JOURNEY THROUGH JERSEY 17 



from eight to eleven miles wide ; the northern part is 

 hilly and stony, the land becoming flat and sandy to- 

 wards the south, similar in character to that portion of 

 Long Island lying opposite. Staten Island forms a 

 county of the province of New York, called Richmond, 

 which is the name of the village in the midst of the 

 island. Free entrance into the harbor of New York 

 depends upon the possession of this island, since the 

 harbor may be completely covered by works placed on 

 the steep hills near the Narrows. Further than this, 

 Staten Island is to be distinguished in nothing from the 

 neighboring country. In the morning at two o'clock 

 we arrived at Elizabethtown Point in Jersey, a prom- 

 ontory where vessels coming from York tie up. The 

 whole region is low, salt-marsh land exposed to the in- 

 flow of sea water. In summer such districts grow 

 somewhat more dry, and in addition the effect of broad, 

 deep ditches is considerable. In the dry season these 

 salt-marshes go by the name of salt-meadows, but 

 produce only a short hay, coarse and stiff, for the 

 most part rush, the usual meadow grasses not growing 

 on such lands. Horses do not like this hay, and the 

 milk of cows eating it rapidly sours. There is, how- 

 ever, one variety of salt-meadow grass, to wit Juncus 

 bulbosus L., known as Blackgrass and the best forage 

 for cattle. This is seldom sown, although the use of it 

 would make the handling of such tracts very profitable. 

 Surrounded by millions of Musquetoes, (Culex 

 pipiens L.), we were obliged to spend the time until 

 daybreak on the deck of the little vessel. These marshy 

 coasts are the favorite sojourning places of musquetoes, 

 more than usually numerous this year as a result of 

 moist and rainy weather, and grown to an unusual 

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