In the " Restless " Block sailed boldly through the rushing currents of the East River, naming its most dangerous portion " Hell Gate," after a similar situa. tion in a branch of the Scheldt, near Hulst, in Zealand, called " Hellegat." He explored our shore of Long Island Sound, and continued eastward to Cape Cod. The importance of these enterprises increased so that the States-General passed ordinances regulat. ing the trade, and, in 1614, granted a charter to the traders, in which the country was first called " New Netherland." The merchants to whom the charter was granted were not united as a corporation, but were merely participants in a limited monopoly, which they enjoyed in common. They had no powers of government, as they did not contemplate any permanent colonization. Their charter expired by its own limitation on the 1st of January, 1618. By that time trading ports had been established on Manhattan Island and upon Castle Island, near Albany, and doubtless considerable trading had been done with the Indians of Westchester County, but no attempt at settlement had yet been made. There was now much uncertainty as to the best course to pursue in relation to this new territory, whose importance to the traders was daily increasing. Various propositions were considered and dismissed, until, in 1621, the West India Company was organized, and received a charter of almost unlimited powers of government, while it was required to "advance the peopling of this fruitful and unsettled part, and do all that the service of those countries and the profit and increase of trade shall require." The internal organization of the company proved a tedious matter, and it was not until June, 1623, that the plans were perfected and the articles of government were approved by the States-General. Then active preparations were made for the increase of the trade with the Indians and for making a permanent settlement upon the yet unoccupied lands.