urning to the Manathans notwithstanding the ice,
either by land or sea. If we should return by water, we should be able
to see the lower parts of this river, the Hoere-kill and others; but
no opportunity presented itself, because it was so late in the year,
there being no navigating in consequence of every one being afraid of
the ice.

_17th, Sunday._ We had an opportunity to-day to hear Domine
Tessemaker, which we did, but never heard worse preaching, and I,
therefore, had little desire to go again in the afternoon, though I
was misled by the ringing of the bell. He is a man who wishes to
effect some _etablissement_ or reform here, but he will not accomplish
much in that respect, as he not only has no grace therefor, but there
seems to be something in his life which will hereafter manifest itself
more. For the present we can say with truth that he is a perfect
worldling.[257] It seems that in these spiritually, as well as
physically, waste places, there is nevertheless a craving of the
people to accept anything that bears even the name of food, in order
to content rather than satisfy themselves therewith. Nevertheless the
Lord will take pity upon these his lands, as we hope, for it appears
indeed that the seed of the elect is here, especially among those of
European descent.

[Footnote 257: Domine Petrus Tesschenmaker remained in charge of the
church in Newcastle till 1682. After brief sojourns in New York and on
Staten Island, he was called to the church in Schenectady. There he
served from 1685 to 1690, when he was killed in the Indian massacre of
that year.]

_18th, Monday._ We four, namely, Mr. Moll, Ephraim, my comrade and
myself, after we had breakfasted, started about nine o'clock, on
horseback, from Newcastle for Christina Kill. We observed the land
through which we rode was sometimes only common soil, until we reached
a plantation which Mr. Moll and Ephraim owned together, lying on a
branch of that creek, and which was a good piece of land. Ephraim
having finished the business for which he had come here, of having
planks sawed for boarding a new clap-board house he had built, left
us and rode back to Newcastle, and we continued on after we had looked
at a grist-mill which the Swedes had constructed upon one of the
branches of the creek, a considerable distance along another of them.
We discovered here and there pieces of good land, but they were not
large, and were along the creek. The greater portion of t