172 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



sis, an eminent Dutch minister, who formerly lived in this city, also published a work on 

 this country when a Dutch province ; and I have now before me a manuscript translation, 

 made by the Rev. Dr. Bassett, of Dr. Van der Donk's History of New Netherland, pub- 

 lished in 1655. It is very interesting, and it is to be hoped, that that worthy gentleman 

 will meet with sufficient encouragement to publish it, and also correct translations of De 

 Laert and Megapblensis, for which no man in this country is better qualified. Van der 

 Donk states, that a certain surgeon, a resident of New Netherland, had formed an extensive 

 botanical garden, in which he planted many medical roots, which he cultivated from the 

 woods adjacent to his abode ; but, by the removal of that worthy gentleman from the 

 country, his humane and patriotic exertions were lost to the world. This, I undertake 

 to say, was the first botanical garden established in this part of America. It appears, 

 also, from this work, that most of the medicinal and other herbs, with which the country 

 abounds, were known to our Dutch forefathers ; that they took uncommon pains to intro- 

 duce the best cereal gramina, legumens, and excellent vegetables, and fruit of various 

 kinds, and have even cultivated Canary seed ; that they introduced the white and red, 

 the cornelian and stock roses, wall flowers, tulips, imperial flowers, the white lily, and 

 lily of the valley, ladies' rose, violet, and gold flower, and that the country abounded with 

 flowers peculiar to it, of the most beautiful kind, to which the European was an entire 

 stranger ; viz. the sunflower, the red and yellow lily, the morning glory, the white, yel- 

 low, and red marygold, a species of wild eglantine, the different kinds of the bell flower, 

 and many others. 



Our Dutch ancestors also turned their attention to improving the dyes of the country . 

 great hopes were entertained from the wild indigo ; and they not only supposed that the 

 common indigo might be raised to great advantage, but they actually tried the experiment. 

 Seed was imported from Holland. The first attempl failed, owing, as it was supposed, to 

 an extraordinary drought which prevented the plant from coming to maturity ; but another 

 experiment completely succeeded: the seed was sown near New Amsterdam, (New- York,) 

 and a great crop was obtained ; specimens were sent to the mother country, where good 

 judges pronounced it of a superior quality. But what is still more extraordinary is, that 

 there is reason to believe that it was contemplated to introduce the famous orchilla weed. 

 When the Spaniards discovered the Canary Islands, they sought for it as eagerly as they 

 did for gold : It was probable, that it was made use of to produce the gertulian purple of 

 the ancients ; and they also had in their view other vegetable dyes, which we cannot 

 now accurately designate. " The crap plant," says Van der Donk, " for dying red, is 

 not cultivated in New Netherland, but it is not to be questioned, that if it were tried it 

 would yield well." 



