4 OLD-FASHIONED GARDENING 
extremity of the island home of the Ma-na-ata tribe 
of Indians that island which lies at the mouth of 
the great river explored by, and named for, Henry 
Hudson. Tradition declares of Hudson’s voyage in 
1609 that some of his men, leaving the Half Moon 
to go on a fishing expedition, visited what is now 
Coney Island; and this was described as sandy but 
covered with plum trees, over which the ever lux¬ 
uriant grape vines clambered. Others, sent to explore 
and make soundings before the Half Moon herself 
should venture from her anchorage within the shelter 
of the long bar of sand which we know now as Sandy 
Hook, came back from their journey up through the 
Narrows with accounts of a land covered with trees, 
grass and flowers and delightfully sweet smelling. 
This is supposed to have been Staten Island. And 
still other visitors to what is now, presumably, the 
Jersey shore, found the land clothed with large oaks. 
Some of the natives who came out to visit the Half 
Moon brought among their gifts dried currants; and 
others traded vegetables and corn for the trinkets 
which natives seem always eager to procure. Later 
on, returning slowly, by reason of head winds, down 
the great river which he had succeeded in ascending 
about one hundred and forty miles, the Captain sent 
parties ashore at intervals, who returned with descrip¬ 
tions of what they found: “good ground for corn and 
