disease of thinking-a malady of the mind, which is the sure breeder of discontent. Hudson had lain in abundance of gin and sourcrout, and every man was allowed to sleep quietly at his post unless the wind blew.

5. True it is, some slight disaffection was shown on two or three occasions, at certain unreasonable conduct of Commodore Hudson. Thus, for instance, he forbore to shorten sail when the wind was light, and the weather serene, which was considered among the most experienced Dutch seamen, as certain weatherbreeders, or prognostics that the weather would change for the worse. He acted, moreover, in direct contradiction to that ancient and sage rule of the Dutch navigators, who always took in sail at night-put the helm a-port, and turned in—by which precaution they had a good night's rest-were sure of knowing where they were next morning, and stood but little chance of running down a continent in the dark.

6. He likewise prohibited the seamen from wearing more than five jackets and six pair of breeches, under pretense of rendering them more alert; and no man was permitted to go aloft, and hand in sails with a pipe in his mouth, as is the invariable Dutch custom at the present day. All these grievances, though they might ruffle for a moment the constitutional tranquillity of the honest Dutch tars, made but transient impression; they eat hugely, drank profusely, and slept im

measurably, and being under the especial guidance of Providence, the ship was safely conducted to the coast of America; where, after sundry unimportant touchings and standings off and on, she at length, on the 4th day of September, entered that majestic bay, which at this day expands its ample bosom before the city of New York, and which had never before been visited by any European.*

7. It has been traditionary in our family, that when the great navigator was first blessed with a view of this enchanting island. he was observed, for the first and only time in his life, to exhibit strong symptoms of astonishment and admiration. He is said to have turned to Master Juet (his mate), and uttered these remarkable words, while he pointed toward this paradise of the New World-" See! there!"—and thereupon, as was always his way when he was uncommonly pleased, he did puff out such clouds of smoke, that in one minute the vessel was out of sight of land, and Master Juet was fain to wait until the winds dispersed this impenetrable fog.

8. It was indeed-as my great-grandfather used to say—though in truth I never heard him, for he died, as might be expected, before I was born-" It was indeed a spot on which the eye might have reveled forever, in ever new and never-ending beauties." The

* It is, however, thought by some that Verazzani, the Florentine navigator, entered the harbor and landed on the island of Manhattan, in 1524.

island of Mannahata spread wide before them, like some sweet vision of fancy, or some fair creation of industrious magic. Its hills of smiling green swelled gently one above another, crowned with lofty trees of luxuriant growth; some pointing their tapering foliage toward the clouds, which were gloriously transparent; and others loaded with a verdant burden of clambering vines, bowing their branches to the earth, that was covered with flowers.

9. On the gentle declivities of the hills were scattered in gay profusion, the dog-wood, the sumach, and the wild-brier, whose scarlet berries and white blossoms glowed brightly among the deep green of the surround ing foliage; and here and there a curling column of smoke rising from the little glens that opened along the shore, seemed to promise the weary voyagers a welcome at the hands of their fellow-creatures. As they stood gazing with entranced attention on the scene before them, a red man crowned with feathers, issued from one of these glens, and after contemplating in silent wonder the gallant ship, as she sat like a stately swan on a silver lake, sounded the war-whoop, and bounded into the woods like a wild deer, to the utter astonishment of the phlegmatic Dutchmen, who had never heard such a noise, or witnessed such a caper, in their whole lives.

10. Of the transactions of our adventurers with the savages, and how the latter smoked copper pipes, and

ate dried currants; how they brought great store of tobacco and oysters; how they shot one of the ship's crew, and how he was buried, I shall say nothing; being that I consider them unimportant to my history. After tarrying a few days in the bay, in order to refresh themselves after their sea-faring, our voyagers weighed anchor, to explore a mighty river which empties into the bay. This river, it is said, was known among the savages by the name of Shat'emuck; though we are assured [by some] that it was called the Molegan. Be this as it may, up this river did the adventurous Hendrick proceed, little doubting but it would turn out to be the much-looked-for passage to China.

11. After sailing above a 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 fresh-phenomena not uncommon in the ascent of rivers, but 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 unanimously concluded, that there was but little chance of getting to China in this direction. A boat, however, was dispatched to explore higher up the river, which, on its return, confirmed the opinion. Upon this the ship was warped off and put about ; and the adventurous Hudson returned down the river - with a prodigious flea in his ear.

XIX.-LAST VOYAGE OF HENRY HUDSON.

ANON.

1. Happy, indeed, would it have been for Hudson if he could have closed his career on the banks of the river whose beauty he was the first to witness and describe, and thus have escaped the sorrowful and mysterious catastrophe' which awaited him the next year. On his fourth and last voyage he set sail in a small vessel, of only fifty-five tons' burden, manned by twenty-three men, and victualed for six months (1610).

2. After touching at the Orkney Islands, he steered his course to Iceland, where he witnessed one of nature's grandest spectacles-Mount Hecla in the blaze of a violent eruption, surrounded by perpetual snows. The crew landed, and, having killed a number of wild fowl, cooked them in one of the hot springs of this wonderful island. Again weighing anchor, Hudson passed the south of Greenland till he reached the strait which now bears his name.

3. Here, in addition to the ordinary difficulties and dangers of navigation among the ice, he had to struggle against a mutiny among his crew; but, in spite of all, this intrepid explorer boldly pushed on till his vessel plowed the waters of that great inland sea, now known as Hudson's Bay. He did not know for a long time that it was a bay, but indulged the hopo that he had discovered what he had so long soughta passage by the northwest to China. Indeed, the ex