Introduction
The following work [Description of the New Netherlands] is the production of a Dutch scholar who in early times joined a colony of his countrymen on the banks of the Hudson.
As his little volume has never appeared until now [1813] in an English dress, it
has been less known and appreciated, probably, by succeeding writers,
than its merits deserve. It is, indeed, rather a description of the nat-
ural features of the country, for the purpose of commending it to the
attention of a Netherland public with a view to promote emigration, than
an account of its civil condition, or of what had previously transpired in
relation to its affairs. Such as it is, however, it will not be found desti-
tute of interest either to the historical student, or to those descendants of
the ancient burghers, who, having lost their ancestral tongue, are only
able to converse with their forefathers through the medium of an inter-
preter.
The author, Adrian Van der Donck, enjoys the distinction of having
been the first lawyer in the Dutch colony. He was educated at the Uni-
versity of Leydon, and, after pursuing a course of legal study, received
the usual degree of Juris utriusque Doctor, or as the title-page of his
book has it, Deyder Rechten Doctoor — Doctor of both laws, that is,
the civil and canon. He was subsequently admitted to the practice of an
advocate in the supreme court of Holland. His standing and reputation
in the Fatherland may be inferred from his having been appointed by the
patroon of Rensselaerwyck, who must have known something of his
character, to the important office of Sheriff of that colony.
Van der Donck arrived here in a bark of the patroon Killian Van
Rensselaer, in the autumn of 1643, and immediately entered upon the
discharge of the duties of his office. The colony of Rensselaerwyck,
which embraced an extensive territory on either side of the Hudson,
was yet in its infancy. Van Rensselaer himself had been only [a few]
years in the country ; and although a trading-house was established in the
same quarter as early as 1614, yet the first successful efforts to plant a
colony were not made until 1630, when the patroon through an agent
obtained his first title from the Indians, and dispatched a body of colo-
nists from Holland under a liberal charter of privileges from the West
India Company. He followed them himself in 1637. The seat of the
colony was at Fort Orange, where Albany is now situated, and there our
author at first resided.
A few years after, Van der Donck purchased an estate on the Hudson near
the upper extremity of Manhattan Island, about sixteen miles from this city,
afterwards known as Yonkers. One of his grants of land at that place was
made to him in 1648, under the name of Jonkkr (pronounced Yonker) Van
der Donck, and it appears that he was familiarly called the Yonker, a com-
mon appellation for a gentleman among the Dutch farmers. His land was
Spoken of, as we find in the Colonial Records, as the Yonker’s land, and
there can be little doubt that the name of the present town of Yonkers
was in this way derived from [himself]. Van der Donck made several pur-
chases from the Indians in that neighborhood, and altogether acquired an
extensive tract of land, bounded on the south by the creek Paprimenin, to
which the Dutch name of Spyten-duyvel was afterwards given. On the
north was the Zaeg Kill, or Saw-Mill creek, at the mouth of which is the
present village of Yonkers, or Phillipsburg, where our author erected
mills and laid out a plantation. The land and river of Bronck, or Bronx,
another Dutch planter, bounded the estate on the east. Nearly twenty
years after, in 1666, when the New- Netherlands had passed into the
hands of the English, this estate was re-granted, or confirmed, to the
widow of Van der Donck, who had married a second husband of the name
of O’neale.
Jeremiah Johnson, Mayor of Brooklyn, translater.
Excerpt “Of the North River” taken from Description of the New Netherlands.
We have before noticed the name of this river, with the
population and advantages of the country ; and, inasmuch as a
particular and ample account of the same is preparing for publi-
cation, we will at once say, that this river is the most famous,
and the country the most populous of any in the New-Nether-
lands. There are also several colonies settled, besides the city
of New-Amsterdam, on the island of Manhattan, where the
most of the trade of this river centres. The river carries flood
tides forty miles* up the same. Several fine creeks empty
into this river, such as the Great and Small Esopus kills, Kats
kill, Sleepy Haven kill,Colondonck's kill or Saw kill, Wap-
pincke's kill, etc. We can also pass from the North river be-
hind Manhattan island by the East river, without approaching
New- Amsterdam. This river still remains altogether in the
possession and jurisdiction of the Netherlanders, without being
invaded ; but if the population did not increase and advancing
there would be great danger of its long continuation. This river
is rich in fishes :sturgeon, dunns, bass, sheep-heads, etc. I
cannot refrain, although somewhat out of place, to relate a very
singular occurrence, which happened in the month of March,
1647, at the time of a great freshet caused by the fresh water
flowing down from above, by which the water of the river be-
came nearly fresh to the bay, when at ordinary seasons the salt
water flows up from twenty to twenty-four miles* from the sea.
At this season, two whales, of common size, swam up the river
forty miles, from which place one of them returned and stranded
about twelve miles from the sea, near which place [four] others
also stranded the same year. The other ran farther up the river
and grounded near the great Chahoos falls, about forty-three
miles from the sea. This fish was tolerably fat, for although the
citizens of Rensselaerwyck broiled out a great quantity of train
oil, still the whole river (the current being still rapid) was oily
for three weeks, and covered with grease. As the fish lay rot-
ting, the air was infected with its stench to such a degree that
the smell was offensive and perceptible for two miles to leeward.
For what purpose those whales ascended the river so far, it
being at the time full forty miles from all salt or brackish water,
it is difficult to say, unless their great desire for fish, which were
plenty at this season, led them onward.
*A Dutch mile is about three English miles. – Jeremiah Johnson, Trans.
Credit: Google Book Search Reference: New York Historical Society
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