Kizeing the Swedish governor, made a formal furrender of that country to Peter Stuivefant governor for the states of Holland. Whereupon all that tract of land in North-America from the latitude of about 38 d. to. the latitude of about 41d. in Connecticut, was called New-Netherlands by all people, except the English, who ftill claimed it as part of New-England; in fact, governor Argol of Virginia had several bickerings with the Dutch, particularly 1618 in the bay of Delaware, and with others.

elsewhere,

elsewhere, in the affair of the English exclufive trade and property in those parts; but in the feene of the doleful civil wars in England under various forms of administrations, finding intricate labour enough at home, neglected the American plantations; and their neighbouring European, fettlements at full eafe were much increased to our prejudice. The progeny of the banditti Swedes, who firft fettled Delaware river, ftill live in a feparate manner, they have at times preachers and books of devotion from Swedes, but do not hold their lands of the Penns; because the royal grant to Penn exempts lands then fettled by any chriftians; but they are as to jurifdiction under the government of Penfylva

nia.

New-York and New-Jerfies at firft were traded to, and some settlement made there, by the English and Dutch: the Dutch placed a governor there, of which the court of England complained to the ftates of Holland; the ftates difowned it, and faid, that it was only a private undertaking of an Amfterdam Weft-India company, and K. James I. commiffioned Edward Langdon as governor, and called the country New-Albion; the Dutch fubmitted to the English government: during the civil troubies in England in the administrations of K. Charles I. and of the republican party, the Dutch again established a government there, till it was reduced by England 1664. When this reduction was upon the anvil, K. Charles H. made a previous grant of that country, called by the Dutch, NEW-NETHERLANDS, March 12, 1663-4, of property and government to his brother the duke of York. Duke of York, June 24, 1664, made a grant of that portion now called New-Jerfey, (fo called, in compliment to Sir George Carteret a Jersey-man) jointly to lord Berkley of Straton, and to Sir George Carteret vice chamberlain, and of the privy council; a further account of this belongs to the fection of New-Jerfies.

K. Charles II. anno 1664, fitted out an expedition for the reduction or recovery of New-Netherlands, fo called

by

by the Dutch, confifting of a fquadron of fhips commanded by Sir Robert Carr, and fome land forces aboard under the command of col. Richard Nicols. Upon their arrival at New-Amfterdam, fince called New-York, the Dutch after fome fhew of refiftance, but much terrified, upon the offers of protection for their perfons and properties, and liberty to remove with all their effects, if they faw fit, fubmitted to the English; articles were drawn up, figned and exchanged in September 1664; the English poffeffed of New-Amiterdam, called it New-York: in a fhort time thereafter, the English squadron entered Delaware bay and river, and all the fettlements there, followed the example of the Dutch capital New-Amfterdam, and poffeffion of all New-Netherlands was taken for and in the name of the duke of York, to whom K. Charles his brother had previously given it by a royal patent; and all manner of jurifdiction, as well civil as military, was exercifed throughout the whole country, excepting in the Jerfies, which the duke of York had dif pofed of to Berkley and Carteret, by the fole appointment of the duke and his deputies.

By the third article of the peace of Breda figned July 21, 1667, between England and the United Provinces, the English were to remain in poffeffion of that whole. country, in exchange for the country of Surinam, which the Dutch had taken from the English. K. Charles in the beginning of 1672, having declared war against the United Provinces, the Dutch fent a fquadron of fhips to New-York, which they foon reduced with the reft of the country; but by a peace concluded at Westminster, February 9, 1673-4, in the fixth article it was again reftored to England in general terms, "that whatsoever countries, iflands, towns, ports, caftles, or forts have or fhall be taken on both fides, fince the time that the late unhappy war broke out, either in Europe or elfewhere, fhall be reftored to the former lord and proprietor, in the fame condition they fhall be in when the peace itfelf fhall be proclaimed; after which time there

fhall

fhall be no spoil nor plunder of the inhabitants, nor demolition of fortifications, nor carrying away of guns, powder, or other military ftores which belonged to any castle or fort at the time when it was taken."

This tract of land, as it had been taken and poffeft by a foreign power, though afterward delivered or furrendered back by treaty, to obviate or remove all difputes concerning the validity of foriner grants, K. Charles was advised to make a new grant of that country to his brother the duke of York by letters patent, bearing date, June 29, 1674.

Let us now proceed more particularly to the province of New-York, the fubject of this fection.

Anno 1664, K. Charles II. appointed commiffioners to fettle the boundaries of the feveral colonies: * from mifinformation they settled the line between New-York and Connecticut by a N. N. W. line, as is mentioned in our vol. II. p. 161; they were made to believe that this N. N. W. line would leave 20 miles to New-York on the east fide of Hudfon's river; whereas it foon croffed Hudson's river, and left many of the Dutch settlements upon Hudson's river, to the colonies of MaffachusettsBay, and Connecticut, but thefe colonies never took poffeffion thereof. This line is upon record in NewYork and Connecticut.

The partition line of New-York with Connecticut was run February 24, 1684, by commiffioners of both colonies, and figned at the town of Milford in Connecticut by col. Thomas Dongan governor of New-York, and by Robert Treat, Efq; governor of Connecticut, and confirmed by king William in council, March 28, 1700; but as this line was not well marked, distinguished, or ascertained, especially as to the equivalent lands; not long fince, by both parties, it was finally run, well marked out,

* We formerly mentioned, their fettling of the boundaries between the colonies of Maffachusetts-Bay and Rhode-fland,

and