Romans. the outdone have Indians our and most formidable people in North America, and at the same time as politic and judicious as can well be conceived." Although exterminating wars were waged between the Dutch and the Westchester Indians, in which both sides were perfectly rapacious, it was the general policy of the Dutch to deal with the natives amicablv and to attain their great object, the acquirement of the land, by the forms of purchase, with such incidental concessions of the subThe goods given in exstance as might be required by circumstances. chanoe for the lands comprised a variety of useful articles, such as ammunition, with trintools! hatchets, kettles, cloth, firearms, and ble rum. The simplicity kets for ornament and the always indispensa of the natives in their dealings with the whites is the subject of many distribentertaining narratives. " The man with the red clothes now articles, and uted presents of beads, axes, hoes, stockings, and other come again to made them understand that he would return home and but awhile, them with stay and see them, brin<r them more presents, herbs to should want a little land to sow some seeds, in order to raise . . . They rejoiced much at seeing each other put in their broth. laughed at them, seeing that they knew not the whites the but again, and the like they had given them, they having hoes, use of the axes,

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

had those hanging to their breasts as ornaments, and the stockings t hoy had made use of as tobacco pouches. The whites now put handles or helves in the former, and cut trees down before their eves, and dug the ground, and showed them the use of the stockings. Here a general laughter ensued among the Indians, that they had remained for so long a time ignorant of the use of so valuable implements, and had borne with the weight of such heavy metal hanging to their necks for such a length of time. . . .