View of Federal Hall and Part of Broad Street, 1796
The John Street Theatre, 1781
Reservoir of Manhattan Water-Works in Chambers Street
The Collect Pond
The Grange, Kingsbridge Road, the Residence of Alexander Hamilton
The Clermont, Fulton's First Steam-Boat
Castle Garden
Landing of Lafayette at Castle Garden
View of Park Row, 1825
High Bridge, Croton Aqueduct
Crystal Palace




CHAPTER I.

THE ADVENTURES of HENRY HUDSON


The long and narrow Island of Manhattan was a wild and beautiful spot in
the year 1609. In this year a little ship sailed up the bay below the
island, took the river to the west, and went on. In these days there
were no tall houses with white walls glistening in the sunlight, no
church-spires, no noisy hum of running trains, no smoke to blot out the
blue sky. None of these things. But in their place were beautiful trees
with spreading branches, stretches of sand-hills, and green patches of
grass. In the branches of the trees there were birds of varied colors,
and wandering through the tangled undergrowth were many wild animals.
The people of the island were men and women whose skins were quite red;