y to answer for its growth or decay.

* * * * *

The author wishes to extend his thanks for the use of books of
reference used in the collection of the foregoing facts; among
them, "How to Pay Expenses though Single," by a Social Leper, "How
to Keep Well," by Methuselah, "Humor of Early Days," by Job,
"Dangers of the Deep," by Noah, "General Peacefulness and Repose of
the Dead Indian," by General Nelson A. Miles, "Gulliver's Travels,"
and "Life and Public Services of the James Boys."

[Illustration: NYE IN HIS FAMILY GALLERY.]

CHAPTER VII.

THE DISCOVERY OF NEW YORK.

The author will now refer to the discovery of the Hudson River and the
town of New York _via_ Fort Lee and the 125th Street Ferry.

New York was afterwards sold for twenty-four dollars,--the whole island.
When I think of this I go into my family gallery, which I also use as a
swear room, and tell those ancestors of mine what I think of them. Where
were they when New York was sold for twenty-four dollars? Were they
having their portraits painted by Landseer, or their deposition taken by
Jeffreys, or having their Little Lord Fauntleroy clothes made?

Do not encourage them to believe that they will escape me in future
years. Some of them died unregenerate, and are now, I am told, in a
country where they may possibly be damned; and I will attend to the
others personally.

Twenty-four dollars for New York! Why, my Croton-water tax on one house
and lot with fifty feet four and one-fourth inches front is fifty-nine
dollars and no questions asked. Why, you can't get a voter for that
now.

Henry--or Hendrik--Hudson was an English navigator, of whose birth and
early history nothing is known definitely, hence his name is never
mentioned in many of the best homes in New York.

In 1607 he made a voyage in search of the Northwest Passage. In one of
his voyages he discovered Cape Cod, and later on the Hudson River.

This was one hundred and seventeen years after Columbus discovered
America; which shows that the discovering business was not pushed as it
should have been by those who had it in charge.

Hudson went up the river as far as Albany, but, finding no one there
whom he knew, he hastened back as far as 209th Street West, and
anchored.

He discovered Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait, and made other journeys by
water, though aquatting was then in its infancy. Afterwards his sailor