The history of the city of Albany, New York, from the discovery of the great river in 1524, by Verrazzano to the present time.

THE HISTORY OF ALBANY.

31

resident-director, having arrived on the fourth of May,
made the island the seat of the government of New Netherland. The south point of the island was selected for
the site of a fort, the ground-plan of which was staked
out by the company's engineer. Thirty bark-cabins were
erected by the colonists near the rude fortification. The
two comforters of the sick, (kranck-besoeckers,) Sebastian
Jansen Crol and Jan Huyck, were the conductors of the
religious services of the settlers on Sundays. The new
settlement at Fort Amsterdam increased the population
of New Netherland to "two hundred souls." 1
A number of the settlers at Fort Orange disliking the
isolated and remote situation of the colony at the height
of the river's navigation now removed to the lower settlement. Shortly afterward they were followed by the
other settlers with their families. The removal of the
latter was caused by an indiscreet act of the commander
of Fort Orange.
The two tribes of Indians, the Maquaas and the Mahicans, made war upon each other. The palisaded village
of the latter, on the east side of the river, was opposite
the fort, and the colonists were the terrified witnesses of
the horrors of Indian warfare. Van Krieckebeek, commanding the small garrison of Fort Orange, having been
solicited by the Mahicans or Mohegans to take part with
them in an attack upon the Maquaas or Mohawks imprudently consented. Taking with him six soldiers from
the fort he went with a body of Mohegans to meet a
party of Mohawks. When they had gone about a mile
from the fort they suddenly came upon the Mohawks
who repulsed them so valiantly that they were forced to
retreat leaving many slain, the Dutch officer and three
of his men being among the number. It is related that
1 Historische verhael. deel xii. fol. 38. Doc. hist. N. Y. vol. iii. p. 28.