y of New York, from the beginning of the world to the end of the
Dutch dynasty,... being the only authentic history of the times that
ever hath been or ever will be published, by Diedrick Knickerbocker....
Book I., chap. i. Description of the World.... Book II., chap. i....
Also of Master Hendrick Hudson, his discovery of a strange country....
Chap. vii. How the people of Pavonia migrated from Communipaw to the
Island of Manhattan.... Chap. ix. How the city of New Amsterdam waxed
great under the protection of St. Nicholas, and the absence of laws and
statutes. Book III., chap. iii. How the town of New Amsterdam arose out
of mud, and came to be marvellously polished and polite, together with
a picture of the manners of our great-great-grandfathers.... Book IV.,
chap. vi. Projects of William the Testy for increasing the currency; he
is outwitted by the Yankees. The great Oyster War.... Book V., chap.
viii. How the Yankee crusade against the New Netherlands was baffled by
the sudden outbreak of witchcraft among the people of the East ... Book
VII., chap. ii. How Peter Stuyvesant labored to civilize the community.
How he was a great promoter of holydays. How he instituted kissing on
New Year's Day.... Chap. iii. How troubles thicken on the province. How
it is threatened by the Helderbergers,--the Merrylanders, and the Giants
of the Susquehanna.

* * * * *

=_179._= THE ARMY AT NEW AMSTERDAM.

First of all came the Van Bummels, who inhabit the pleasant borders
of the Bronx. These were short, fat men, wearing exceeding large
trunk-breeches, and are renowned for feats of the trencher; they were
the first inventors of suppawn, or mush and milk.... Lastly came the
Knickerbockers, of the great town of Schahticoke, where the folks lay
stones upon the houses in windy weather, lest they should be blown away.
These derive their name, as some say, from _Knicker_, to shake, and
_Beker_, a goblet, indicating thereby that they were sturdy tosspots of
yore; but in truth, it was derived from _Knicker_, to nod, and _Bocken_,
books, plainly meaning that they were great nodders or dozers over
books; from them did descend the writer of this History.

* * * * *

From the "Tales of a Traveller."

=_180._= A MOTHER'S MEMORY.

A part of the church-yard is shaded by large trees. Under one of them
my mother lay buried. You have no doubt thought me a light, heartless
being. I thoug