176 CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVES. 



the night are supposed to be the spirits of souls transmigrated 

 into wicked bodies. 



At their dancing matches, where all persons that come 

 are freely entertained, their custom is, when they dance, for 

 the spectators to have short sticks in their hands and to 

 knock the ground, and sing altogether, whilst they that dance 

 sometimes act war-like postures, and then they come in 

 painted for war, with their faces painted black and red, or all 

 black, or all red, with some streaks of white under their eyes, 

 and so jump and leap up and down without any apparent order, 

 uttering many expressions of their intended valour. 



When their King or Chief sits in Council, he has a com- 

 pany of armed men as body guards, great respect is shown 

 him by the people, which is principally manifested by their 

 silence. After he has declared the cause of their convention, 

 he demands their opinion, ordering who shall begin. The 

 person ordered to speak after having declared his mind, tells 

 them all that he has done, no man ever interrupting any 

 person in his speech, nor offering to speak, though he make 

 ever so many long stops, till he says that he has done. The 

 Council having all declared their opinions, the King after 

 some pause, gives the definitive sentence, which is commonly 

 seconded with a shout from the people, everyone seeming to 

 applaud and manifest their assent to what is decided. 



When New Amsterdam surrendered to the English Com- 

 missioners, it contained about 3,000 inhabitants, of whom 

 nearly one half preferred to return to Holland. The remain- 

 der continued in the Colony, and among them, the noble 

 Governor, Stuyvesant, who survived a few years the fortune 

 of his little empire, and left descendants, who held high rank 

 in the city for many years after, and were also frequently 

 elected to the Magistracy of New York. 



The name of New Netherlands was changed into that of 

 Yorkshire, and New Amsterdam into that of New York, Fort 

 Orange into Fort Albany, etc., etc. 



All the country having been conferred by patent upon 

 His Royal Highness, the Duke of York and Albany, His 

 Royal Highness appointed Colonel Nichols, Governor of New 

 York. He was the first Governor of that country, and his 

 administration was wise and beneficial. 



In 1666, Holland being at war with England, it was feared 

 that the Dutch would try to recover New York, and Colonel 

 Nichols was advised to put the city in a state of defence, which 

 he did thoroughly, but the Dutch never attempted to recover 



