fort Amsterdam, and a salute to be fired in honor of the Prince of
Orange. Elkins, in retaliation, unfurled the English flag at his
mast-head, and fired a salute in honor of King Charles. After
remaining a week at fort Amsterdam, and being refused a license to
ascend the river, he defiantly spread his colors to the breeze,
weighed anchor, and boldly sailed up the stream to fort Orange. This
was the first British vessel which ascended the North river.

The pusillanimous Van Twiller was in a great rage, but had no decision
of character to guide him in such an emergency. The merchant clerk,
invested with gubernatorial powers, found himself in waters quite
beyond his depth. He collected all the people of the fort, broached a
cask of wine, and railed valiantly at the intrepid Englishman, whose
ship was fast disappearing beyond the palisades. His conduct excited
only the contempt and derision of those around.

DeVrees was a man of very different fibre. He had, but a few days
before, entered the port from Swaanendael. He dined with the Governor
that day, and said to him in very intelligible Dutch:

"You have committed a great folly. Had it been my case, I
would have helped the Englishman to some eight pound iron
beans, and have prevented him from going up the river. The
English are of so haughty a nature that they think that
everything belongs to them. I would immediately send a
frigate after him, and drive him out of the river."

Stimulated by this advice, Van Twiller prepared, as speedily as
possible, three well armed vessels, strongly manned with soldiers, and
sent them, under an intrepid captain, in pursuit of the intruders.