fortably in his root of a
tree; and throwing back his head, and closing his eyes for a few
moments, to summon up his recollection, he related the following
legend.

THE STORM-SHIP.

In the golden age of the province of the New-Netherlands, when it was
under the sway of Wouter Van Twiller, otherwise called the Doubter,
the people of the Manhattoes were alarmed, one sultry afternoon, just
about the time of the summer solstice, by a tremendous storm of
thunder and lightning. The rain descended in such torrents, as
absolutely to spatter up and smoke along the ground. It seemed as if
the thunder rattled and rolled over the very roofs of the houses; the
lightning was seen to play about the church of St. Nicholas, and to
strive three times, in vain, to strike its weather-cock. Garret Van
Horne's new chimney was split almost from top to bottom; and Doffue
Mildeberger was struck speechless from his bald-faced mare, just as he
was riding into town. In a word, it was one of those unparalleled
storms, that only happen once within the memory of that venerable
personage, known in all towns by the appellation of "the oldest
inhabitant."

Great was the terror of the good old women of the Manhattoes. They
gathered their children together, and took refuge in the cellars;
after having hung a shoe on the iron point of every bed-post, lest it
should attract the lightning. At length the storm abated: the thunder
sunk into a growl; and the setting sun, breaking from under the
fringed borders of the clouds, made the broad bosom of the bay to
gleam like a sea of molten, gold.

The word was given from the fort, that a ship was standing up the bay.
It passed from mouth to mouth, and street to street, and soon put the
little capital in a bustle. The arrival of a ship, in those early
times of the settlement, was an event of vast importance to the
inhabitants. It brought them news from the old world, from the land of
their birth, from which they were so completely severed: to the yearly
ship, too, they looked for their supply of luxuries, of finery, of
comforts, and almost of necessaries. The good vrouw could not have her
new cap, nor new gown, until the arrival of the ship; the artist
waited for it for his tools, the burgomaster for his pipe and his
supply of Hollands, the school-boy for his top and marbles, and the
lordly landholder for the bricks with which he was to build his new
mansion. Thus every one, rich and poor, great and sm