has given them. The profound council, as I have faid, in their purfuit after Jack-o'-lanterns, accidentally stumbled on the very measure they were in need of ; which was to raise a body of troops, and dispatch them to the relief and reinforcement of the garrifon. This measure was carried into fuch prompt operation, that in less than twelve months, the whole expedition, confifting of a ferjeant and twelve men, was ready to march; and was reviewed for that purpose, in the public fquare, now known by the name of the Bowling Green. Juft at this juncture the whole community was thrown into confternation, by the fudden arrival of the gallant Jacobus Van Curlet; who came ftraggling into town at the head of his crew of tatterdemalions, and bringing the melancholy tidings of his own defeat, and the capture of the redoutable poft of Fort Goed Hoop by the ferocious Yankees.

The fate of this important fortress, is an impreffive warning to all military commanders. It was neither carried by ftorm, nor famine; no practicable breach was effected by cannon or mines; no magazines were blown up by red hot shot, nor were the barracks demolished, or the garrifon destroyed, by the bursting of bombshells. In fact, the place was taken by a stratagem no less fingular than effectual; and one that can never fail of fuccefs, whenever an opportunity occurs of putting it in practice. Happy am I to add, for the credit of our illuftrious ancestors, that it was a stratagem, which though it impeached the vigilance,

yet left the bravery of the intrepid Van Curlet and his garrifon perfectly free from reproach.

It appears that the crafty Yankees, having heard of the regular habits of the garrifon, watched a favourable opportunity and filently introduced themselves into the fort, about the middle of a fultry day; when its vigilant defenders, having gorged themselves with a hearty dinner and smoked out their pipes, were one and all fnoring most obftreperously at their posts, little dreaming of so disasterous an occurrence. The enemy moft inhumanly feized Jacobus Van Curlet and his sturdy myrmidons by the nape of the neck, gallanted them to the gate of the fort, and difmiffed them severally, with a kick on the crupper, as Charles the twelfth difmiffed the heavy bottomed Ruffians, after the battle of Narva-only taking care to give two kicks to Van Curlet, as a fignal mark of diftinction.

A ftrong garrison was immediately established in the fort, confifting of twenty long fided, hard fifted Yankees, with Weathersfield onions stuck in their hats, by way of cockades and feathers-long rufty fowling pieces for mufkets-hafty pudding, dumb fish, pork and molaffes for stores; and a huge pumpkin was hoifted on the end of a pole, as a standard-liberty caps not having as yet come into fashion.

4

CHAP. III.

Containing the fearful wrath of William the Testy, and the great dolour of the New-Amsterdammers, because of the affair of Fort Goed Hoop.-And moreover how William the Testy did strongly fortify the city.—Together with the exploits of Stoffel Brinkerhoff.

LANGUAGE cannot express the prodigious fury, into which the testy Wilhelmus Kieft was thrown by this provoking intelligence. For three good hours the rage of the little man was too great for words, or rather the words were too great for him; and he was nearly choked by some dozen huge, mif-shapen, nine cornered dutch oaths, that crowded all at once into his gullet. Having blazed off the first broadfide, he kept up a constant firing for three whole days—anathematizing the Yankees, man, woman, and child, body and foul, for a set of dieven, schobbejaken, deugenieten, twift-zoekeren, loozen-fchalken, blaes-kaken, kakken-bedden, and a thousand other names of which, unfortunately for posterity, history does not make particular mention. Finally he swore that he would have nothing more to do with fuch a fquatting, bundling, gueffing, questioning, swapping, pumkin-eating, molasfes-daubing, shingle-splitting, cider-watering, horfe

jockeying, notion-peddling crew-that they might stay at Fort Goed Hoop and rot, before he would dirty his hands by attempting to drive them away; in proof of which he ordered the new raised troops to be marched forthwith into winter quarters, although it was not as yet quite mid-fummer. Governor Kieft faithfully kept his word, and his adverfaries as faithfully kept their post; and thus the glorious river Connecticut, and all the gay vallies through which it rolls, together with the falmon, fhad and other fish within its waters, fell into the hands of the victorious Yankees, by whom they are held at this very day.

Great defpondency feized upon the city of NewAmfterdam, in confequence of these melancholy events. The name of Yankee became as terrible among our good ancestors, as was that of Gaul among the ancient Romans; and all the fage old women of the provice, used it as a bug-bear, wherewith to frighten their unruly children into obedience.

The eyes of all the province were now turned upon their governor, to know what he would do for the protection of the common weal, in these days of darknefs and peril. Great apprehenfions prevailed among the reflecting part of the community, especially the old women, that these terrible warriors of Connecticut, not content with the conqueft of Fort Goed Hoop, would incontinently march on to New-Amfterdam and take it by ftorm-and as thefe old ladies, through means of the governor's fpoufe, who as has

been already hinted, was "the better horfe," has? obtained confiderable influence in public affairs, keeping the province under a kind of petticoat government, it was determined that measures should be taken for the effective fortification of the city.

Now it happened that at this time there fojourned in New-Amfterdam one Anthony Van Corlear,* a jolly fat Dutch trumpeter, of a pleasant burly visage, famous for his long wind and his huge whiskers, and who, as the story goes, could twang so potently upon his inftrument, as to produce an effect upon all within hearing, as though ten thousand bag-pipes were finging most luftly i' the nofe. Him did the illustrious Kieft pick out as the man of all the world, most fitted to be the champion of New-Amsterdam, and to garrifon its fort; making little doubt but that his inftrument would be as effectual and offensive in war as was that of the Paladin Aftolpho, or the more claffic horn of Alecto. It would have done one's heart good to have seen the governor faapping his fingers and fidgetting with delight, while his sturdy trumpeter ftrutted up and down the ramparts, fearlessly twanging his trumpet in the face of the whole world, like a thrice valorous editor daringly insulting all the prin

* David Pietrez De Veries in his "Reyze naer Nieuw-Nederlandt onder bet year 1640," makes mention of one Corlear a trumpeter in fort Amsterdam, who gave name to Corlear's Hook and who was doubtless this same champion, described by Mr. Knickerbocker. EDITOR.