THE TOWN OK YONKERS. 63 1 



and the distant hills of Westchester, which bound the eastern shore of the 

 Tappaan Zee. The prominent cliff at the south-west corner of Rock- 

 land Co., presents a noble object viewed from this spot. It boldly pro- 

 jects at the entrance of the Zee, and in a bright summer's day may be 

 seen casting its shade upon the waters." A very deep interest at- 

 taches itself to this spot, when we recollect, that on the afternoon of the 

 13th Sep., 1609, Hendrick Hudson " taking advantage of a light wind and 

 and flood tide, anchored the " Halve Maen " b near where the village pier 

 projects into the Hudson. The old Dutch Patroon of this town, Adri- 

 aen van der Donck, in his N. Neth. Vertoog/i, (a rare old book printed 

 just 41 years after the discovery of Hudson) tells us what our native tribes 

 thought when they for the first time saw this wondrous vessel." 



"They did not know there weie any more people in the world than of the same 

 with themselves: much less, people who differ so widely from each other as our 

 nation and theirs; so that, when they first discovered our ship, they did not 

 know what to make of it. They were in great fear, and knew not whether it 

 might not be an apparition; but whether from Heaven or Hell, they could not 

 divine. Others supposed it to be a great sea monster, and that those in it had 

 more the appearance of devils than human beings ; at least a strange report circu- 

 lated through the country, and caused a great consternation among them." c 



What must have been the wonder then, of the Nap-pe-cka-mak settle- 

 ment, when they beheld the apparition anchor off the mouth of the Saw 

 mill — especially when we conjure up old Master Hendrick Hudson stand- 

 ing upon the poop of his round built yacht, and Master Robert Juet and 

 brother officers in their tall shovelled brim hats and doublets. This 

 arrival must have created quite a talk among the Mohegan squaws of 

 Nappeckamack. In connection with the Palisades and the river, the 

 romantic legend of the "storm ship" must not be forgotten. To the 

 great terror of the early colonists, she would appear gliding by the Pali- 

 sades bearing her Dutch colors, the evening sun gilding her canvass as 

 she came riding over the billows on her voyage down the river like 

 Moore's spectre ship, bound to " Dead Man's Isle." 



Occasionally, the old village and landing appear to have been enlivened 

 by the march and embarkation of troops. The following extract occurs 

 in the journal of Lewis Morris, Judge of the Admiralty: — 



"June 4th, 1746, returned home, dined at Westchester, when the de- 

 tachments from Queens county and Westchester marched to Colonel 



a Mr. II. Schoolcraft suggests, that tho term " Tabanzee,'' which means in the Algonquin, 

 a short crouching person, may originally have been appll-d to this noble cliff. It is 549 feet 

 above the level of the Hudson. Proceed, of N. Y. Hist Soc, 1S44. 



6 Moultou'B Hist, of N. Y-, p. 238. 



c Moulton Hist., p. 256. 



