be the mouths of three large
rivers. These were undoubtedly the Raritan, the Narrows, and Rockaway
Inlet. After careful soundings he, the next morning, passed Sandy Hook
and anchored in the bay at but two cables' length from the shore. The
waters around him were swarming with fish. The scenery appeared to him
enchanting. Small Indian villages were clustered along the shores, and
many birch canoes were seen gliding rapidly to and fro, indicating
that the region was quite densely populated, and that the natives were
greatly agitated if not alarmed by the strange arrival.

Soon several canoes approached the vessel, and the natives came on
board, bringing with them green tobacco and corn, which they wished to
exchange for knives and beads. Many vessels, engaged in fishing, had
touched at several points on the Atlantic coast, and trafficked with
the Indians. The inhabitants of this unexplored bay had heard of these
adventurers, of the wonders which they brought from distant lands, and
they were in a state of great excitement, in being visited in their
turn.

The bay was fringed with the almost impenetrable forest. Here and
there were picturesque openings, where Indian villages, in peaceful
beauty, were clustered in the midst of the surrounding foliage. The
natives were dressed in garments of deer skin, very softly tanned,
hanging gracefully about their persons, and often beautifully
ornamented. Many of them wore mantles of gorgeously-colored feathers,
quite artistically woven together; and they had also garments of rich
furs.

The following morning a party from the vessel landed, in a boat, on
the Jersey shore. They were received with great hospitality by the
natives, who led them into their wigwams, and regaled them with dried
currants, which were quite palatable. As they had no interpreters,
they could only communicate with each other by signs. They found the
land generally covered with forest trees, with occasional meadows of
green grass, profusely interspersed with flowers, which filled the air
with fragrance.

Another party of five men, was sent to examine the northern shore of
the bay. They probably inflicted some gross outrage upon the natives,
as the crew of the Half Moon had conducted infamously, at other points
of the coast, where they had landed, robbing and shooting the Indians.
The sun had gone down, and a rainy evening had set in, when two canoes
impelled rapidly by paddles, overtook the returning boat. On