The bay and harbor of New York are noted the world over for their beauty.
When the discoverer, Henry Hudson, first gazed upon the glorious scene,
he gave vent to the impulsive assertion that it was "a very good land to
fall in with, and a pleasant land to see," and there are few who will
venture to differ from him.
To enjoy the wonderful beauty of the bay, one should enter it from the
ocean; and it is from the blue water that we propose to begin our
exploration.
Nineteen miles from the City of New York, on the western side of the bay,
is a low, narrow, and crooked neck of sand, covered in some places with a
dense growth of pine and other hardy trees. This neck is called Sandy
Hook, and its curve encloses a pretty little bay, known as the Cove. On
the extreme end of the point, which commands the main ship channel, the
General Government is erecting a powerful fort, under the guns of which
every vessel entering the bay must pass. There is also a lighthouse near
the fort, and within the last few years a railway depot has been built on
the shore of the Cove. Passengers from New York for Long Branch are
transferred from the steamer to the cars at this place, the road running
along the sea-shore to Long Branch. To the westward of Sandy Hook, on
the Jersey shore, are the finely wooded and picturesque Highlands of
Nevesink, and at their feet the Shrewsbury River flows into the bay,
while some miles to the eastward are the shining sands and white houses
of Rockaway Beach and Fire Island. Seven miles out at sea, tosses the
Sandy Hook Light Ship, marking the point from which vessels must take
their course in entering the bay.
Leaving Sandy Hook, our course is a little to the northwest. The New
Jersey shore is on our left, and we can see the dim outlines of Port
Monmouth and Perth Amboy and South Amboy in the far distance, while to
the right Coney Island and its hotels are in full sight. Back of these
lie the low shores of Long Island, dotted with pretty suburban villas and
villages. A few miles above Sandy Hook we pass the Quarantine station in
the Lower Bay, with the fleet of detained vessels clustering about the
hospital ships.
[Picture: THE HARBOR OF NEW YORK, AS SEEN FROM THE NARROWS]
Straight ahead, on our left, is a bold headland, sloping away from east
to west, towards the Jersey coast. This is Staten Island, a favorite
resort for New Yorkers, and taken up mainly with their handsome country
seats. The bay here narrows rapidly, and the shores of Staten and Long
Islands are scarcely a mile apart. This passage is famous the world over
as _The Narrows_, and connects the Inner and Lower Bays. The shores are
high on either side, but the Staten Island side is a bold headland, the
summit of which is over one hundred feet above the water. These high
shores constitute the protection which the Inner Bay enjoys from the
storms that howl along the coast. It is to them also that New York must
look for protection in the event of a foreign war. Here are the
principal fortifications of the city, and whichever way we turn the
shores bristle with guns. On the Long Island shore is Fort Hamilton, an
old but powerful work, begun in 1824, and completed in 1832, at a cost of
$550,000. The main work mounts eighty heavy guns; but since the Civil
War, additional batteries, some of them armed with Rodman guns, have been
erected. A little above Fort Hamilton, and a few hundred yards from the
shore, is Fort Lafayette, built on a shoal known as Hendricks' Reef. It
was begun during the war of 1812, cost $350,000, and was armed with
seventy-three guns. It was used during the Civil War as a jail for
political prisoners. In December, 1868, it was destroyed by fire, and
the Government is now rebuilding it upon a more formidable scale. The
Staten Island shore is lined with guns. At the water's edge is a
powerful casemated battery, known as Fort Tompkins, mounting forty heavy
guns. The bluff above is crowned with a large and formidable looking
work, also of granite, known as Fort Richmond, mounting one hundred and
forty guns. To the right and left of the fort, are Batteries Hudson,
Morton, North Cliff, and South Cliff; mounting about eighty guns of heavy
calibre. It is stated that the new work on Sandy Hook will be armed with
two hundred guns, which will make the defensive armament of the Lower Bay
and Narrows over six hundred and thirteen guns, which, together with the
fleet of war vessels that could be assembled for the protection of the
city, would render the capture of New York by an enemy's fleet a
hazardous, if not impracticable, undertaking.
Passing through _The Narrows_, we enter the Inner Bay. New York,
Brooklyn and Jersey City are in full sight to the northward, with the
Hudson stretching away in the distance. The bay is crowded with shipping
of all kinds, from the fussy little tug-boat to the large, grim-looking
man-of-war. As we sail on, the scene becomes more animated. On the left
are the picturesque heights of Staten Island, dotted thickly with
country-seats, cottages, and pretty towns, and on the left the
heavily-wooded shores of Long Island abound with handsome villas.
Soon Staten Island is passed, and we see the white lighthouse standing
out in the water, which marks the entrance to the Kill Van Kull, or
Staten Island Sound; and, far to the westward, we can faintly discern the
shipping at Elizabethport. We are now fairly in the harbor of New York,
with the great city directly in front of us, Brooklyn on our right, and
Jersey City on our left. To the northward, the line of the Hudson melts
away in the distant blue sky, and to the right the East River is lost in
the shipping and houses of the two cities it separates. The scene is gay
and brilliant. The breeze is fresh and delightful; the sky as clear and
blue as that of Italy, and the bay as bright and beautiful as that of
Naples, and even more majestic. As far as the eye can reach on either
side of the Hudson extend the long lines of shipping, while the East
River is a perfect forest of masts. Here are steamboats and steamships,
sailing vessels, barges, and canal boats--every sort of craft known to
navigation. The harbor is gay with the flags of all nations. Dozens of
ferry boats are crossing and recrossing from New York to the opposite
shores. Ships are constantly entering and leaving port, and the whole
scene bears the impress of the energy and activity that have made New
York the metropolis of America.
At night the scene is indescribably beautiful. The myriad stars in the
sky above are reflected in the dark bosom of the harbor. The dim
outlines of the shores are made more distinct by the countless rows of
lights that line them, and the many colored lamps of the ferry-boats, as
they dart back and forth over the waters, give to the scene a sort of
gala appearance.
There are several islands in the harbor, which have been entirely given
up to the United States Government for military purposes. The largest of
these is Governor's Island, formerly the property of the redoubtable
Wouter Van Twiller, and still called after him. It lies midway between
New York and Brooklyn, at the mouth of the East River. It embraces an
area of seventy-two acres, and is one of the principal military posts in
the harbor. Fort Columbus, in the centre of the island, is the principal
work. Castle William, on the west end, is a semi-circular work, with
three tiers of guns. Two strong batteries defend the passage known as
Buttermilk Channel, between the island and Brooklyn. In the early days
of the Dutch colony, this passage could be forded by cattle; now it is
passable by ships of war. These works are armed with upwards of 200
heavy guns. Ellis Island, 2050 yards southwest from the Battery
Light-House, contains Fort Gibson, mounting about twenty guns. Bedloe's
Island, 2950 yards southwest of the Battery Light-House, contains Fort
Wood, which is armed with eighty guns.
The best point from which to view the Inner Bay is the Battery Park, from
the sea-wall of which an uninterrupted view of the bay and both rivers
may be obtained.