alone, and is almost
entirely encircled by the North Kil.[169] It is nothing but rocks and
stones, with a little earth up above where a plantation could be
formed. We returned to the village by evening, and lodged with one
Claes Fransen, who had brought us over the river. He had a good old
mother,[170] and also a brother living there. His other brothers were
married, and lived in the same village. We conversed with these people
about spiritual things, and had great enjoyment therein. We were
entirely welcome. We slept upon some straw on the floor, and it was
lucky for us that he sold blankets, some of which he used to cover us.
We have nowhere, to my knowledge, seen or eaten finer apples. One kind
was very large, fair, and of good taste, fifty-six of which only could
be put in a heaped up bushel, that is, half a bag. Another variety,
somewhat smaller, but not less fair in appearance, and of a better
flavor, my comrade was acquainted with, and said they were called the
Double Paradise. He acknowledged they were very delicate.

[Footnote 166: Fytje Hartman, widow of Michael Jansen Hartman. She had
seven children.]

[Footnote 167: Bergen was founded in 1661. Both it and Communipaw are
now in Jersey City.]

[Footnote 168: Raccoon.]

[Footnote 169: Hackensack River.]

[Footnote 170: Immetie Dirx, widow of Frans Claesen.]

_28th, Saturday._ Early this morning Claes prepared to cross over to
the Manhatans, to carry to market some fine fat mutton from a sheep
which he had killed the night before. He sold it for two
_blanken_[171] a pound, reckoned in Holland money and Amsterdam
weight. It was rainy the whole morning, and it had stormed so hard in
the night that we could not find a dry place in the house to lie in.
We were apprehensive of hearing of some misfortune to the ships,
especially two lying under Staten Island, one of which was Margaret's,
and was bound for Holland. Claes was alarmed for his boat, in which we
had to cross over; but going to the shore about eleven o'clock, he
found it there, but half full of rain water. The mast which he had
left standing was overboard, and to be looked for, but was afterwards
found, and the mast bench and socket were out of their places, and in
pieces. He had, therefore, some repairs to make. It cleared up
gradually, and he resolved to cross over, which he was the more
anxious to do, because he was going to bring back Domine Tessemaker,
who had promised to come the next day and