They are prefaced with the statement that " it being universally agreed that people are the foundations and improvement of all plantations, and that people are encreased principally by sending of servants thither, it is necessary that a settled course be taken for the furnishing them with servants.'' " Servants," it is next stated, " are either blacks or whites," and the status of the former is defined as follows: " Blacks are such as are brought by wave of trade and are sould at about £20 a head one with another, and are the principall and most useful 1 appurtenances of a plantation, and are such as are perpetuall servants." It would be difficult to find in the literature of slavery under English rule a more accurate and ingenuous definition of the position of the negro as understood in olden times. Lovelace, who succeeded Nicolls as governor in 1668, continued his and adpredecessor's liberal policy toward the Dutch population, ministered affairs successfully and smoothly until suddenly forced to resurrender the province to its original owners in 1673. During He his incumbency the settlers in our county rapidly increased. DUKE

OF YORK'S

SEAI

GENERAL

HISTORICAL

REVIEW

took an active interest in improving the means of communication between the outlying localities and New York City. He strongly urged upon the people of Harlem village the necessity of building a good wagon road to the fort, and at an early period of his government the ferry service at Kingsbridge was inaugurated. From his time dates the opening of the first regular route of travel to Connecticut, what was later improved into the Boston Post Road. " Once a month, beginning with January 1, 1673, the postman, mounted upon a goodly horse, which had to carry him as far as Hartford, collected the accumulated mail into his saddlebags.