is cast out of the mouth of it. And from that lake or bay the land
lyeth north by east, and we had a great streame out of the bay; and
from thence our sounding was ten fathoms two leagues from the land.
At five of the clocke we anchored, being little winde, and rode in
eight fathoms water.... This night I found the land to hall the
compasse 8 degrees. For to the northward off us we saw high hils
[Staten Island and the Highlands]. For the day before we found not
above two degrees of variation. This is a very good land to fall
with, and a pleasant land to see.

"The third, the morning mystie, untill ten of the clocke. Then it
cleered, and the wind came to the south south east, so wee weighed
and stood to the northward. The land is very pleasant and high, and
bold to fall withal. At three of the clocke in the after noone, we
came to three great rivers [the Raritan, the Arthur Kill and the
Narrows]. So we stood along to the northermost [the Narrows],
thinking to have gone into it, but we found it to have a very
shoald barre before it, for we had but ten foot water. Then we cast
about to the southward, and found two fathoms, three fathoms, and
three and a quarter, till we came to the souther side of them; then
we had five and sixe fathoms, and anchored. So wee sent in our
boate to sound, and they found no lesse water than foure, five,
sixe, and seven fathoms, and returned in an houre and a halfe. So
we weighed and went in, and rode in five fathoms, oze ground, and
saw many salmons, and mullets, and rayes, very great. The height is
40 degrees 30 minutes."

That is the authoritative account of Hudson's great finding. I
have quoted it in full partly because of the thrilling interest
that it has for us; but more to show that the record of his