1614.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 3 



Englishman prior to 1610, when it is said, that navigator 

 " touched at Dehiware bay on his passage to Virginia."' 



An official Dutch document,- drawn up in 1644, claims that 

 New Netherland " was visited by inhabitants of that country in 

 the year 151>8," and that "two little forts were built on the 

 South and North rivers." Better authority is needed to support 

 this claim, than the assertion of an interested party made nearly 

 half a century subsequent to the event. 



Tiiough reasonable doubts may exist in respect to the visit of 

 Lord Delaware to the Delaware bay, that bay in 1610 did actually 

 receive a transient visit from Captain Samuel Argall, who pro- 

 bably was the first European that entered its waters after its 

 discovery by Hudson.^ 



The various names by which the Delaware river and bay have 

 been known, are enumerated in Hazard's Annals of Pennsylva- 

 nia.* By the Indians it was called, "Pautaxat, Mariskitton and 

 Makerish-kiskcn, Lenape Whittuck ; by the Dutch, Zuyt or South 

 river, Nassau river. Prince Hendrick river, and Charles river ; by 

 the Swedes, New Swedeland stream ; by the English, Delaware. 

 Heylin in his Cosmography calls it Arasapha. The bay has also 

 been known as New Fort May and Godyns hay. 



Six years now intervene, before we have any further accounts 

 of discoveries in " New Netherland," a country, which in the 

 estimation of Their High Mightinesses, The States General 

 of Holland, embraced the Delaware bay and river. On the 

 27th of March, in the year 1614, a general charter was 

 granted, securing the exclusive privilege of trade during four 

 voyages, with "any new^ courses, havens, countries or places," 

 to the discoverer, and subjecting any persons who should act in 

 violation thereof, to a forfeiture of their vessel, in addition to a 

 heavy pecuniary penalty.^ Stimulated by this edict of the States 

 General, the merchants of Amsterdam fitted out five vessels to 

 engage in voyages, in pursuance of its provisions. Among them 

 was the Fortune belonging to the city of Hoorn, commanded by 

 Captain Cornelis Jacobson Mey. Captain Adrian Block com- 

 manded another vessel of this exploring party, w^hich was 

 unfortunately burnt upon his arrival at the mouth of the " Man- 

 hattan river." To repair this misfortune. Captain Block imme- 

 diately engaged in the construction of a new vessel — a yacht, 

 44i feet long, and 11| feet wide. This craft was of but 16 tons 

 burden, and was named the Unrust (Restless.) She was the first 

 vessel built by Europeans in this country, and her construction, 



1 N. Y. Hist. Col. i. N. S. 320. 



» N. Y. Col. Doe. i. 149 : Hist. New Netherland, i. Appendix E, 41S. 

 » Broadhcads Ili.-^t. N. Y. 51 and note D. * P. 4. 



5 N. Y. Col. Doc. i. 5. 



