rolled her curtain of clouds, the glowing dawn that shot over our noble bay, disclosed traces of disorder, and ravages of the cannon-ball, on the one hand and on the other, the smoke still ascending from the angry artillery to the powderstained rigging of the Asia. Moreover, the field-pieces, which but yesterday guarded the Battery, were gone. These the timid received as tokens of danger, and prepared to depart; the intrepid hailed them as auspicious omens of future victories.

otic chord was vibrating in every heart. | already assembled there, when night upWar had not yet disturbed our goodly city, which lay in unconscious repose, on the mellow night of the 23d of August, 1775. One or two riots, the result of political faction, rather than of unadulterated rebellion, alone gave tokens of a turbulent spirit. The English governor, Tryon, still dwelt here, an object of courtesy, though of mistrust. In the North river, off the fort, lay the Asia, a British man-of-war, with whose presence people had become familiar. The public mind was in a state of vague apprehension. It remained for its hopes and fears to assume a definite shape.

Toward midnight, our forefathers were aroused from their first slumbers by the thunder of artillery. At that silent hour, the ominous sounds were unwelcome visitants. The cannon peals were relieved by the sharp discharge of musketry; and the stillness that ensued was occasionally broken by the hasty footsteps of one summoned to his duty, with unbuckled sabre trailing on the ground, or by the agitated cry of a helpless woman, fleeing from the audible danger. Drums beat to arms; volley after volley announced the continuation of the strife; and the half-waked dreamer no longer mistook these cries of war for the echoes of eastern battles. As the night advanced, one body of men succeeding another was revealed by the blaze of torches, and the cumbrous wheels of the field-piece they were dragging, seemed to leave reluctantly the scene of conflict. By-and-by, troops of dwellers in the lower part of the town escaped through the streets, from their menaced or shattered abodes, in confusion and fear. Was the enemy in the city? the Battery taken? Were the troops forced to retreat before a victorious foe? These interrogatories were breathed rather than spoken, or if put, were not answered. It was a memorable night, and something seemed to have delayed the approach of morning. The town was early astir. At break of day, many inhabitants were seen issuing from their dwellings, and wending their way to the Battery. To those

The twenty-one pieces of ordnance had been removed by order of the provincial congress. Col. John Lamb's artillery corps, and the "Sons of Liberty,” headed by Colonel Sears, were the heroes of the adventure. The efforts of the enemy to protect these royal stores, had proved unavailing. Warned of the intended movement, Captain Vandeput, of the Asia, detached an armed barge to watch, and if needful, interfere with, its execution. A musket fired from this boat, drew Colonel Lamb's volley, and a man on board was killed. The Asia fired three cannon. The drum beat to arms in the city. The man-of-war sustained the cannonade. Three citizens were wounded, and the upper parts of various houses near Whitehall and the fort, received much injury. A son of Colonel Lamb, whose regiment covered the cannons' retreat, is now living in this city, and in the rooms of the " torical Society" may be seen one of the very balls fired into New York that night.

"His

James Rivington was, then, the editorial and proprietary publisher of the "New York Gazette,"* and as the oppoin"

* This Gazette attained the greatest notoriety during the revolutionary war, and was at first entitled, Rivington's New York Gazetteer; or, The Connec ticut, New Jersey, Hudson's River, and Quebec Weekly Advertiser.

This Gazette commenced its career April 22, 1773, on a large medium sheet folio. It was printed, weekly, on Thursday; and when it had been established one year, this imprint followed the title,

Printed at his EVER OPEN and uninfluenced press, der sail was at first introduced into the title, under fronting Hanover square. fronting Hanover square." A large cut of a ship unwhich were the words "New York Packet." This cut soon gave place to one of a smaller size. In No

vember, 1774, the ship was removed, and the king's

arms took the place of it. In August, 1775, the

In several respects, however, this state has points of interest equal to any of her sisters of the Union, which will be in some measure exhibited, even in the few pages which we have to devote to the following description.

New Jersey possesses a considerable variety of climate, for a country of so small a surface, as its length is two or three times greater than its breadth, and it stretches directly north and south, while there is a considerable difference of elevation between the low, sandy regions in the southern parts, and the hilly and almost mountainous northern counties. Much of the former district also fes near the sea, while the latter is removed to a distance from it.

The Allegany range, crossing the northwestern parts, gives them the character just alluded to; and, while it affects the soil and vegetable productions, yields rich mineral products, several mines of copper and iron being wrought-the latter to much advantage. The proportion of good land is not large, as the "piny woods" in the south too nearly resemble the "pine barrens" of the southern Atlantic border, of which they appear to be the beginning; while through the elevated districts are considerable tracts inconvenient of access, or incapable of cultivation. The railroads and canals, however, which cross the state in several places, afford important facilities for transportation as well as for travelling.

HISTORY.-Henry Hudson entered residence on Tinnicum island, building

Delaware bay on the 28th of August, 1609, and made an attempt to penetrate by it into the continent, a short time before he discovered the harbor of New York (namely, September 3), and the river which bears his name. The first settlements made by Europeans on the soil of this state were but a little subsequent to the first occupation of Manhattan island. The first Dutch vessel came out to trade in the Hudson in 1610, and the fort was erected at the Battery in 1614. In the latter year a redoubt appears to have been thrown up on the Jersey shore. About the year 1618, a colony of Danes or Norwegians, who had come out with the Dutch, made a settlement at Bergen, opposite New York. The first settlement in West Jersey is believed to have been made in 1623, by Cornelius Jacobse Mey, whose name is commemorated in Cape May. He proceeded up Delaware bay to Timber creek, a little above Camden, where he built Fort Nassau. He sailed in the employment of the Dutch West India company, which had been formed in 1621. Individuals obtained charters from that association, to large tracts of land, subject only to the Indian claim, one of which, opposite New York, extended thirty-two miles by two. One man thas obtained a tract sixteen miles square, at Cape May, bought of nine Indian chiefs. Some of these great landholders associated, and sent out David Petersen de Vries in a ship, to make a settlement on the Delaware, in 1630. He found Fort Nassau in the possession of the Indians, and no traces of its former occupants. He built another fort, and left it to return to Holland; but the garrison were soon massacred to a man. After another unsuccessful attempt to plant a colony, the treachery of the natives discouraged the company, and the enterprise was abandoned.

In 1637, two Swedish vessels arrived in the Delaware, and settlements were commenced on the western side, but lands were occupied only on the eastern. In 1642, Printz Hall came over as governor, under the appointment of the queen of Sweden, and established his

a fort, laying out a garden, and erecting a church and several houses. Among his companions were John Campanius Holm, afterward the historian of the colony, and an engineer named Lindstrom, who published a map of the Delaware and its borders. There has been much doubt respecting the grounds on which the Swedes rested their claim to this part of the country; and they soon found it contested by the Dutch, who, having reoccupied Fort Nassau and several other points, were called upon to surrender them, and, on their refusal, compelled to submit by force. Governor Stuyvesant, of New York, soon interfered, and regained the Dutch positions, and easily reduced the Swedish posts, finally capturing the seat of government at Tinnicum island. This blow terminated the Swedish power on the Delaware, called by them New Sweden.

In 1640, a number of English colonists arrived from New Haven, claiming a right to occupy the soil under British authority; and thus the foundation was laid of disputes, which from time to time caused considerable difficulty. The tradinghouse which they erected was destroyed in one case; and in others their goods were confiscated, and some of the men imprisoned. The British and the Dutch governments had some warm altercations on the question of right to this part of the country. It is reported that some of the descendants of the early New Haven colonists still remain in Salem, Cumberland, and Cape May.

The year 1664 was the epoch of the reduction of the New Netherlands (now New York), by Colonel Nichols, at the command of Charles II. Sir Robert Carr soon after obtained possession of the posts and colonies on the Delaware, having entered the bay with two frigates, and expended "two barrels of gunpowder and twenty shot." The same year, Charles, by a royal patent, conferred it upon the Duke of York; and he conveyed a large tract, named “Nova Cæsarea" (New Jersey), to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. The name then bestowed, and which is still retained, is said to have been chosen in com