the 26th degree of north latitude. But although the discovery of Columbus had excited much interest and conversation in the court of Henry, and among the merchants of England; although the new world was considered as holding out the grandest objects to human enterprise, both on account of its own riches, and its supposed connection with a new and short passage to the East Indies; and although the Cabots were undoubtedly navigators of enlarged views and of uncommon skill; yet their voyage does not appear to have resulted in any distinct or satisfactory knowledge, even of the coast along which they sailed. They do not appear to have landed any where during this extensive run, nor to have made any observations worthy of being recorded. It is not certain that they even saw at a distance any part of the coast which is now New-York. They certainly, however, sailed by it, and probably saw it. But still intent on the long sought passage to India, and meeting with nothing but what they considered as an obstacle to the attainment of their wishes, they returned to England without ascertaining any thing more than the existence of

a western continent.

The next enterprise worthy of notice was that of John de Verrazzano, a Florentine, in the service of Francis I. of France. Verrazzano had been, for some time, entrusted with the command of four ships, in cruising against the Spaniards. These vessels being separated in a storm, the commander resolved, with one of them, the Dauphin, to undertake a voyage for the purpose of discovering new countries. Accordingly, on the 17th day of January, in the year 1524, he sailed from the uninhabited rocks which lie to the east of Madeira, and which are called by the English the Deserters, and steered a westerly course. About the middle of March he arrived on the American coast, in latitude 34° north; of consequence, near that part of North Carolina on which Wilming ton now stands. From that point of the coast he pro

ceeded further south, until he came to the region of palm trees, which shows that he sailed at least as far in that direction as the southern part of what is now the state of Georgia, to the north of which the palm tree is not found. He then turned and directed his course northward, until he came to about the latitude of 41o north, where he entered a harbour which, from his description, has been thought to be that of NewYork.

The principal information which we have concerning this voyage, is contained in a letter, addressed by Verrazzano himself, to his master, Francis I. on his return to Europe. This letter has been happily preserved entire by Hakluyt,* whose character for accuracy and fidelity stands too high to admit of suspicion as to the authenticity of the document. Verrazzano describes the harbour in the following manner. "This land is situated in the paralele of Rome, in fortyone degrees and two terces; but somewhat more colde by accidentall causes. The mouth of the haven lieth open to the south, halfe a league broad, and being entred within it, betweene the east and the north, it stretcheth twelve leagues, where it wareth broader and broader, and maketh a gulfe about twenty leagues in compasse, wherein are five small islands, very fruitful and pleasant, full of hie and broad trees, among the which islandes any great navie may ride safe, without any feare of tempest or other danger."+

If we suppose Staten island, and Manhattan island to be included in the number five of which he speaks, and also the whole of the waters in which these islands are embosomed, to belong to the "gulph," which he represents as "twenty leagues in compass,"

*Voyages, Navigations, c. collected by Richard Hakluyt, Preacher, and sometime Student of Christ Church, in Oxford. Vol. 3. p. 95. folio, 1600.

† Hakluyt, p. 300.

the description will be found a tolerably accurate one, and to apply with more probability to the harbour of New-York than to any other.*

In this harbour Verrazzano appears, from his own account, to have staid about fifteen days. He and his men frequently went on shore, to obtain supplies, and to see the country. He says expressly, "Sometimes our men stayed two or three daies on a little island neere the ship, for divers necessaries." And again, "we were oftentimes within the land five or six leagues, which we found as pleasant as is pos sible to declare, very apt for any kind of husbandry, of corne, wine, and oyle. We entered afterwards into the woods, which we found so great and thicke, that any army, were it never so great, might have hid itselfe therein; the trees whereof are okes, cipressetrees, and other sortes unknowen in Europe."

These were, probably, the first European feet that ever trod on any part of the territory now included within the State of New-York. I say probably, because, after all that has been discovered and said of ancient fortifications, and other supposed monuments of more than savage skill and cultivation, found in our own State and elsewhere, I consider the evidence which they furnish as by far too obscure and doubtful to warrant us in assigning to them, with any degree of confidence, a European origin.

Verrazzano appears to have had much intercourse with the natives of the country. They came on

* Dr. Belknap says, that the harbour which Verrazzano entered, "by his description, must be that of New-York." Biography, I. p. 33. Others have considered the whole account as agreeing better with the harbour of Newport, in Rhode-Island. The truth is, there are some difficulties to be surmounted in applying Verrazzano's description to either. His letter, however, will be published entire in the volume of which this discourse forms a part; and every reader who feels an interest in the inquiry, will, of course, examine and judge

for himself.

D

board of his ship frequently and without reserve; traded with him freely for such articles as he needed; and generally attended his men, in greater or smaller numbers, whenever they went on shore. He describes their persons, dress and customs, in a manner remarkably similar to that of Hudson, near a century afterwards. The most curious circumstance concerning them is, that they had, among other ornaments, plates of wrought copper.* How these were obtained by the savages at that early period, is a question which the antiquarian may find some difficulty in solving. It is possible that they might have been procured from some preceding visitors of the country from Europe. It is certain, however, that copper instruments, of various kinds, were in use, not only among the Mexicans, but also among the natives of Florida, before the discovery of the country by Europeans.†

From the harbour of New-York, Verrazzano sailed on the fifth of May, and directed his course east and north-east, until he reached the 56th degree of north latitude, or about the coast of Labrador. Thence he sailed towards France, where he arrived in the month of July, on the eighth day of which month, at the port of Dieppe, he dated his letter to the king, giving an account of his voyage. He gave to the whole country, the coast of which he had visited, and partly explored, the name of New France. But his discovery (if it can be called by that name) does not appear to have excited the least attention, nor to have served as a guide to any succeeding navigator. The truth is, his voyage having neither produced nor promised any addition to the revenues of France, all

* "Among whom we saw many plates of wrought copper, "which they esteeme more than gold, which, for the colour, they make no account of." Hakluyt, 298.

66

+ Pinkerton's Geography, vol. 2. p. 401. Philad. edit.

further attempts to pursue his discovery were laid aside, and the very memory of it almost permitted to perish. It is distressing to add, that, according to some writers, Verrazzano, in a subsequent voyage, was cut to pieces and devoured by the savages.*

After the voyage of Verrazzano, nearly a century elapsed before the least addition was made to the knowledge of this part of the American continent. On the discoveries of the English in Virginia, and of the French in Canada, there is not now time to dwell. In the year 1609, occurred that important event, which we this day commemorate; and which, considered in all its circumstances, deserves to be styled the DISCOVERY of what is now called New York.

The author of this discovery was HENRY HUDSON, a native of Great Britain. It is to be lamented that nothing is known concerning the birth, the education, or the early history of this celebrated navigator. It is fairly to be presumed, however, from the magnitude and difficulty of the enterprises entrusted to his management, not only in his own country, but elsewhere, that he was highly esteemed; and that he had given indubitable proofs of his intrepidity, skill, and maritime experience,

*Belknap's American Biography, vol. 1. p. 159. Charle voix, however, considers this story as not resting on sufficient evidence. He says that Verrazzano, 66 a short time after his arrival in France, fitted out another expedition, with the design of establishing a colony in America. All that we know of this enterprise is, that, having embarked, he was never seen more, and that it never has been ascertained what became of him." Hist. Nouv. France, 1. 7. On the other hand, Ramusio very positively asserts, that when Verrazzano landed, he and the people who went ashore with him, were cut to pieces and devoured by the savages, in the sight of the rest of the crew, who had remained on board the ship, and were unable to rescue their companions. Dr. Forster quotes this account with approbation. Northern Voyages, 436.