, telling him that a northwest
passage was to be found along the coast of North America, north of
Chesapeake Bay. This letter Hudson had in mind when he started on his
voyage.

He reached Chesapeake Bay, but did not enter it, as the weather was
stormy. Instead, he proceeded up the coast, looking for an opening.
At length, in September, he entered a beautiful bay. Into this bay
a wide river flowed which Hudson thought might be a strait that would
lead into the Pacific Ocean. The water in this opening was salt, and
this strengthened Hudson in the belief that it was the strait for which
he had been searching so long. At the mouth of the river there was
a beautiful island, long and narrow, and wooded to the shore.

At first the island seemed deserted, but soon the sailors saw here
and there slender curling columns of smoke rising from among the trees.
This smoke showed them that the island was inhabited, and presently
an Indian appeared on the shore.

[Illustration: The Half Moon on the Hudson River.]

This Indian looked for a moment in astonishment at the ship, and then,
shouting the war whoop, bounded back into the forest. In a few minutes
he reappeared, bringing other Indians with him. All were amazed at
the sight of the strange ship, and they gazed in wonder and fear at
it and at the white-faced, bearded strangers. Little by little,
however, they lost their fear and talked with Captain Hudson. These
Indians told Hudson that the name of the beautiful island was Manhattan,
and that the stream led far, far to the north.

So Hudson entered the river and sailed slowly north, enjoying the
charming scenery, and stopping now and then to trade and to talk with
the Indians.

For twenty miles he sailed along a great wall of rock about five hundred
feet high, which we now know as the Palisades. This name was given
to the rocky wall because it looks like a palisade, or high fence of
stakes set close together and upright in the ground.

Soon after this the river became very winding, and high mountains arose
on all sides. The _Half Moon_ now entered the beautiful Highlands,
and her crew were the first white men to see this enchanting spot.
The vessel sailed on, and at length it came to the place where the
city of Hudson now stands. Here an Indian chief invited the captain
to go ashore. Hudson did so, and the Indians prepared a great feast
in his honor.

They gave him roast pigeons and a roast dog to eat. Hudson did not
like