42 New York in 1679
The 23rd day of September we stepped ashore about four o’clock in the afternoon in company with Gerrit, our fellow passenger who would conduct us in this strange place. He first took us to the house of one of his friends who welcomed him and us and offered us some of the fruit of the country, very fine peaches and full-grown apples.
24th, Sunday. We rested well through the night. I was surprised on waking up to find my comrade had already dressed himself and breakfasted upon peaches. We walked out awhile in the fine, pure morning air along the margin of the clear-running water of the sea, which is driven up this river at every tide. As it was Sunday, in order to avoid scandal and for other reasons, we did not wish to absent ourselves from church. We heard a minister preach who had come from the up-river country, from Fort Orange [Albany] where his residence is, an old man named Domine Schaats, of Amsterdam. He had a defect in the left eye and used such strange gestures and language that I think I never in all my life have heard anything more miserable. As it is not strange in these countries to have men as ministers who drink, we could imagine nothing else than that he had been drinking a little this morning. His text was. Come unto me all ye, etc., but he was so rough that even the roughest and most godless of our sailors were astonished.
The church being in the fort, we had an opportunity to look through the latter as we had come too early for preaching. It is not large, it has four points or batteries, it has no moat outside but is enclosed with a double row of palisades. It is built from the foundation with quarry stone. The parapet is of earth. It is well provided with cannon, for the most part of iron though there were some small brass pieces, all bearing the mark or arms of the Netherlanders. The garrison is small. There is a well of fine water dug in the fort by the English, contrary to the opinion of the Dutch who supposed the fort was built upon rock and had therefore never attempted any such thing. It has only one gate and that is on the land side, opening upon a broad plain or street called the Broadway or Beaverway. Over this gate are the arms of the Duke of York. During the time of the Dutch there were two gates, namely another on the water side. But the English have closed it and made a battery there with a false gate. The front of the fort stretches east and west and consequently the sides run north and south.
27th, Wednesday. Nothing occurred today except that I went to assist Gerrit in bringing his goods home and declaring them, which we did. As soon as we had dined we sent off our letters, and this being all accomplished, we started at two o’clock for Long Island. We went on, up the hill along open roads and a little woods, through the first village called Breukelen [Brooklyn]. Having passed through here, we struck off to the right in order to go to Gouanes [Gowanus Creek]. We went upon several plantations where Gerrit was acquainted with most all of the people, who made us very welcome. Sharing with us bountifully whatever they had, whether it was milk, cider, fruit or tobacco. And especially and first and most of all, miserable rum or brandy which had been brought from Barbados and other islands and which is called by the Dutch kill-devil. All these people are very fond of it and most of them extravagantly so, although it is very dear [expensive] and has a bad taste.
We went from the city, following the Broadway, over the valey or the fresh water. Upon both sides of this way were many habitations of negroes, mulattoes, and whites. These negroes were formerly the proper slaves of the (West India) company but in consequence of the frequent changes and conquests of the country, they have obtained their freedom and settled themselves down where they have thought proper. And thus on this road, where they have ground enough to live on with their families. We left the village called the Bouwerij [Bowery] lying on the right hand and went through the woods to New Harlem, a tolerably large village situated directly opposite the place where the northeast creek and the East river come together, about three hours journey from New Amsterdam.
11th, Wednesday. We embarked early this morning in his boat and rowed over to Staten Island, where we arrived about eight o’clock. There are now about a hundred families on the island, of which the English constitute the least portion and the Dutch and French divide between them about equally the greater portion. They have neither church nor minister and live rather far from each other and inconveniently to meet together. The English are less disposed to religion and inquire little after it, but in case there were a minister, would contribute to his support. The French and Dutch are very desirous and eager for one, for they spoke of it wherever we went and said, in the event of not obtaining Domine Tessemaker they would send, or had sent, to France for another. The French are good Reformed churchmen and some of them are Walloons. The Dutch are also from different quarters.
When we arrived at Gouanes we heard a great noise, shouting and singing in the huts of the Indians, who as we mentioned before were living there. They were all lustily drunk, raving, striking, shouting, jumping, fighting each other, and foaming at the mouth like raging wild beasts. Some who did not participate with them had fled with their wives and children to Simon’s house where the drunken brutes followed, bawling in the house and before the door, which we finally closed. And this was caused by Christians. It makes me blush to call by that holy name those who live ten times worse than these most barbarous Indians and heathen, not only in the eyes of those who can discriminate but according to the testimony of these poor Indians themselves. What do I say, the testimony of the Indians! Yes, I have not conversed with a European or a native born, the most godless and the best, who has not fully and roundly acknowledged it.
But they have not acknowledged it salutarily and much less desisted, disregarding all convictions external and internal, notwithstanding all the injury which springs therefrom. Not only among the Indians but others, as we will show in its proper place. How will they escape the terrible judgment of God whom they have so dishonored and defamed and caused to be defamed among the heathen? Just judgment is their damnation. But I must restrain myself, giving God all judgment and wrath and keeping only what he causes us to feel therefor. Such are the fruits of the cursed cupidity of those who call themselves Christians for the very little that these poor naked people have. Simon and his wife also do their best in the same way, although we spoke to them severely on the subject. They brought forward this excuse, that if they did not do it, others would and then they would have the trouble and others the profit. But if they must have the trouble, they ought to have the profit. And so they all said and for the most part falsely, for they all solicit the Indians as much as they can. And after begging their money from them, compel them to leave their blankets, leggings, and coverings of their bodies in pawn. Yes, their guns and hatchets, the very instruments by which they obtain their subsistence. This subject is so painful and so abominable that I will forbear saying anything more for the present.
Source: “Condition of New York in 1679”, by Jaspar Dankers and Peter Sluyter (Translated by Henry C. Murphy, 1867) in Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80, in Long Island Historical Society, Memoirs (Brooklyn, 1867), I, 109-274. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.45493/page/n605/mode/2up?
