t is good wood land. The
west end on which the city lies, is entirely cleared for more than an
hour's distance, though that is the poorest ground; the best being on
the east and north side. There are many brooks of fresh water running
through it, pleasant and proper for man and beast to drink, as well as
agreeable to behold, affording cool and pleasant resting places, but
especially suitable places for the construction of mills, for although
there is no overflow of water, yet it can be shut off and so used. A
little eastward of Nieu Haerlem there are two ridges of very high
rocks, with a considerable space between them, displaying themselves
very majestically, and inviting all men to acknowledge in them the
majesty, grandeur, power and glory of their creator, who has impressed
such marks upon them. Between them runs the road to Spyt den
Duyvel.[137] The one to the north is most apparent; the south ridge is
covered with earth on its north side, but it can be seen from the
water or from the main land beyond to the south. The soil between
these ridges is very good, though a little hilly and stony, and would
be very suitable in my opinion for planting vineyards, in consequence
of its being shut off on both sides from the winds which would most
injure them, and is very warm. We found blue grapes along the road
which were very good and sweet, and as good as any I have tasted in
the Fatherland.

[Footnote 135: Named from Barent Blom, a settler. Later called Great
and Little Barn Islands, now Ward's and Randall's Islands.]

[Footnote 136: Of Manhattan.]

[Footnote 137: The road was finished in 1673. Traced along the modern
streets, it ran up Broadway, Park Row, the Bowery, Fourth Avenue (to
Union Square), Broadway (to Madison Square), and then irregularly to
the Harlem River at Third Avenue and 130th Street. The heights spoken
of east (northeast) of the village of New Harlem were the present
Mount Morris and Mott Haven.]

We went from the city, following the Broadway, over the _valley_, or
the fresh water. Upon both sides of this way were many habitations of
negroes, mulattoes and whites. These negroes were formerly the proper
slaves of the (West India) company, but, in consequence of the
frequent changes and conquests of the country, they have obtained
their freedom and settled themselves down where they have thought
proper, and thus on this road, where they have ground enough to live
on with their families. We left the v