undred armed men
were parading the streets of New York.

It proved a false dream. No enemy appeared. The troops were disbanded.
They returned to their homes. The community was lulled into a very
false sense of security. In July, the governor again was absent, on a
visit to Connecticut. On the 29th of July the Dutch fleet appeared at
Sandy Hook, and, learning from some of the inhabitants of Long Island,
whose sympathies were still cordially with the fatherland, that the
city was entirely defenceless and could easily be taken, ventured to
try the experiment. They had not approached the bay with any such
design. They had supposed their force entirely inadequate for so
important a capture. The fleet quietly sailed up the bay and, as the
English fleet had done but a few years before, anchored opposite the
Battery, and turned their broadsides towards the city.

Colonel Manning sent a hurried despatch to the governor, who could by
no possibility return for several days, and fluttered about in the
attempt to beat up recruits. But no recruits were forthcoming. The
sight of the flag of Holland, again triumphantly floating in the
harbor, was joyful to many eyes.

The great majority of the people, in the city and in the country, were
of Dutch descent. Consequently the recruiting parties which were
raised, were in no mood to peril their lives in defence of the flag of
England. Indeed it is said that one party of the recruits marched to
the Battery and deliberately spiked several of the guns, opposite the
City-hall.

It was a most singular revolution of the wheel of fortune. Captain
Manning had but fifty soldiers within the fort. None of these were
willing to fight. One-half of them were such raw recruits that captain
Manning said that they had never put their heads over the ramparts. A
few broadsides from the Dutch fleet would dismount every gun in the
fort, and put to flight all the defenders who should survive the
volley. This was alike obvious to the assailants and the assailed.

CHAPTER XV.

THE FINAL SURRENDER.

The Summons.--The Bombardment.--Disembarkation of the Land
Force.--Indecision of Captain Manning.--The
Surrender.--Short Administration of the Dutch.--Social
Customs.--The Tea Party.--Testimony of Travellers.--Visit to
Long Island.--Fruitfulness of the Country.--Exploration of
Manhattan Island.

The Dutch ships, having anchored and prepared themselves for the
i