had slaves paid by the Company to look after it.

[Illustration: Van Twiller's Defiance.]

When Van Twiller had been Governor three years, he gave to one of the
colonists a farm on the western side of the city along the Hudson River.
The colonist died the year after the farm was given him, leaving his
widow, Annetje Jans, to care for the property.

Years after, when Queen Anne ruled in England, and the English had come
into possession of New Netherland, she gave the Annetje Jans farm to
Trinity Church. That was almost two centuries ago. What was once a farm
is now a great business section, crossed and recrossed by streets.
Trinity Church has held it through all the years, and holds it still.

Close upon the time when the Jans farm was given away by Governor Van
Twiller, a sailor of note, who had visited almost every country in the
world, founded a colony on Staten Island. This sailor was Captain David
Pietersen De Vries. Staten Island attracted him because of its beauty.
After the colony was well started, De Vries travelled between New
Netherland and Holland, and he will be met with again in this story.

[Illustration: Landing of Dutch Colony on Staten Island.]

Although Governor Van Twiller did not do much for the colonists, he was
very careful to look after his own affairs. He bought from the
Indians, for some goods of small value, the little spot now called
Governor's Island; which was then known as Nut Island, because of the
many nut-trees that grew there. There is little doubt but that
Governor's Island was once a part of Long Island. It is separated from