Him did he adjure to take his war denouncing trumpet, and mounting his horse, to beat up ihe country, night and day, sounding the alarm along the pastoral borders of the Bronx, startling the wild solitudes of Croton, arousing the rugged yeomanry of Weehawk and Hoboken, the mighty men of battle of Tappan bay, and the brave boys of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, together with all the other warriors of the country round about ; charging them one and all, to sling their powder horns, shoulder their fowling pieces, and march merrily down to the Manhattans. Now there was nothing in all the world, the divine sex excepted, that Anthony van Corlear loved better than errands of this kind. So just stopping to take a lusty dinner, and bracing to his side his junk bottle, well charged with heart inspiring Hollands, he issued jollily from the city gate that looked out upon what is at present called Broadway ; sounding as usual a farewell strain, that rung in sprightly echoes through the winding streets of New Amsterdam. Alas ! never more were they to be gladdened by the melody of their favorite trumpeter ! It was a dark and stormy night when the good Anthony arrived at the famous creek (sagely denominated Harlem river) which separates the island of Manna- hata

« Egbert Benson's Mem N. Y. 94.

Vol. II. 56

-»44^.' / • ^ HISTORY OF THE

from the main land. The wind was high, the elements were in an uproar, and no Charon could be found to ferry the adventurous sounder of brass across the water.