numbered over one
hundred souls.

And now the English made vigorous efforts to gain all the lands as far
west as the Hudson river. A village of fifty log huts soon rose at
Stratford, near the Housatonic. Enterprising emigrants also pushed
forward as far as Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich. The colony at
Saybrook consisted in 1640, of a hundred houses, and a fine church.
The Dutch now held, in the Connecticut valley, only the flat lands
around fort Hope. And even these the English began to plough up. They
cudgelled those of the Dutch garrison who opposed them, saying, "It
would be a sin to leave uncultivated so valuable a land which can
produce such excellent corn."

The English now laid claim to the whole of Long Island, and commenced
a settlement at its eastern extremity. In the meantime very bitter
complaints were sent to Holland respecting the incapacity of the
Director Van Twiller. It was said that he, neglecting the affairs of
the colony, was directing all his energies to enriching himself. He
had become, it was reported, the richest landholder in the province.
Though sustained by very powerful friends, he was removed.

William Kieft was appointed in his stead, the fifth Director. He was a
man of very unenviable reputation, and his administration was far from
successful. Mr. Brodhead gives the following true and very interesting
account of the abundant natural resources of the Dutch settlements on
the Hudson at this time:

"The colonists lived amid nature's richest profusion. In the
forests, by the water side, and on the islands, grew a rank
abundance of nuts and plums. The hills were covered with
thickets of blackberries. On the flat lands, near the
rivers, wild strawberries came up so plentifully that the
people went there to lie down and eat them. Vines, covered
with grapes as good and sweet as in Holland, clambered over
the loftiest trees. Deer abounded in the forests, in harvest
time and autumn, as fat as any Holland deer can be. Enormous
wild turkeys and myriads of partridges, pheasants and
pigeons roosted in the neighboring woods. Sometimes the
turkeys and deer came down to the houses of the colonists to
feed. A stag was frequently sold by the Indians for a loaf
of bread, or a knife, or even for a tobacco pipe. The river
produced the finest fish. There was a great plenty of
sturgeon, which, at that time, the Christians did n