covered in 1841 in the royal archives at the Hague, and a facsimile is now in the State Library at Albany.[1] A license for three years was granted. Thereupon, in 1615, the ruined château on Castle Island was rebuilt, equipped with two cannon and garrisoned with a dozen Dutch soldiers. In compliment to the Stadt-holder, it received the name of Fort Nassau.
This occupancy in force of Castle Island (now called Van Rensselaer Island) was brief, for the spring freshets proved too much for even the amphibious Dutch musketeers and traders, and it hardly can be called a settlement.
It is an interesting fact, that the valley of the Hudson narrowly missed the honor of being settled by the passengers of the Mayflower. Under the November skies of 1620, that historic vessel, with its valuable cargo of religious and political seed-corn, for several days had been beating about the point of Cape Cod. Old Governor Bradford, with quaint spelling and phrasing, tells the story of the mishap:
"After some deliberation had amongst them selves and
with ye mr of ye ship, they tacked aboute and resolved
- ↑ The Chart illustrating this article is one of a later date.
