supposed would be a special one granted by his Excellency to us, but
in that we were mistaken. Our names were merely added to the common
passport to go up and down the river, as the names of all the
passengers were written on it. We left New York about three o'clock in
the afternoon with a southerly wind, in company with about twenty
passengers of all kinds, young and old, who made great noise and
bustle in a boat not so large as a common ferry-boat in Holland; and
as these people live in the interior of the country somewhat nearer
the Indians, they are more wild and untamed, reckless, unrestrained,
haughty, and more addicted to misusing the blessed name of God and to
cursing and swearing. However there was no help for it; you have to go
with those with whom you are shipped. We were scarcely in the North
River when we saw a ship coming through the Narrows, but as it was so
far off we could not discern what vessel it was. Each passenger had
his own opinion on the subject. After we had sailed along for half an
hour we heard five or six guns fired from the fort and otherwise,
which was a proof that she was from sea. As we were sailing along a
boat came up to us but lost her mast in boarding us. She was to the
leeward and we were sailing before the wind with a good headway. She
came too near our yard-arm, which carried away her mast, and it was
lucky she was not upset. They put on board some tons of oysters, which
are not to be found at Fort Albany or away from salt water. In passing
Sapocanike we saw Theunis standing upon an eminence where he was busy
ploughing, and observing us as long as he could. We made rapid
progress, but with the night the wind slackened, and we were compelled
to come to anchor in order to stem the tide.
_20th, Saturday._ When the day broke we saw how far we had advanced.
We were at the entrance of the Highlands, which are high and rocky,
and lie on both sides of the river. While waiting there for the tide
and wind another boat came alongside of us. They had a very fine fish,
a striped bass, as large as a codfish. The skipper was a son-in-law of
D. Schaets, the minister at Albany, a drunken, worthless person who
could not keep house with his wife, who was not much better than he,
nor was his father-in-law. He had been away from his wife five or six
years, and was now going after her.[326] The wind coming out of the
south about nine o'clock we weighed anchor, and got under sail. It
gradually increased until we had drifted through the Highlands, which
is regarded as no small advantage whenever they wish to sail up or
down the river; because, if they do not have a fresh breeze aft, they
cannot have much favorable wind, as in blowing crosswise over the
Highlands it blows above the vessel, and sometimes comes down in
whirlwinds which are dangerous. In the evening we sailed before the
Hysopus, where some of the passengers desired to be put ashore, but it
blew too hard and we had too much headway. It did not seem to be very
important. In consequence of the river above the Hysopus being
difficult to navigate, and beset with shoals and passages, and of the
weather being rainy with no moon, we could not proceed without
continual danger of running aground, and so came to anchor.
[Footnote 326: Domine Schaets's son-in-law was Thomas Davidtse Kekebel
or Kieckebuls. His wife had been sent away from Albany by the
magistrates. In 1681 she and her husband came into a final concord;
_Doc. Hist. N.Y._, quarto ed., III. 534.]
_21st, Easter Sunday._ The wind was against us and calm, but we
advanced as far as the Noorman's Kill,[327] where we were compelled to
come to anchor, on account of the strong current running down the
river. We went ashore here to walk about a little. There are two high
falls on this kill, where the beautiful green water comes falling over
incessantly, in a manner wonderful to behold, when you consider the
power, wisdom, and directions of God. The water was the greenest I had
observed, not only on the South River, but in all New Netherland.
Leaving the cause of it for further inquiry, I mention it merely in
passing. At the falls on this river stands a fine saw-mill which has
wood enough to saw. The man who lives there, although not the mildest,
treated us nevertheless reasonably well. He set before us shad which
had been caught the day before, and was very good, better, we thought,
than the same fish in Fatherland. I observed along the shore, trees
which they call in Holland the tree of life, such as we have in our
garden,[328] but they grow here beautiful and large, like firs. I
picked up a small stone in which there was some crystal, and you could
see how the crystal was formed in the stone.
[Footnote 327: Cats Kill. The falls alluded to are the Kaaterskill
Falls.]
[Footnote 328: The garden of the Thetinga State, the manor-house at
Wieuwert. The tree is the arbor-vitae.]
A breeze springing up from the south caused us to hurry on board the
yacht, which we saw was making sail. We reached her after a good time
of hard rowing, and were quite tired before we did so. The breeze did
not continue a long time, and we came to anchor again. After several
stoppages we proceeded to-day as far as Kinderhook.
_22d, Monday._ We had again this morning a southerly breeze, which
carried us slowly along until noon, when we came to anchor before the
_Fuyck_, and Fort Albany or Orange.[329] Every one stepped ashore at
once, but we did not know where to go. We first thought of taking
lodgings with our skipper, but we had been warned that his house was
unregulated and poorly kept. M. van Cleif, wishing to do us a
kindness, had given us a letter of recommendation to Mr. Robert
Sanders,[330] and M. de la Grange had also presented us to the same
friend. We went ashore just as preaching was over, to deliver our
letter. This person, as soon as he saw us at his house, was pleased
and received us with every attention, and so did all his family,
giving us a chamber for our accommodation. We did not remain his
debtors in heartily serving him in what was necessary, whether by
instruction, admonition or reproof, which he always received kindly,
as it seemed, promising himself as well as all his family to reform,
which was quite necessary.
[Footnote 329: The _fuyck_ is a hoop-net used for catching fish. Its
shape is that of a truncated cone. The ground-plan of Albany (see p.
216, _post_, and the plan of 1695 in Rev. John Miller's _Description
of New York_) had that shape.]
[Footnote 330: Robert Sanders of Albany was a prominent Indian trader,
skilled in Indian languages.]
_23d, Tuesday._ Mr. Sanders having provided us with horses, we rode
out about nine o'clock to visit the Cahoos, which is the falls of the
great Maquaas Kill,[331] which are the greatest falls, not only in New
Netherland, but in North America, and perhaps, as far as is known, in
the whole New World.[332] We rode for two hours over beautiful, level,
tillable land along the river, when we obtained a guide who was better
acquainted with the road through the woods. He rode before us on
horseback. In approaching the Cahoos from this direction, the roads
are hilly, and in the course of half an hour you have steep hills,
deep valleys, and narrow paths, which run round the precipices, where
you must ride with care, in order to avoid the danger of falling over
them, as sometimes happens. As you come near the falls, you can hear
the roaring which makes everything tremble, but on reaching them and
looking at them you see something wonderful, a great manifestation of
God's power and sovereignty, of His wisdom and glory. We arrived there
about noon. They are on one of the two branches into which the North
River is divided up above, of almost equal size. This one turns to
the west out of the high land, and coming here finds a blue rock which
has a steep side, as long as the river is broad, which according to my
calculation is two hundred paces or more, and rather more than less,
and about one hundred feet high.[333] The river has more water at one
time than another; and was now about six or eight feet deep. All this
volume of water coming on this side fell headlong upon a stony bottom,
this distance of an hundred feet. Any one may judge whether that was
not a spectacle, and whether it would not make a noise. There is a
continual spray thrown up by the dashing of the water, and when the
sun shines the figure of a rainbow may be seen through it. Sometimes
there are two or three of them to be seen, one above the other,
according to the brightness of the sun and its parallax. There was now
more water than usual in consequence of its having rained hard for
several days, and the snow water having begun to run down from the
high land.
[Footnote 331: Mohawk River.]
[Footnote 332: The falls of Niagara had been mentioned by Cartier and
by Champlain, but the first full description of them, that of Hennepin
in his _Description de la Louisiane_, was not published till 1683.]
[Footnote 333: The falls at Cohoes are at present about 900 feet broad
and 75 feet high.]
On our return we stopped at the house of our guide, whom we had taken
on the way up, where there were some families of Indians living.
Seeing us, they said to each other, "Look, these are certainly real
Dutchmen, actual Hollanders." Robert Sanders asked them how they knew
it. We see it, they said, in their faces and in their dress. "Yes,"
said one, "they have the clothes of real Hollanders; they look like
brothers." They brought us some ground-nuts, but although the Dutch
call them so, they were in fact potatoes, for of ground-nuts, or _mice
with tails_,[334] there are also plenty. They cooked them, and gave us
some to eat, which we did. There was a canoe made of the bark of
trees, and the Indians have many of them for the purpose of making
their journeys. It was fifteen or sixteen feet or more in length. It
was so light that two men could easily carry it, as the Indians do in
going from one stream or lake to another. They come in such canoes
from Canada, and from places so distant we know not where. Four or
five of them stepped into this one and rowed lustily through the water
with great speed, and when they came back with the current they seemed
to fly. They did this to amuse us at the request of Mr. Sanders.
Leaving there for home, we came again to the house of one Fredrick
Pieters,[335] where we had stopped in riding out. He is one of the
principal men of Albany, and this was his farm; he possesses good
information and judgment. My comrade had some conversation with him.
He expected us, and now entertained us well. My comrade was in pain
from eating the ground-nuts. On arriving home in the evening, the
house was full of people, attracted there out of curiosity, as is
usually the case in small towns, where every one in particular knows
what happens in the whole place.
[Footnote 334: Peanuts.]
[Footnote 335: No Frederick Pieters seems to be known. It was perhaps
Philip Pieterse Schuyler, progenitor of a distinguished family, who
lived on a large farm at the flats below West Troy.]
_24th, Wednesday._ My comrade's pain continued through the night,
although he had taken his usual medicine, and he thought he would
become better by riding on horseback. The horses were got ready, and
we left about eight o'clock for Schoonechtendeel,[336] a place lying
about twenty-four miles west or northwest of Albany towards the
country of the Mohawks. We rode over a fine, sandy cart road through
woods of nothing but beautiful evergreens or fir trees, but a light
and barren soil. My companion grew worse instead of better. It was
noon when we reached there, and arrived at the house of a good friend
of Robert Sanders. As soon as we entered my comrade had to go and lie
down. He had a high fever, and was covered up warm. I went with
Sanders to one Adam,[337] and to examine the flats which are
exceedingly rich land. I spoke to several persons of the Christian
life, each one according to his state and as it was fit.
[Footnote 336: Schenectady, of which Danckaerts tried to make Dutch
words, _quasi_ "beautiful section."]
[Footnote 337: Probably Adam Vrooman, who at the time of the general
massacre by the Indians, 1690, defended his house with great courage
and success.]
_25th, Thursday._ We had thought of riding a little further on, and so
back to Albany; but my comrade was too sick, and had the chills and
fever again. The weather, too, was windy and rainy. We concluded
therefore to postpone it till the following day; and in the meantime I
accompanied Sanders to the before mentioned Adam's. While we were
there, a certain Indian woman, or half-breed, that is, from a European
and an Indian woman, came with a little boy, her child, who was dumb,
or whose tongue had grown fast. It was about four years old; she had
heard we were there, and came to ask whether we knew of any advice for
her child, or whether we could not do a little something to cure it.
We informed her we were not doctors or surgeons, but we gave her our
opinion, just as we thought.[338] Sanders told me aside that she was a
Christian, that is, had left the Indians, and had been taught by the
Christians and baptized; that she had made profession of the reformed
religion, and was not of the unjust. Not contenting myself with this
account, and observing something in her that pleased me, I asked her
to relate to me herself how it had gone with her from the first of her
coming to Christendom, both outwardly and inwardly. Looking at me she
said, "How glad am I that I am so fortunate; that God should permit me
to behold such Christians, whom I have so long desired to see, and to
whom I may speak from the bottom of my heart without fear; and that
there are such Christians in the world. How often have I asked myself,
are there no other Christians than those amongst whom we live, who are
so godless and lead worse lives than the Indians, and yet have such a
pure and holy religion? Now I see God thinks of us, and has sent you
from the other end of the world to speak to us." She had heard me give
reasons to the others, and address them generally, before I made this
request of her. I answered, that all who professed the Christian
religion did not live as that religion required, that such were false
professors, and not Christians, bearing the name only, but denying the
truth. She had said all this with a tender and affectionate heart, and
with many tears, but tears which you felt proceeded from the heart,
and from love towards God. I was surprised to find so far in the
woods, and among Indians--but why say among Indians? among Christians
ten times worse than Indians--a person who should address me with such
affection and love of God; but I answered and comforted her. She then
related to me from the beginning her case, that is, how she had
embraced Christianity. She was born of a Christian father and an
Indian mother, of the Mohawk tribes. Her mother remained in the
country, and lived among the Mohawks, and she lived with her, the same
as Indians live together. Her mother would never listen to anything
about the Christians, or it was against her heart, from an inward,
unfounded hate. She lived then with her mother and brothers and
sisters; but sometimes she went with her mother among the Christians
to trade and make purchases, or the Christians came among them, and
thus it was that some Christians took a fancy to the girl, discovering
in her more resemblance to the Christians than the Indians, but
understand, more like the Dutch, and that she was not so wild as the
other children. They therefore wished to take the girl and bring her
up, which the mother would not hear to, and as this request was made
repeatedly, she said she would rather kill her. The little daughter
herself had no disposition at first to go; and the mother did nothing
more with the daughter than express continually her detestation and
abhorrence of the Christians. This happened several times, when the
daughter began to mistrust that the Christians were not such as the
mother told her; the more so, because she never went among them
without being well treated, and obtaining something or other. She
therefore began to hearken to them; but particularly she felt a great
inclination and love in her heart towards those Christians who spoke
to her about God, and of Christ Jesus and the Christian religion. Her
mother observed it, and began to hate her and not treat her as well as
she had done before. Her brothers and sisters despised and cursed her,
threw stones at her, and did her all the wrong they could; but the
more they abused and maltreated her, the more she felt something
growing in her that attracted and impelled her towards the Christians
and their doctrine, until her mother and the others could endure her
no longer; while she, feeling her love of the Christians, and
especially of their religion, which she called their doctrine, to
increase more and more, could no longer live with the Indians. They
ceased not seeking to wrong her, and compelled her to leave them, as
she did, and went to those who had so long solicited her. They gave
her the name of Eltie or Illetie.[339] She lived a long time with a
woman, with whom we conversed afterwards, who taught her to read and
write and do various handiwork, in which she advanced so greatly that
everybody was astonished. She had especially a great desire to learn
to read, and applied herself to that end day and night, and asked
others, who were near her, to the vexation and annoyance of the other
maids, who lived with her, who could sometimes with difficulty keep
her back. But that did not restrain her; she felt such an eagerness
and desire to learn that she could not be withheld, particularly when
she began to understand the Dutch language, and what was expressed in
the New Testament, where her whole heart was. In a short time,
therefore, she understood more about it than the other girls with whom
she conversed, and who had first instructed her, and, particularly,
was sensible in her heart of its truth. She had lived with different
people, and had very much improved; she spoke of it with heart-felt
delight. Finally, she made her profession, and was baptized.[340]
Since that time, she said, the love she felt in her heart had not
diminished, but had increased, and she sighed to live near Christians,
who were good and faithful, and lived up to their religion. Therefore
it was that she was so glad to see us, and that God, who had so loved
her before, still so loved her as to permit her to see and speak to
us, "_me_," she said, "who have been such a heathen." I told her that
God had showed her still more love, as she well knew. She believed it,
she said, melting into tears, but she could not express her heart.
"Might I only live with such people, how would my heart do good."
"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied," I repeated to her, and further expressed what was
necessary. "How many times," said she, "have I grieved over these
Christians, not daring to speak out my heart to any one, for when I
would sometimes rebuke them a little for their evil lives,
drunkenness, and foul and godless language, they would immediately
say: 'Well, how is this, there is a sow converted. Run, boys, to the
brewer's, and bring some swill for a converted sow,' words which went
through my heart, made me sorrowful and closed my mouth. But I see
that God still thinks of me and loves me, now that he causes me to see
and converse with such people as you." We told her she must so much
the more receive with love and affection what we said to her, out of
regard to God and her soul. "Oh!" said she, "what you have told me is
as dear to me as my heart," and she spoke with such feeling and
tenderness, such depth of love, that I cannot describe it, and it
affected me. Yes, she expressed to me more reality of the truth of
Christianity, through the emotions of her heart, although in language
according to the genius of the person, which nevertheless was nothing
but loving--more, I said, than any one, whether minister or other
person, in all New Netherland. She had a brother who was also a
half-breed, who had made profession of Christianity, and had been
baptized, and who was not by far as good as she, but on the contrary
very wicked; though, I believe, he has been better, and has been
corrupted by the conversation of impious Hollanders; for this place is
a godless one, being without a minister, and having only a homily read
on Sundays.[341] He was married, and so was she. She has some
children; her husband is not as good as she is, though he is not one
of the worst; she sets a good example before him, and knows how to
direct him.
[Footnote 338: But it appears from the report of a physician and
several surgeons, printed in _Ecclesiastical Records of New York_, II.
869-871, that in 1683 "Dr. Vorstman" (Peter Sluyter) attempted to
practise medicine, and with disastrous results.]
[Footnote 339: Aletta.]
[Footnote 340: The record of baptisms of the Dutch church at
Schenectady does not begin till 1694.]
[Footnote 341: There was a church, and Domine Gideon Schaets came over
from Albany four times a year to administer the sacrament, but there
was no settled minister till the call of Domine Petrus Tesschenmaker
in 1684.]
She has a nephew, a full-blooded Mohawk, named Wouter. The Lord has
also touched him, through her instrumentality. Wouter speaks no Dutch,
or very little. He has abandoned all the Indians, and his Indian
friends and relations, and lives with his uncle, the brother of
Illetie. He has betaken himself entirely to the Christians and dresses
like them. He has suffered much from the other Indians and his
friends. He has such a love and comprehension of God, such reverence
and humility towards Him and what is godly, that it is a joy to hear
him speak. His thoughts are occupied night and day with God and Jesus
Christ, wondering about God and His mercy, that he should cause him to
know Him, to comprehend Him, and to serve Him. He is endeavoring to
learn the Dutch language, so as to be instructed in Christianity, and
to be among good Christians who live like Christians. That was all his
desire, thinking all the time about it, speaking always with Illetie
about it, who assisted and instructed him as much as she could, and
always with love, with which God much blessed her. His uncle, with
whom he lived, was covetous, and kept him only because he was
profitable to him in hunting beaver. He therefore would hardly speak a
word of Dutch to him, in order that he might not be able to leave him
too soon, and go among the Christians and under Christianity. He sent
him to the woods and among the Indians, for the sake of the devilish
profit of the world--these are the words of Robert Sanders, and
Illetie said not much less; yet this poor creature has, nevertheless,
such a great inclination and longing after Christianity.