



Produced by David Edwards, David K. Park and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)












PETER OF NEW AMSTERDAM

A STORY OF OLD NEW YORK

BY

JAMES OTIS

[Illustration]

  NEW YORK -:- CINCINNATI -:- CHICAGO
  AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY




  COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY
  JAMES OTIS KALER
  ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON
  W. P. 4




FOREWORD


The purpose of this series of stories is to show the children, and even
those who have already taken up the study of history, the _home life_ of
the colonists with whom they meet in their books. To this end every
effort has been made to avoid anything savoring of romance, and to deal
only with facts, so far as that is possible, while describing the daily
life of those people who conquered the wilderness whether for conscience
sake or for gain.

That the stories may appeal more directly to the children, they are told
from the viewpoint of a child, and purport to have been related by a
child. Should any criticism be made regarding the seeming neglect to
mention important historical facts, the answer would be that these books
are not sent out as histories,--although it is believed that they will
awaken a desire to learn more of the building of the nation,--and only
such incidents as would be particularly noted by a child are used.

Surely it is entertaining as well as instructive for young people to
read of the toil and privations in the homes of those who came into a
new world to build up a country for themselves, and such homely facts
are not to be found in the real histories of our land.

JAMES OTIS.




CONTENTS


 CHAPTER                                            PAGE

 WHERE I WAS BORN                                      9

 ALONE IN HOLLAND                                     11

 AN IMPORTANT INTRODUCTION                            13

 I GO MY WAY                                          15

 THE BARGAIN                                          16

 SAILING FOR THE NEW WORLD                            18

 A VIEW OF NEW NETHERLAND                             20

 THE "BROWN MEN" OR SAVAGES                           22

 SUMMONED TO THE CABIN                                24

 TOYS FOR THE SAVAGES                                 27

 CLAIM OF THE WEST INDIA COMPANY                      29

 MAKING READY FOR TRADE                               30

 HANS BRAUN AND KRYN GILDERSLEEVE                     32

 THE GATHERING OF THE SAVAGES                         34

 GOING ASHORE                                         36

 BUYING THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN                       38

 BOATS USED BY THE SAVAGES                            41

 WANDERING OVER THE ISLAND                            42

 THE HOMES OF THE SAVAGES                             44

 MASTER MINUIT'S HOME                                 46

 BEGINNING THE WORK                                   48

 A STRANGE KIND OF CRAFT                              49

 BUILDING A FORT                                      52

 IN CHARGE OF THE GOODS                               53

 THE VALUE OF WAMPUM                                  56

 BUILDINGS OF STONE                                   59

 THE GOVERNMENT                                       60

 A PROSPEROUS TOWN                                    61

 QUARRELSOME SLAVES                                   64

 A BRUTAL MURDER                                      67

 THE VILLAGE CALLED PLYMOUTH                          68

 I GO ON A VOYAGE                                     70

 A LUKEWARM WELCOME