Ferries and Bridges 179 



ing country to come to the assistance of his beloved city. 

 When the trumpeter reached the creek separating Manhattan 

 Island from the mainland, it was dark and stormy, and Van 

 Corlaer could get no one to ferry him across. He fumed and 

 spluttered for a while; then, realizing the importance of his 

 errand, took a swig of his black bottle, and plunged into the 

 stream, exclaiming at the same time in Dutch: " I will cross, 

 en spijt den Dnyvil (in spite of the Devil)." When the luck- 

 less trumpeter was half-way across, he was seen to struggle 

 violently as if battling with his Satanic majesty. At the same 

 time an enormous moss-bunker — a fish very common in 

 these waters — was seen to rise from the water and grab the 

 struggling trumpeter; an instant later, and both disappeared 

 beneath the waves forever. Such, in brief, is the origin of 

 the name, according to Irving. 



The western boundary of the Borough is the lordly Hudson, 

 called by all the inhabitants of this part of the State the 

 river. No bridges or ferries connect the Borough with the 

 opposite shore of New Jersey. 



There was, doubtless, some communication between the 

 mainland and New Harlem in canoes and dug-outs, and 

 the fertile woods of the former furnished a range for cattle. In 

 October, 1667, Colonel Nicolls granted four lots near Spuyten 

 Duyvil to the inhabitants of Harlem for that purpose. It 

 was not until the mainland became more settled, and com- 

 munication with the eastern colonies more desirable, that 

 ferries were established or bridges built. 



As early as 1658, the director-general of New Netherland 

 authorized the maintenance of a ferry with a suitable scow 

 between Harlem and Brouncksland. Nothing was done, 

 however, until 1666, when Governor Nicolls granted a 

 charter to the Harlemites, in which, among other things, he 



