the quaker colonies-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


erfering　with　the　Dutch　fur　trade　and　in　the　first　year；　it　is　said；　collected　thirty　thousand　skins。　If　this　is　true；　it　is　an　indication　of　the　immense　supply　of　furbearing　animals；　especially　beaver；　available　at　that　time。　For　the　next　twenty…five　years　Dutch　and　Swedes　quarreled　and　sometimes　fought　over　their　respective　claims。　But　it　is　significant　of　the　difficulty　of　retaining　a　hold　on　the　Delaware　region　that　the　Swedish　colonists　on　the　Christina　after　a　year　or　two　regarded　themselves　as　a　failure　and　were　on　the　point　of　abandoning　their　enterprise；　when　a　vessel；　fortunately　for　them；　arrived　with　cattle；　agricultural　tools；　and　immigrants。　It　is　significant　also　that　the　immigrants；　though　in　a　Swedish　vessel　and　under　the　Swedish　government；　were　Dutchmen。　They　formed　a　sort　of　separate　Dutch　colony　under　Swedish　rule　and　settled　near　St。　George's　and　Appoquinimink。　Immigrants　apparently　were　difficult　to　obtain　among　the　Swedes；　who　were　not　colonizers　like　the　English。

At　this　very　time；　in　fact；　Englishmen；　Puritans　from　Connecticut；　were　slipping　into　the　Delaware　region　under　the　leadership　of　Nathaniel　Turner　and　George　Lamberton；　and　were　buying　the　land　from　the　Indians。　About　sixty　settled　near　Salem；　New　Jersey；　and　some　on　the　Schuylkill　in　Pennsylvania；　close　to　Fort　Nassauan　outrageous　piece　of　audacity；　said　the　Dutch；　and　an　insult　to　their　〃High　Mightinesses　and　the　noble　Directors　of　the　West　India　Company。　〃　So　the　Schuylkill　English　were　accordingly　driven　out；　and　their　houses　were　burned。　The　Swedes　afterwards　expelled　the　English　from　Salem　and　from　the　Cohansey；　lower　down　the　Bay。　Later　the　English　were　allowed　to　return；　but　they　seem　to　have　done　little　except　trade　for　furs　and　beat　off　hostile　Indians。

The　seat　of　the　Swedish　government　was　moved　in　1643　from　the　Christina　to　Tinicum；　one　of　the　islands　of　the　Schuylkill　delta；　with　an　excellent　harbor　in　front　of　it　which　is　now　the　home　of　the　yacht　clubs　of　Philadelphia。　Here　they　built　a　fort　of　logs；　called　Fort　Gothenborg；　a　chapel　with　a　graveyard；　and　a　mansion　house　for　the　governor；　and　this　remained　the　seat　of　Swedish　authority　as　long　as　they　had　any　on　the　river。　From　here　Governor　Printz；　a　portly　irascible　old　soldier；　said　to　have　weighed　〃upwards　of　400　pounds　and　taken　three　drinks　at　every　meal；〃　ruled　the　river。　He　built　forts　on　the　Schuylkill　and　worried　the　Dutch　out　of　the　fur　trade。　He　also　built　a　fort　called　Nya　Elfsborg；　afterward　Elsinboro；　on　the　Jersey　side　below　Salem。　By　means　of　this　fort　he　was　able　to　command　the　entrance　to　the　river　and　compelled　every　Dutch　ship　to　strike　her　colors　and　acknowledge　the　sovereignty　of　Sweden。　Some　he　prevented　from　going　up　the　river　at　all；　others　he　allowed　to　pass　on　payment　of　toll　or　tribute。　He　gave　orders　to　destroy　every　trading　house　or　fort　which　the　Dutch　had　built　on　the　Schuylkill；　and　to　tear　down　the　coat　of　arms　and　insignia　which　the　Dutch　had　placed　on　a　post　on　the　site　of　Philadelphia。　The　Swedes　now　also　bought　from　the　Indians　and　claimed　the　land　on　the　Jersey　side　from　Cape　May　up　to　Raccoon　Creek；　opposite　the　modern　Chester。

The　best　place　to　trade　with　the　Indians　for　furs　was　the　Schuylkill　River；　which　flowed　into　the　Delaware　at　a　point　where　Philadelphia　was　afterwards　built。　There　were　at　that　time　Indian　villages　where　West　Philadelphia　now　stands。　The　headwaters　of　streams　flowing　into　the　Schuylkill　were　only　a　short　distance　from　the　headwaters　of　streams　flowing　into　the　Susquehanna；　so　that　the　valley　of　the　Schuylkill　formed　the　natural　highway　into　the　interior　of　Pennsylvania。　The　route　to　the　Ohio　River　followed　the　Schuylkill　for　some　thirty　or　forty　miles；　turned　up　one　of　its　tributaries　to　its　source；　then　crossed　the　watershed　to　the　head　of　a　stream　flowing　into　the　Susquehanna；　thence　to　the　Juniata；　at　the　head　of　which　the　trail　led　over　a　short　divide　to　the　head　of　the　Conemaugh；　which　flowed　into　the　Allegheny；　and　the　Allegheny　into　the　Ohio。　Some　of　the　Swedes　and　Dutch　appear　to　have　followed　this　route　with　the　Indians　as　early　as　1646。

The　Ohio　and　Allegheny　region　was　inhabited　by　the　Black　Minquas；　so　called　from　their　custom　of　wearing　a　black　badge　on　their　breast。　The　Ohio；　indeed；　was　first　called　the　Black　Minquas　River。　As　the　country　nearer　the　Delaware　was　gradually　denuded　of　beaver；　these　Black　Minquas　became　the　great　source　of　supply　and　carried　the　furs；　over　the　route　described；　to　the　Schuylkill。　The　White　Minquas　lived　further　east；　round　Chesapeake　and　Delaware　bays；　and；　though　spoken　of　as　belonging　by　language　to　the　great　Iroquois　or　Six　Nation　stock；　were　themselves　conquered　and　pretty　much　exterminated　by　the　Six　Nations。　The　Black　Minquas；　believed　to　be　the　same　as　the　Eries　of　the　Jesuit　Relations；　were　also　practically　exterminated　by　the　Six　Nations。*

*　Myers；　〃Narratives　of　Early　Pennsylvania〃；　pp。　103…104。


The　furs　brought　down　the　Schuylkill　were　deposited　at　certain　rocks　two　or　three　miles　above　its　mouth　at　Bartram's　Gardens；　now　one　of　the　city　parks　of　Philadelphia。　On　these　rocks；　then　an　island　in　the　Schuylkill；　the　Swedes　built　a　fort　which　completely　commanded　the　river　and　cut　the　Dutch　off　from　the　fur　trade。　They　built　another　fort　on　the　other　side　of　Bartram's　Gardens　along　the　meadow　near　what　is　now　Gibson's　Point；　and　Governor　Printz　had　a　great　mill　a　couple　of　miles　away　on　Cobb's　Creek；　where　the　old　Blue　Bell　tavern　has　long　stood。　These　two　forts　protected　the　mill　and　the　Indian　villages　in　West　Philadelphia。

One　would　like　to　revisit　the　Delaware　of　those　days　and　see　all　its　wild　life　and　game；　its　islands　and　shoals；　its　virgin　forests　as　they　had　grown　up　since　the　glacial　age；　untouched　by　the　civilization　of　the　white　man。　There　were　then　more　islands　in　the　river；　the　water　was　clearer；　and　there　were　pretty　pebble　and　sandy　beaches　now　overlaid　by　mud　brought　down　from　vast　regions　of　the　valley　no　longer　protected　by　forests　from　the　wash　of　the　rains。　On　a　wooded　island　below　Salem；　long　since　cut　away　by　the　tides；　the　pirate　Blackhead　and　his　crew　are　said　to　have　passed　a　winter。　The　waters　of　the　river　spread　out　wide　at　every　high　tide　over　marshes　and　meadows；　turning　them　twice　a　day　for　a　few　hours　into　lakes；　grown　up　in　summer　with　red　and　yellow　flowers　and　the　graceful　wild　oats；　or　reeds；　tasseled　like　Indian　corn。

At　Christinaham；　in　the　delta　of　the　Christina　and　the　Brandywine；　the　tide　flowed　far　inland　to　the　rocks　on　which　Minuit's　Swedish　expedition　landed；　leaving　one　dry　spot　called　Cherry　Island；　a　name　still　borne　by　a　shoal　in　the　river。　Fort　Christina；　on　the　edge　of　the　overflowed　meadow；　with　the　rocky　promontory　of　hills　behind　it；　its　church　and　houses；　and　a　wide　prospect　across　the　delta　and　river；　was　a　fair　spot　in　the　old　days。　The　Indians　came　down　the　Christina　in　their　canoes　or　overland；　bringing　their　packs　of　beaver；　otter；　and　deer　skins；　their　tobacco；　corn；　and　venison　to　exchange　for　the　cloth；　blankets；　tools；　and　gaudy　trinkets　that　pleased　them。　It　must　often　have　been　a　scene　of　strange　life　and　coloring；　and　it　is　difficult　today　to　imagine　it　all　occurring　close　to　the　spot　where　the　Pennsylvania　railroad　station　now　stands　in　Wilmington。

When　doughty　Peter　Stuyvesant　became　Governor　of　New　Netherland；　he　determined　to　assert　Dutch　authority　once　more　on　the　South　River；　as　the　Delaware　was　called　in　distinction　from　the　Hudson。　As　the　Swedes　now　controlled　it　by　their　three　forts；　not　a　Dutch　ship　could　reach　Fort　Nassau　without　being　held　up　at　Fort　Elfsborg　or　at　Fort　Christina　or　at　the　fort　at　Tinicum。　It　was　a　humiliating　situation　for　the　haughty　spirit　of　the　Dutch　governor。　To　open　the　river　to　Dutch　commerce　again；　Stuyvesant　marched　overland　in　1651　through　the　wilderness；　with　one　hundred　and　twenty　men　and；　abandoning　Fort　Nassau；　built　a　new　fort　on　a　fine　promontory　which　then　extended　far　out　into　the　river　below　Christina。　Today　the　place　is　known　as　New　Castle；　the　Dutch　commonly　referred　to　it　as　Sandhoeck　or　Sand　Point；　the　English　called　it　Grape　Vine　Point。　Stuyvesant　named　it　Fort　Casimir。

The　tables　were　now　turned：　the　Dutch　could　retaliate　upon　Swedish　shipping。　But　the　Swedes　were　not　so　easily　to　be　dispossessed。　Three　years　later　a　new　Swedish　governor　named　Rising　arrived　in　the　river　with　a　number　of　immigrants　and　soldiers。　He　sailed　straight　up　to　Fort　Casimir；　took　it　by　surprise；　and　ejected　the　Dutch　garrison　of　about　a　dozen　men。　As　the　successful　coup　occurred　on　Trinity　Sunday；　the　Swedes　renamed　the　place　Fort　Trinity。

The　whole　populationDutch　and　Swede；　but　in　1654　mostly　Swedenumbered　only　368　persons。　Before　the　arrival　of　Rising　there　had　been　only　seventy。　It　seems　a　very　small　number　about　which　to　be　writing　history；　but　small　as　it　was　their　〃High　Mightinesses；〃　as　the　government　of　the　United　Netherlands　was　called；　were　determined　to　avenge　on　even　so　small　a　number　the　insult　of　the　capture　of　Fort　Casimir。

Drums；　it　is　said；　were　beaten　every　day　in　Holland　to　call　for　recruits　to　go　to　America。　Gunners；　carpenters；　and　powder　were　collected。　A　ship　of　war　was　sent　from　Holland；　accompanied　by　two　other　vesse