Indian money by barrels full, found their capital shrunk in amount; but, above all, the Yankee traders, who were accustomed to flood the market with newly-coined oyster-shells, and to abstract Dutch merchandise in exchange, were loud-mouthed in decrying this 'tampering with the currency. It was clipping the wings of commerce,' etc. . . . In fact, trade did shrink. . . . The honest Dutchmen sold less goods; but then they got the worth of them, either in silver and gold, or in codfish, tinware, and other articles of Yankee barter. The ingenious people of the east, however, indemnified themselves in another way for having to abandon the coinage of oyster-shells, for about this time we are told that wooden nutmegs made their first appearance in NewAmsterdam, to the great annoyance of the Dutch housewives." ("Knickerbocker's History of New York," V. 2.) NOTE 23, P. 54. In 1609 Hendrick Hudson discovered the river which bears his name. "After sailing about one hundred miles up the river, he found the watery world around him began to grow more shallow and confined, the current more rapid and perfectly freshphenomena which puzzled the honest Dutchman prodigiously. A consultation was therefore called, and having deliberated full six hours, they were brought to a determination by the ship's running aground — whereupon they concluded that there was but little chance of getting to China in this direction." ("Knickerbocker's History of New York," II. 1.) NOTE 24, p. 56. Notice that the story proper is laid in the times of the English rule, about 1705, in the days of Lord Cornbury; but that this legend of the Storm Ship dates back to 1633, when the Dutch held sway under Wouter Van Twiller," the happy reign of Wouter Van Twiller, celebrated in many a long-forgotten song as the real golden age, the rest being nothing but counterfeit, copper-washed coin." Note on "Knickerbocker's History of New York," III. 4. (For a humorous account of Van Twiller's reign see "Knickerbocker's History of New York," Book III.) NOTE 25, p. 61. We find this chair and pipe more fully described in "Knickerbocker" (III. 1): "He sat in a huge chair of solid oak, hewn in the celebrated forest of the Hague, curiously carved about the arms and feet, into exact imitations of gigantic eagles' claws. Instead of a sceptre he swayed a long Turkish pipe, wrought with jasmin and amber, which had been presented to a stadt-holder of Holland, at the conclusion of a treaty with one of the petty Barbary powers." In Turkey the jasmin wood is made into pipestems which are highly prized. The flowers of this jasmin are very fragrant, and the wood is more or less aromatic. NOTE 26, p. 64. the Flying Dutchman. There is a legend that a Dutch captain, homeward bound from the Indies, met with baffling winds and heavy weather off the Cape of Good Hope. He would not put back, as members of his crew wished him to. Rather, he swore a mighty oath that he would beat round the Cape if it took till the Day of Judgment. For his ungodliness he was doomed to beat against head winds for all time. Neither the master nor the crew can heave to or launch a boat, so the legend says. But sometimes they hail passing ships, and ask them to take letters home. The ship has become white with age, the sails bleached and threadbare, and the captain and crew mere shadows. NOTE 27, p. 66. St. Nicholas. The vessel named Goede Vrouw, or Good Woman, which brought the first Dutch settlers to America, had for its figurehead an image of St. Nicholas. This figure was "equipped After the Dutch had with a low, broad-brimmed hat, a huge pair of Flemish trunk-hose, and a pipe that reached to the end of the bowsprit." settled New Amsterdam they showed their gratitude to St. Nicholas for safely guiding them to this delightful spot by erecting a chapel in his honor. Whereupon he at once took the town under his particular care, and has been its patron saint ever since. It was at this time that he became the Santa Claus of the Dutch. "At this early period was instituted that pious ceremony, still religiously observed in all our ancient families of the right breed, of hanging up a stocking in the chimney on St. Nicholas eve, which stocking is always found in the morning miraculously filled; for the good St. Nicholas has ever been a great giver of gifts, particularly to children." ("Knickerbocker,” II. 9.) "As of yore, in the better days of man, the deities were wont to visit him in earth and bless his rural habitation, so we are told, in the sylvan days of New Amsterdam, the good St. Nicholas would often make his appearance in his beloved city, of a holiday afternoon, riding jollily among the tree-tops, or over the roofs of the houses, now and then drawing forth magnificent presents from his breeches' pocket, and dropping them down the chimneys of his favorites. Whereas in these degenerate days of iron and brass he never shows us the light of his countenance, nor ever visits us, save one night in the year; when he rattles down the chimneys of the descendants of the patriarchs, confining his presents merely to the children, in token of the degeneracy of the parents." ("Knickerbocker's History of New York.") NOTE 28, p. 70. This poem, his "Spectre Ship," is one of the few written by Moore while visiting America in 1803-04. Say, what does the vessel of darkness bear? There lieth a wreck on the dismal shore Yon shadowy bark hath been to that wreck, As ever yet drank the churchyard dew! 1 This is one of the Magdalen Islands. The above lines were suggested by a superstition very common among sailors, who call this ghost-ship, I think, "The Flying Dutchman." (Moore's note.) To Deadman's Isle, in the eye of the blast, Oh! hurry thee on-oh! hurry thee on, As would blanch forever her rosy light! NOTE 29, p. 75. Bout and bight come from the same word, meaning a bend. A bight is a bend in a coast, or an open bay. A bout is a bend, or turn, or round, used in connection with games or contests. NOTE 30, p. 78. "The houses of the higher class were generally constructed of wood, excepting the gable end, which was of small black and yellow Dutch bricks, and always faced on the street. The house was always furnished with abundance of large doors and small windows on every floor, the date of its erection was curiously designated by iron figures on the front, and on the top of the roof was perched a fierce little weathercock." ("Knickerbocker's History of New York," III. 3.) NOTE 31, p. 81. "The best rooms in the house, instead of being adorned with caricatures of dame Nature, in water colors and needlework, were always hung round with homespun garments, the manufacture and the property of the females." ("Knickerbocker's History of New York," III. 4.) NOTE 32, p. 82. The phantom of the haunted house. Now, can you see why Irving threw out the hints of this resemblance before—what is the connection? - NOTE 33, p. 83. Peter Stuyvesant. "This most excellent governor commenced his administration on the 29th of May, 1647; a remarkably stormy day, distinguished in all the almanacs of the time which have come down to us by the name of Windy Friday. As he was very jealous of his personal and official dignity, he was inaugurated into office with great ceremony, the goodly oaken chair of the renowned Wouter Van Twiller being carefully preserved for such occasions." Irving's description of this doughty old Dutchman contains so many elements of effective characterization - all except brevity—that some extracts from it are worth quoting, especially as some of our own prominent statesmen, so called, are sadly in need of the prime quality which Knickerbocker humorously but also seriously commends in him. "Peter Stuyvesant was the last, and like the renowned Wouter Van Twiller, the best of our ancient Dutch governors, Wouter having sur |