JOURNEY THROUGH JERSEY 13 



It was one of the warmest days. Light breezes and 

 calm lengthened our short way. As we moved slowly 

 over the Hudson and through the bay towards Staten 

 Island, there was opportunity to enjoy for the last time 

 the splendid view which is offered at a certain point 

 between the city and the islands. The Hudson opens 

 for several miles in a direct north line ; its fine breadth, 

 its high, precipitous banks adorned with bush and 

 forest growth, and a number of vessels at the time busy 

 gave to the stream a magnificent appearance which 

 bore a softer coloring by reason of the now sinking sun. 



Two little islands standing in the midst of the bay 

 towards Jersey, however inconsiderable formerly, with- 

 in a brief space have become trading places of import- 

 ance. While traffic between the United States and 

 New York was still not entirely free and unrestricted, 

 the Americans grew accustomed to take from these 

 islands what they hanker after yet and will always 

 English goods, which had been secretly expedited from 

 the city. 



One of these islands, from its excellent oyster bank, 

 has gained the name of Oyster Island, formerly so 

 rich in oysters that from it alone the city and all the 

 country around could be supplied with this pleasant 

 provender by which a great part of the poorer people 

 lived. But for several years the most and the best 

 oysters have been brought from the southern coast of 

 Long Island, from Blue Point, where (as formerly 

 around Oyster Island) the oyster is found in extensive 

 beds, lying one above the other and many feet deep. 

 Strong, curved, iron rakes are used to fetch up the 

 fruit which never lies deep, preferring the shallower 

 but somewhat rocky or stony spots. Oysters may be 



