the quaker colonies-第26部分
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y effectively concealed the rigging from British cruisers prowling along the shore。
Along with the whaling industry the risks and seclusion of the inlets and channels developed a romantic class of gentlemen； as handy with musket and cutlass as with helm and sheet； fond of easy； exciting profits； and reaping where they had not sown。 They would start legally enough； for they began as privateersmen under legal letters of marque in the wars。 But the step was a short one to a traffic still more profitable； and for a hundred years Jersey customs officers are said to have issued documents which were ostensibly letters of marque but which really abetted a piratical cruise。 Piracy was； however； in those days a semi…legitimate offense； winked at by the authorities all through the colonial period； and respectable people and governors and officials of New York and North Carolina； it is said； secretly furnished funds for such expeditions and were interested in the profits。
Chapter XII。 Little Delaware
Delaware was the first colony to be established on the river that bears this name。 It went through half a century of experiences under the Dutch and Swedes from 1609 to 1664； and then eighteen years under the English rule of the Duke of York； from whom it passed into the hands of William Penn； the Quaker。 The Dutch got into it by an accident and were regarded by the English as interlopers。 And the Swedes who followed had no better title。
The whole North Atlantic seaboard was claimed by England by virtue of the discoveries of the Cabots； father and son； but nearly a hundred years elapsed before England took advantage of this claim by starting the Virginia colony near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in 1607。 And nearly a quarter of a century more elapsed before Englishmen settled on the shores of Massachusetts Bay。 Those were the two points most accessible to ships and most favorable for settlement。 The middle ground of the Delaware and Hudson regions was not so easily entered and remained unoccupied。 The mouth of the Delaware was full of shoals and was always difficult to navigate。 The natural harbor at the mouth of the Hudson was excellent； but the entrance to it was not at first apparent。
Into these two regions； however； the Dutch chanced just after the English had effected the settlement of Jamestown in Virginia。 The Dutch had employed an Englishman named Henry Hudson and sent him in 1609 in a small ship called the Half Moon to find a passage to China and India by way of the Arctic Ocean。 Turned back by the ice in the Arctic； he sailed down the coast of North America； and began exploring the middle ground from the Virginia settlement； which he seems to have known about； and； working cautiously northward along the coast and feeling his way with the lead line； he soon entered Delaware Bay。 But finding it very difficult of navigation he departed and； proceeding in the same careful way up along the coast of New Jersey； he finally entered the harbor of New York and sailed up the Hudson far enough to satisfy himself that it was not the desired course to China。
This exploration gave the Dutch their claim to the Delaware and Hudson regions。 But though it was worthless as against the English right by discovery of the Cabots； the Dutch went ahead with their settlement； established their headquarters and seat of government on Manhattan Island； where New York stands today； and exercised as much jurisdiction and control as they could on the Delaware。
Their explorations of the Delaware； feeling their way up it with small light draft vessels among its shoals and swift tides； their travels on landshooting wild turkeys on the site of the present busy town of Chesterand their adventures with the Indians are full of interest。 The immense quantities of wild fowl and animal and bird life along the shores astonished them； but what most aroused their cupidity was the enormous supply of furs； especially beaver and otter； that could be obtained from the Indians。 Furs became their great； in fact； their only interest in the Delaware。 They established forts； one near Cape Henlopen at the mouth of the river； calling it Fort Oplandt； and another far up the river on the Jersey side at the mouth of Timber Creek； nearly opposite the present site of Philadelphia； and this they called Fort Nassau。 Fort Oplandt was destroyed by the Indians and its people were massacred。 Fort Nassau was probably occupied only at intervals。 These two posts were built mainly to assist the fur trade； and any attempts at real settlement were slight and unsuccessful。
Meantime about the year 1624 the Swedes heard of the wonderful opportunities on the Delaware。 The Swedish monarch； Gustavus Adolphus； a man of broad ambitions and energetic mind； heard about the Delaware from Willem Usselinx； a merchant of Antwerp who had been actively interested in the formation of the Dutch West India Company to trade in the Dutch possessions in America。 Having quarreled with the directors； Usselinx had withdrawn from the Netherlands and now offered his services to Sweden。 The Swedish court； nobles； and people； all became enthusiastic about the project which he elaborated for a great commercial company to trade and colonize in Asia； Africa； and America。* But the plan was dropped because； soon after 1630； Gustavus Adolphus led his country to intervene on the side of the Protestants in the Thirty Years' War in Germany； where he was killed three years later at the battle of Lutzen。 But the desire aroused by Usselinx for a Swedish colonial empire was revived in the reign of his infant daughter； Christina； by the celebrated Swedish Chancellor； Oxenstierna。
* See 〃Willem Usselinx；〃 by J。 F。 Jameson in the 〃Papers of the American Historical Association；〃 vol。 II。
An expedition； which actually reached the Delaware in 1638； was sent out under another Dutch renegade； Peter Minuit； who had been Governor of New Netherland and after being dismissed from office was now leading this Swedish enterprise to occupy part of the territory he had formerly governed for the Dutch。 His two ships sailed up the Delaware and with good judgment landed at the present site of Wilmington。 At that point a creek carrying a depth of over fourteen feet for ten miles from its mouth flowed into the Delaware。 The Dutch had called this creek Minquas； after the tribe of Indians； the Swedes named it the Christina after their infant Queen； and in modern times it has been corrupted into Christiana。
They sailed about two and a half miles through its delta marshes to some rocks which formed a natural wharf and which still stand today at the foot of Sixth Street in Wilmington。 This was the Plymouth Rock of Delaware。 Level land； marshes； and meadows lay along the Christina； the remains of the delta which the stream had formed in the past。 On the edge of the delta or moorland； rocky hills rose； forming the edge of the Piedmont； and out of them from the north flowed a fine large stream； the Brandywine； which fell into the Christina just before it entered the Delaware。 Here in the delta their engineer laid out a town； called Christinaham； and a fort behind the rocks on which they had landed。 A cove in the Christina made a snug anchorage for their ships； out of the way of the tide。 They then bought from the Indians all the land from Cape Henlopen to the Falls of the Delaware at Trenton； calling it New Sweden and the Delaware New Swedeland Stream。 The people of Delaware have always regarded New Sweden as the beginning of their State； and Peter Minuit； the leader of this Swedish expedition； always stands first on the published lists of their governors。
On their arrival in the river in the spring of 1638； the Swedes found no evidences of permanent Dutch colonization。 Neither Fort Oplandt nor Fort Nassau was then occupied。 They always maintained that the Dutch had abandoned the river； and that it was therefore open to the Swedes for occupation； especially after they had purchased the Indian title。 It was certainly true that the Dutch efforts to plant colonies in that region had failed； and since the last attempt by De Vries； six years had elapsed。 On the other hand； the Dutch contended that they had in that time put Fort Nassau in repair； although they had not occupied it； and that they kept a few persons living along the Jersey shore of the river； possibly the remains of the Nassau colony； to watch all who visited it。 These people had immediately notified the Dutch governor Kieft at New Amsterdam of the arrival of the Swedes； and he promptly issued a protest against the intrusion。 But his protest was neither very strenuous nor was it followed up by hostile action； for Sweden and Holland were on friendly terms。 Sweden； the great champion of Protestant Europe； had intervened in the Thirty Years' War to save the Protestants of Germany。 The Dutch had just finished a similar desperate war of eighty years for freedom from the papal despotism of Spain。 Dutch and Swedes had； therefore； every reason to be in sympathy with each other。 The Swedes； a plain； strong； industrious people； as William Penn aptly called them； were soon； however； seriously interfering with the Dutch fur trade and in the first year； it is said； collected thirty thousand skins
