These lurked about in nooks and bays, and behind those long promontories which run out info the Tappan Sea, keeping a look-out, to give notice of the approach or movements of hostile ships. They roved about in pairs, sometimes at night, with muffled oars, gliding like spectres about frigates and guard-ships riding at anchor, cutting off any boats that made for shore, and keeping the enemy in constant uneasiness. These musqaito cruisers generally kept aloof by day, so that their harboring places might not be discovered, but would pull quietly along, under shadow of the shore, at night, to take up their quarters at the Roost. Hither, at such time, would also repair the hard-riding lads of the hills, to hold secret councils of war with the " ocean chivalry ;" and in these nocturnal meetings were concerted many of those daring forays, by land and water, that resounded throughout the border.

The chronicle here goes on to recount divers wonderful stories of the wars of the Roost, from which it would seem that this little warrior nest carried the terror of its arms into every sea from Spiting Devil Creek to St. Anthony's Nose ; th.at it even bearded the stout island of Manhattan, invading it at night, penetrating to its centre, and burning down the famous De Lancey house, the conflagrati(m of which makes such a blaze in revolutionary history. Nay, more ; in their extravagant daring, these cocks of the Roost meditated a nocturnal descent upon New York itself, to swoop upon the British commanders,