224 



NEW YORK. 



On the whole, the climate is not unfavourable to 

 health or long life, except to persons inclined to con- 

 sumption. To them it is highly dangerous. The 

 water in the lower part of the city is brackish. 



Columbia college is at present t lie only institution 

 of the kind in New York. It is finely situated, on an 

 open square, ornamented with majestic trees ; and 

 the standard of classical education is supposed to be 

 higher than in most of the colleges of the United 

 States. The faculty consists or a president ; a 

 professor of moral philosophy, rhetoric, belles- 

 lettres, and political economy ; a professor of 

 Greek and Latin ; a Jay professor of ditto ; a pro- 

 fessor of natural and experimental philosophy and 

 chemistry ; a professor of mathematics, analytical 

 mechanics, and physical astronomy ; a professor 

 of law; a professor of the Italian language and lite- 

 rature ; and a professor of the French language and 

 literature. The number of students is about 100. 

 There is a grammar school connected with the col- 

 lege. It was founded by royal charter, in 1754, 

 which has been frequently confirmed, with occasional 

 alterations, by the legislature of the state. Columbia 

 college possesses an estate valued at 400,000 dollars. 

 The university of the city of New York is an institu- 

 tion recently established, chartered by the legislature 

 in February, 1831. It is projected on the broad and 

 liberal scale of the universities on the continent of 

 Europe, and promises to be of great advantage to the 

 literature of the United States. Its funds have been 

 raised by the subscriptions of liberal individuals. It 

 is governed by a council of thirty-two members, cho- 

 sen by the subscribers, together with the mayor and 

 four members of the common council of the city. A 

 large amount of money has been raised for its en- 

 dowment. 



There are numerous schools of all kinds in the city, 

 in which all classes and colours may be accommo- 

 dated; so that it is not too much to say that the 

 means of obtaining such an education as is essential 

 to the ordinary occupations and pursuits of life, are 

 within the reach of all who will exert themselves to 

 make use of them. There are upwards of 100 

 churches in the city, of almost every denomination of 

 believers. Of these, some are of a handsome order 

 of architecture, and splendidly ornamented within. 

 The disposition of the people of New York is very 

 liberal towards the endowment and support of reli- 

 gious establishments, Bible and missionary societies, 

 &c. Of all the churches of the United States, Tri- 

 nity church is the best endowed. It is restricted, by 

 its charter, to an actual revenue of ,5000 sterling a 

 year, and has been obliged to alienate a vast property 

 in the city, in order to keep within bounds. But for 

 this, its revenues would probably have amounted to 

 six, perhaps ten times the sum to which it is restricted 

 by charter. The nature of this work does not admit 

 of particularizing the different charitable institutions 

 and societies for the relief of human misery. It is 

 sufficient to say, that there is scarcely a want or in- 

 firmity to which our nature is exposed, that has not 

 a resource in some one of these institutions, which 

 are supported either by public munificence or private 

 charity. Neither is New Y'ork behind her neighbours 

 in the number of her literary and scientific institutions, 

 although her almost exclusively commercial pursuits 

 might furnish some apology if she were. The most 

 ancient of these, it is believed, is the society library, 

 founded in 1754, and containing upwards of 22,000 

 volumes ; the historical society, incorporated in 1809, 

 and which has collected and preserved a vast number 

 of records, appertaining to the early history of the 

 United States, and the state of New York particularly. 

 The lyceum of natural history has been very success- 

 ful in the pursuit of its objects, and its collections and 



publications do it great honour. The Clinton iuill 

 association is an incorporation for the promotion of 

 literature, science, ami the arts, which has but lately 

 attained to an existence, which, it is hoped, will b 

 prosperous ; and the mercantile library association 

 can hardly fail of being eminently useful, if properly 

 conducted. There are two academies of the fine arts 

 in New York the American and the National the 

 former supported by amateurs, the latter composed of 

 artists, with a few exceptions. In 1827, the returns 

 made, according to law, to the comptroller of the state, 

 made the total of banking capital in New York amount 

 to 15,960,403 dollars. Since that period, several new 

 banks have been chartered, adding largely to this 

 sum. The number of insurance companies is upwards 

 of forty. 



There is no city in the United States, perhaps in 

 the world, which possesses greater advantages of si- 

 tuation than New York, both for internal and external 

 commerce. These advantages have been improved 

 by a vast line of canals connected with the Hudson, 

 and concentrating the produce of an immense region 

 on its bosom, all of which at length finds its way to 

 the great mart of domestic and foreign trade. It is 

 here that merchants and traders resort from all quar- 

 ters ; from the shores of the Atlantic, the confines of 

 the lakes, and the banks of the Mississippi, with a 

 certainty that they can dispose of their own produce, 

 and supply themselves with. every article they require. 

 It is here, too, that strangers and travellers congre- 

 gate, as the place of departure to every part of the 

 world, attracted by the facilities offering themselves 

 at regular stated periods. It may serve to give some 

 idea of these, to state, that there are opportunities by 

 regular packets to Liverpool four times a month ; to 

 Havre, three times ; to London, twice ; to Hull, 

 Greenock, Belfast, Carthagena, Vera Cruz, Charles- 

 ton, Savannah, New Orleans, Mobile, Washington, 

 Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, and, in- 

 deed, to almost every place of note in the United 

 States, in lines of vessels, sailing at stated times, 

 which may be relied upon with almost perfect cer- 

 tainty. The advantageous situation of New York 

 naturally inclines the inhabitants to commercial pur- 

 suits ; but of late years large capitals have been in- 

 vested in manufactures, which are daily becoming- 

 objects of attention. But the probability is, that it 

 will long remain in a great degree a central point for 

 the commerce of the United States. 



That part of the coast of America which compre- 

 hends the state of New York, was first discovered by 

 Sebastian Cabot, who was employed by Henry the 

 Seventh of England, in 1497. But he made no at- 

 tempts at landing, or forming settlements, contenting 

 himself with claiming the country for his sovereign, 

 by right of discovery. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an 

 Englishman, acting under a commission from the king 

 of England, entered the bay of New York, and sailed 

 up the river as far as latitude 43 north. The English 

 writers maintain that he was employed by their gov- 

 ernment, and that he sold the country thus discovered 

 to the Dutch, without authority. The Dutch writers, 

 on the contrary, maintain, that he was in the service 

 of the Dutch East India company at the time. Be 

 this as it may, the English made no opposition, for 

 some time, to the settlement of the country by the 

 Dutch. The right of the English was, however, in 

 some measure recognised, by the Dutch applying for, 

 and receiving permission from James the First in 

 1620, " to build some cottages on Hudson's river, for 

 the convenience of their vessels engaged in trade 

 with Brazil." Under this license, they settled a co- 

 lony, to which they gave the name of the New 

 Netherlands. Various disputes about boundaries, 

 &c., occurred, for several years afterwards, between 



