ble voracity. It is one of the most alluring baits that anglers can use. The abundance of this exquisite food at the breeding season, is supposed to be a principal inducement for the basse or rockfish, to follow the sturgeons to their place of deposit. The disturbance the sturgeons have experienced in the progress of settlement, has diminished their numbers exceedingly; and the basse has become proportionally rare.

Now, with all this information relative to the several sorts of fish, that have frequented the Hudson, şince the possession of its banks by European emigrants, there are no regular notices of salmon. Neither a swimming-course, nor a breeding-place has been detected. It is, therefore, a fair It is, therefore, a fair presumption, that these fishes never found within its waters sufficient inducement to visit them in great numbers, or at regular times, and that those which have been taken are merely strays and wanderers. I beg you to accept my friendly salutations.

Rev. Dr. MILLER.

SAML. L. MITCHILL.

(Note B.)

My dear Friend,

Albany, March 3, 1810.

The names of the rivers Mohock and Hudson, as they are extant among the Iroquois, have engaged my attention, since the receipt of your late letter, prompting me to make inquiry concerning them. My opportunities have been very favourable. Mr. John Bleecker, the ancient indian interpreter, now in the seventy-ninth year of his age, was well enough to receive a visit from me this morning, and in possession of his full recollection as to what I asked of him. On seeing me, he instantly, and without hesi tation, pronounced my name, with a remembrance that he had been acquainted with me at Fort Schuyler, in 1788, when the five nations sold their lands to

the state of New-York. I have also seen colonel Louis, the distinguished Indian warrior, who is now in Albany, and have sought information from him. Jacob Dochstetter, the present Oneida interpreter, likewise gave me all the opportunity I wished of conversing with him, while he was attending with his countrymen, a treaty with the commissioners appointed on the part of the state.

From these several persons I have obtained the following words, which I immediately committed to writing, and corrected as well as I could, by many repetitions from the mouths of the speakers. Though, I ought to observe, that there are a few sounds which the letters of our alphabet are incapable of expressing. Canneogahakalononitàde-the Mohock river. Skenectadèa-the city of Albany. Ohnowalagantle-the town of Schenectady. Cahohàtatèa-the North or Hudson River. Skenectadèa, Cahohàtatèa-the North River, spoken of in relation to Albany or Albany River. Tioghsàhronde-the place or places at which streams empty themselves.

Tioghsàhronde, Cahohàtatèa-the North River spoken of in relation to the Mohock, the water-vlietkill, the norman's kill, and the other streams which discharge into it.

The name for our North River, in the tongue of the Iroquois, strikes my ear very agreeably; ČAHO

HATATEA.

You may contrast this with the Mohegan name for the same river, given me this day by John Taylor, Esq. a gentleman long conversant in the Indian affairs of New-York; MAHAKANEGHTUC.

What their etymologies are, I have not been able to ascertain, except as to Skenectadèa, Albany; which signifies the place the natives of the Iroquois arrived at, by travelling through the pine-trees.

Truly and affectionately yours,

SAML. L. MITCHILL. Rev. SAMUEL MILLER, D. D. &c.

The information, that SHATEMUCK was one of the Mahiccan names of the river HUDSON, was received from the Hon. EGBERT BENSON, Esq.

TO THE MOST CHRISTIAN KING OF FRANCE,
FRANCIS THE FIRST.

The relation of JOHN DE VERRAZZANO, a Florentine, of the Land by him discouered in the name of his Maiestie. Written in Diepe, the eight of July, 1524.

(Hakluyt's Voyages, vol. 2. pp. 295–300. Lond. fol. 1600.)

I wrote not to your Maiesty, most Christian King, since the time we suffered the Tempest in the North partes, of the successe of the foure shippes, which your Maiestie sent forth to discouer new lands by the Ocean, thinking your Maiestie had bene already duely enformed thereof. Now by these presents I will give your Maiestie to understand, how by the violence of the Windes we were forced with the two shippes, the Norman and the Dolphin, (in such euill case as they were,) to land in Britaine. Where after wee had repayred them in all poynts as was needefull, and armed them very well, we took our course along by the coast of Spaine, which your Maiestie shall understand by the profite that we receiued thereby. Afterwards with the Dolphin alone we determined to make discouerie of new Countries, to prosecute the Nauigation we had already begun, which I purpose at this present to recount unto your Maiestie, to make manifest the whole proceeding of the matter.

The 17 of January, the yeere 1524, by the Grace of God, we departed from the dishabited rocke by the isle of Madeira, apperteining to the King of Portugal, with 50 men, with victuals, wea

pons, and other ship-munition very well prouided and furnished for eight months; and sailing Westward with a faire Easterly winde, in 25 dayes we ran 500 leagues, and the 20 of Februarie, we were ouertaken with as sharpe and terrible a tempest as euer any saylers suffered, whereof with the diuine helpe and mercifull assistance of Almighty God, and the goodnesse of our shippe, accompanied with the good happe of her fortunate name, we were deliuered, and with a prosperous winde followed our course West and by North. And in other 25 dayes we made aboue 400 leagues more, where we discouered a new land, neuer before seene of any man either ancient or moderne, and at the first sight it seemed somewhat low, but being within a quarter of a league of it, we perceiued by the great fires that we saw by the sea-coast, that it was inhabited; and saw that the lande stretched to the southwards. In seek. ing some conuenient harborough, wherein to anchor and to have knowledge of the place, we sayled fiftie leagues in vaine, and seeing the lande to runne still to the southwards, we resolved to returne backe againe towards the north, where wee found our selves troubled with the like difficultie. At length, being in despaire to find any porte, wee cast anchor upon the coast and sent our boate to shore, where we saw great store of people which came to the seaside; and seeing us approch, they fled away, and sometimes would stand still and looke backe, beholding us with great admiration; but, afterwards, being animated and assured with signes that we made them, some of them came hard to the seaside, seeming to reioyce very much at the sight of us, and marvelling greatly at our apparel, shape and whitenesse, shewed us by sundry signes, where we might most commodiously come aland with our boate, offering us also of their victuals to eat. Now I will briefly declare to your maiestie their life and maners, as farre as we could have notice thereof: These people goe altogether naked, except

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only that they couer their priuie parts with certain skins of beastes, like unto marterns, which they fasten unto a narrow girdle made of grasse very artificially wrought, hanged about with tayles of divers other beastes, which, round about their bodies, hang dangling down to their knees. Some of them weare garlands of byrdes feathers. The people are of colour russet, and not much unlike the Saracens; their hayre blacke, thicke, and not very long, which they tye together in a knot behind, and weare it like a little taile. They are well featured in their limbes of meane stature, and commonly somewhat bigger than wee, broad breasted, strong armed, their legs and other parts of their bodies well fashioned, and they are disfigured in nothing, sauing that they haue somewhat broade visages, and yet not all of them, for we saw many of them wel favoured, hauing blacke and great eyes, with a cheerefull and steady looke, not strong of body, yet sharpe witted, nimble and exceeding great runners, as farre as we could learne by experience, and in those two last qualities they are like to the people of the east partes of the world, and especially to them of the uttermost parts of China. We could not learne of this people their manner of huing, nor their particular customs, by reason of the short abode we made on the shore, our company being but small, and our ship ryding farre off in the sea. And not farre from these we found another people, whose liuing wee think to be like unto theirs (as hereafter I will declare unto your Maiestie) shewing at this present the situation and nature of the foresayd land. The shoare is all couered with small sand, and so ascendeth upwards for the space of 15 foote, rising in form of little hils, about 50 paces broad. And sayling forwards, we found certaine small rivers and armes of the sea, that fall downe by certaine creeks, washing the shoare on both sides as the coast lyeth. And beyond this we saw the open country rising in height above the sandy shoare, with