merous, and amounted, in 1845, as nearly as can be ascertained, to between eighteen and twenty millions of dollars, giving employment to more than sixty thousand persons.

Commerce. In commerce, this county surpasses every other city or county on the continent, and is the second city in the world, in commercial importance.

In 1845, the registered, licensed and enrolled shipping of the county, amounted to 550,359 tons. The shipping, entered the same year, amounted to over one million tons, and the clearances, to about the same amount.

This commerce is extended to every part of the globe. Not only do the ships of this port visit the various ports of our own country, and Europe, but their sails flutter in the breezes of China, and Japan; their flag is known on the coasts of Arabia, Persia and India, and their trade sought by the swarthy sons of Africa and New Holland, and by the natives of the unnumbered isles, that gem the wide expanse of the Pacific. Wherever there is an opportunity for traffic, there the

American flag is the first unfurled.

Directly, or indirectly, this commerce furnishes the means of support, to many thousands of her own citizens, and also to millions in other counties and states. The great system of internal navigation, so nobly begun and carried on by the state, has also brought immense wealth into the city.

The amount of produce brought to the Hudson, from all the canals, in 1845, the greater part of which came to New York, was over forty-five millions of dollars, and the amount, which was cleared from the Hudson river, the same year, (most of which was from New York), was over fifty-five millions, making a total internal trade, of about one hundred millions of dollars per annum.

Agriculture is not an object of great attention. Horticulture furnishes employment to a considerable number of persons, in the upper part of the island.

EDUCATION. The common school system of the city of New York has been already described. (See page 124.)

It only remains to say, that more liberal and ample provision, for furnishing a thorough education, even to the most indigent, is nowhere made. The child of the poorest emigrant may obtain, free of expense, if he chooses, as full instruction in the sciences, as the son of the wealthiest citizen in the city.

In addition to the common schools, there are twenty-eight incorporated schools and academies in the county, seventeen of which are female seminaries. These are well conducted, and attended by large numbers. There are also several hundred private and select schools, attended, it is estimated, by more than 20,000 pupils.

There are two colleges in the city; viz: 1. Columbia College, founded in 1754, and amply endowed. It has a president and ten professors, 104 students, and a library of 14,000 volumes. The grammar school, connected with it, has between 200 and 300 pupils. The college edifices are located at the foot of Park place.

2. The University of the city of New York, located on Washington square. The university edifice is of white marble, in the collegiate Gothic style, and is one of the finest buildings in the

city. Its cost was nearly $300,000. It has a president, and eleven professors, 143 students, and a valuable library. Connected with it, is a large and flourishing grammar school.

A medical department is connected with the university. It is in a prosperous condition, and occupies a fine granite building, formerly known as the Stuyvesant Institute. This department has seven professors, 407 students, and a valuable

museum.

Besides these, there are several professional schools in the city. The College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Crosby street, was founded in 1807, and has always maintained a high rank, among the medical schools of our country. It has seven professors, 279 students, and an extensive and valuable museum and library. The College of Pharmacy is a recent institution, designed for the education of apothecaries.

It

The General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, occupies two elegant gothic buildings, of stone, in the upper part of the city, has five professors, seventy students, and a library of 7300 volumes. was founded in 1819. The Union Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, situated in University Place, was founded in 1836, has six professors, 112 students, and a library of over 16,000 volumes.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodist Episcopal, Dutch Reformed, Roman Catholics, Methodists not Episcopal, Jews, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Universalists, Friends, Unitarians, New Jerusalem Church, Christians and Moravians. Number of churches 217, of clergymen 282.

HISTORY. The leading facts, connected with the settlement of New York, or New Amsterdam, as the city was called by the Dutch, have been already stated, in the general historical sketch. From the time of its discovery, in 1609, by Henry Hudson, up to the year 1625, no permanent settlement of emigrants seems to have been made.

Companies of adventurers had visited Manhattan Island, erected trading houses, for carrying on the traffic in furs with the natives, and when their objects were accomplished, had returned to Holland. A few, perhaps, fond of this roving life, had remained, and acquired that knowledge of the Indian character, which enabled them, more successfully, to secure his peltries. None, however, settled as colonists, or procured, from its native proprietors, a title to the soil, except for the erection of their trading houses.

In 1614, the Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale, in order to keep the restless spirits of his colony employed, fitted out an expedition under Captain Argall, against the French settlement at Acadia, (now Nova Scotia.) Returning from his cruise, Argall entered the bay of New York, and compelled the few Dutch traders, whom he found there, to swear fealty to the English crown.

After the formation of the Dutch West India Company, they took immediate measures for establishing a permanent colony, at this important post.

Under their fostering care, bouweries, or farms, were soon taken up, and a substantial fort being erected, the rude dwellings of the settlers began to cluster around it.

Under the administration of Minuit, it prospered and increased in population and importance. The intemperance and quarrelsome tempers of the next two Governors, Van Twiller and Kieft, brought serious evils upon the infant settlement. The injustice of the latter to the Indians, having roused their enmity, had well nigh exterminated it, in 1643 and 44.

Wretchedness and want stared the colonists in the face, and but for the vigor and energy of Governor Stuyvesant's administration, they would perhaps have abandoned the settlement.

In 1642, the Stadt Huys, or city Hall, was erected. It was built of stone, and was taken down in 1700. The same year, the first church, (Dutch Reformed,) was erected in the fort. In 1653, the city of New Amsterdam was incorporated, by the States General of the Netherlands, and its officers were elected by the people.

In 1653, it was rumored that the New England colonists intended to attack New Amsterdam: measures were consequently taken to put the city in a state of defence; and during that, and the succeeding year, a palisade of boards about twelve feet in height was erected, and an embankment of earth thrown up against it.

Fond of their ease, however, the good citizens did not maintain their fortifications, in such perfection, as to make them of any great avail, against an invading foe.

In 1655, Governor Stuyvesant, with the greater part of the inhabitants of the city, capable of bearing arms, engaged in the expedition against the Swedes, on the south, or Delaware river. While they were absent on this expedition, the city was invaded by the Indians, several of the bouweries plundered, and a few killed. The Indians, however, did not venture within the city walls. In 1656, it was laid out into streets, and then contained 120 houses, and 1000 inhabitants.

In 1664, hearing of the approach of the English fleet, Governor Stuyvesant summoned the citizens of New Amsterdam, to aid him in repelling the threatened invasion, but his arbitrary sway had produced so much disaffection, that they were not averse to any change, which promised to increase their civil and religious privileges.

They consequently made but little preparation for the defence of the city, and when Col. Nicolls demanded its surrender, offering favorable terms of capitulation, they insisted upon a compliance with them.

In vain Governor Stuyvesant remonstrated, threatened and refused to sign the treaty of capitulation; the sturdy burghers were bent on submission to English rule, and he was, at length, compelled, though with the utmost reluctance, to affix his signature to the instrument. As has been already stated, (sec

page 61,) the name of the city and county was changed, immediately after the capitulation, to New York, in honor of the Duke of York.

Under the mild and beneficent administration of Colonel Nicolls, and his successor, Governor Lovelace, the city prospered, and increased in population and wealth.

It was again captured by the Dutch, in July, 1673, and during the administration of Governor Colve, martial law was maintained. The name of the city was changed to New Orange, and of the fort to William Hendrick.

In Oct. 1674, it was again surrendered to the English, and the old name of New York resumed. The assessors' valuation of property in the city, in 1688, was £78.231. (about $220,000.) In 1690, a Congress, of the commissioners of the several colonies, was held at New York. In 1694, there were sixty ships, twenty- . five sloops, and forty boats, belonging to the city.

In 1696, Trinity church was built. This building was burned in 1776. The first Lutheran church was built in 1710, on the site lately occupied by Grace church. It was erected by some Palatines, who had fled from persecution in Germany.

In 1711, a slave market was established in Wall street, near East river. The next year, an insurrection occurred among the negroes, and nineteen were executed. In 1725, the first newspaper was published in the state. It was called the New York Gazette. In 1732, the first stage commenced running, between New York and Boston once a month, occupying fourteen days in the journey. The same distance is now traversed, by steamboat and railroad, in nine hours.

In 1740, the New York Society Library was founded. During the two succeeding years, the yellow fever prevailed in the city, to an alarming extent. In 1741, the Negro plot, which has been described, in the general history of the state, occurred. It occasioned great alarm in the city, as, of the 12,000 inhabitants it then contained, one sixth were slaves. For the succeeding thirty years, the growth of the city was rapid, both in wealth and population. The New York Hospital was founded, by subscription, in 1769.

In August, 1776, the city fell into the hands of the British. It had, at this time, a population of 20,000. In September of this year, occurred a disastrous fire, which consumed one-eighth of the houses of the city. During their stay in the city, the British troops destroyed all the churches, except the Episcopal, or used them for hospitals, prisoner's barracks, or riding schools. They evacuated the city, and General Washington entered it, in November, 1783. A large number of the tory inhabitants, left with the British army, and their estates were confiscated.

In 1788, the adoption of the new Constitution of the United States, was celebrated by a grand procession, and in 1789, Washington was inaugurated, as the first President, in the open gallery of the old City Hall, facing Broad street.

In December, 1790, the population of the city was about 30,000. Free schools were established in the city, in 1797, though not incorporated, till 1805. In 1801, the total valuation of real estate in the city was a little short of $22,000,000.

The erection of the present City Hall was determined on, during the next year, 1802, and the corner stone laid in September, 1803. The population of the city in 1800, was 60,000, having doubled in ten years. In 1807, the first successful attempt at steamboat navigation, was made on the Hudson, by Fulton and Livingston.

In 1810, the population of the city was 96,000, being an increase of 36,000 in ten years. In 1815, the news of peace with Great Britain, was celebrated, with great rejoicings. In 1822, the yellow fever made its appearance. Great consternation

was felt by the inhabitants, and large numbers left the city.

In 1826, the completion of the Erie canal called forth an extraordinary triumphal procession. The population, in 1830, was 202,000. In 1832, the cholera raged fearfully in the city. More than 10,000 persons fell, as its victims. In December, 1835, occurred the great fire, which destroyed property, to the amount of nearly $18,000,000. Severe as was this loss, the failures in consequence, were comparatively few.

The same year, (1835,) the citizens voted to construct an aqueduct, from the Croton river to their city, for the purpose of supplying themselves with pure water. This magnificent enterprise was so far completed, in 1842, that water was introduced into the city, on the 14th of October, of that year, amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants. In July, 1845, another disastrous fire occurred, which destroyed property to the amount of about six millions of dollars.

The only important battle, on New York island, was that of Harlaem Heights, on the 16th of September, 1776. After the disastrous battle of Long Island, on the 27th of August, it became evident that the American army must evacuate New York. Accordingly, Washington ordered the troops to retreat, toward the north part of the island.

On Sunday, the 15th of September, the British, after stationing their ships in the East and North rivers, so as to cannonade our lines, commenced landing in force, at Turtle bay: the American troops in the vicinity fled, without making any attempt at resistance. Meantime, several brigades of General Putnam's division were in the city: by his exertions, they suc