122 THE HORSE OF AMERICA. 



was effective. Among the many laws for the suppression of vice 

 of different kinds, I find one prohibiting horse racing on Sun- 

 day, and from this we might infer that it was not forbidden on 

 other days of the week. 



In old newspapers, advertisements, etc., we sometimes come 

 across "Esopus Horses, Esopus Mares," and, for years, I was not 

 able to tell what this term meant. The locality of Kingston was 

 originally called Esopus, and in that neighborhood there were 

 several farmers who bred horses largely, at an early day in the 

 history of the colony, and the locality became famous for the 

 character and quality of the horses produced there. They were 

 of the best and purest Dutch blood, and for what we would call 

 "all-purpose horses" their fame was very wide in that day. Hence 

 I infer that the term " Esopus" was used to indicate what was 

 considered the best type of Dutch horses. There is danger of 

 going astray in the meaning of the term "Dutch horses," as in 

 later times it was applied to the great, massive draft horses of 

 Pennsylvania. They were better "for agricultural purposes," as 

 Van der Donck puts it, than the Connecticut horses, because they 

 were larger and stronger, but they were sprightly and active and 

 some of them could run very well. They had a fine reputation 

 in the adjoining colonies. 



New Amsterdam, and consequently all the plantations in New 

 Netherlands, surrendered to Colonel Nicolls, commanding the 

 British forces, August 27, 1664. Colonel Nicolls remained as 

 governor of the colony three or four years and until he was suc- 

 ceeded by Governor Lovelace. Among his early official acts,. 

 Governor Nicolls laid out a race course on Hempstead Plains, 

 and named it Newmarket, after the famous course in England. 

 No engineering or grading was necessary, as nature had already 

 made a perfect course without stick or stone or other obstruction. 

 The first race was run 1665, and although it was a long distance 

 from the city, the presence of the governor gave the occasion 

 prestige and there was a great gathering of the gentry from town, 

 and the farmers of Long Island. These meetings were kept up 

 annually by the appointment of succeeding governors, and after 

 a time they were held twice a year, spring and fall. There are 

 some very important facts about these races that are not known 

 and probably never will be known, namely, who were the nomina- 

 tors and what breed of horses were entered in these contests. 

 With these two essential facts left out the value of the informa- 



