ith some cheap goods worth about
twenty-four dollars. I do not think any of you could guess how many
millions of dollars that island is worth now. For the great city of New
York stands where the log huts of the Dutch traders once stood, and
twenty-four dollars would hardly buy as much land as you could cover
with your hand.

The country around is now all farming land, where grain and fruit are
grown, and cattle are raised. But then it was all woodland for hundreds
of miles away, and in these woods lived many foxes and beavers and other
fur-bearing animals. These the Indians hunted and killed, and sold their
furs to the Dutch, so that there was soon a good trade for both the red
and the white men. The Dutch were glad to get the furs and the Indians
were as glad to get the knives and beads. More and more people came from
Holland, and the town grew larger and larger, and strong brick houses
took the place of the log huts, and in time there was quite a town.

Men were sent from Holland to govern the people. Some of these men were
not fit to govern themselves, and the settlers did not like to have
such men over them. One of them was a stubborn old fellow named Peter
Stuyvesant. He had lost one of his legs, and wore a wooden leg with
bands of silver around it, so that he was called "Old Silver Leg."

While he was governor an important event took place. The English had a
settlement in Virginia and another in New England, and they said that
all the coast lands belonged to them, because the Cabots had been the
first to see them. The Cabots came from Italy, but they had settled in
England, and sailed in an English ship.

So one day a small fleet of English vessels came into the bay, and a
letter was sent on shore which said that all this land belonged to
England and must be given up to them. The Dutch might stay there, but
they would be under an English governor. Old Peter tore up the letter
and stamped about in a great rage on his silver leg. But he had treated
the people so badly that they would not fight for him, so he had to give
up the town.

The English called it New York, after the Duke of York, the king's
brother. It grew and grew till it became a great and rich city, and sent
ships to all parts of the world. Most of the Dutch stayed there, and
their descendants are among the best people of New York to-day. Not
long after these English ships came to New York Bay, other English ships
came to a fine body of water, abou