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. At Hartford he took' another horse, and wended his way as best he might through woods and swamps, across rivers, and along Indian trails, if he was happy enough to find such. On his return, the city coffee-house received his precious burden, and upon a broad table the various missives were displayed and delivered when paid for." 1 The beginning of these regular trips between New York and the New England colonies was, of course, an event of great importance to all the settlers in the eastern part of Westchester County, and the road was steadily developed into a substantial thoroughfare for vehicles. Louis XIV. of France, having determined to crush the Dutch Republic for interfering with some of his designs of statecraft, induced Charles II. of England to GOVERNOR DOXGAN. join him in that enterprise. The Netherlands, however, opposed a powerful and eventually successful resistance to the allies, both on land and sea. The dykes were opened, the Prince of Orange, who had been invested with supreme authority, brilliantly defended his country against the invader at every point, and the French armies were forced to retire. The Dutch navy, triumphing over both the French and English fleets, in a number of decisive engagements, soon entered upon a course of aggression beyond the seas.