the quaker colonies-第22章

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　the　Delaware　and　with　good　judgment　landed　at　the　present　site　of　Wilmington。　At　that　point　a　creek　carrying　a　depth　of　over　fourteen　feet　for　ten　miles　from　its　mouth　flowed　into　the　Delaware。　The　Dutch　had　called　this　creek　Minquas；　after　the　tribe　of　Indians；　the　Swedes　named　it　the　Christina　after　their　infant　Queen；　and　in　modern　times　it　has　been　corrupted　into　Christiana。

They　sailed　about　two　and　a　half　miles　through　its　delta　marshes　to　some　rocks　which　formed　a　natural　wharf　and　which　still　stand　today　at　the　foot　of　Sixth　Street　in　Wilmington。　This　was　the　Plymouth　Rock　of　Delaware。　Level　land；　marshes；　and　meadows　lay　along　the　Christina；　the　remains　of　the　delta　which　the　stream　had　formed　in　the　past。　On　the　edge　of　the　delta　or　moorland；　rocky　hills　rose；　forming　the　edge　of　the　Piedmont；　and　out　of　them　from　the　north　flowed　a　fine　large　stream；　the　Brandywine；　which　fell　into　the　Christina　just　before　it　entered　the　Delaware。　Here　in　the　delta　their　engineer　laid　out　a　town；　called　Christinaham；　and　a　fort　behind　the　rocks　on　which　they　had　landed。　A　cove　in　the　Christina　made　a　snug　anchorage　for　their　ships；　out　of　the　way　of　the　tide。　They　then　bought　from　the　Indians　all　the　land　from　Cape　Henlopen　to　the　Falls　of　the　Delaware　at　Trenton；　calling　it　New　Sweden　and　the　Delaware　New　Swedeland　Stream。　The　people　of　Delaware　have　always　regarded　New　Sweden　as　the　beginning　of　their　State；　and　Peter　Minuit；　the　leader　of　this　Swedish　expedition；　always　stands　first　on　the　published　lists　of　their　governors。

On　their　arrival　in　the　river　in　the　spring　of　1638；　the　Swedes　found　no　evidences　of　permanent　Dutch　colonization。　Neither　Fort　Oplandt　nor　Fort　Nassau　was　then　occupied。　They　always　maintained　that　the　Dutch　had　abandoned　the　river；　and　that　it　was　therefore　open　to　the　Swedes　for　occupation；　especially　after　they　had　purchased　the　Indian　title。　It　was　certainly　true　that　the　Dutch　efforts　to　plant　colonies　in　that　region　had　failed；　and　since　the　last　attempt　by　De　Vries；　six　years　had　elapsed。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Dutch　contended　that　they　had　in　that　time　put　Fort　Nassau　in　repair；　although　they　had　not　occupied　it；　and　that　they　kept　a　few　persons　living　along　the　Jersey　shore　of　the　river；　possibly　the　remains　of　the　Nassau　colony；　to　watch　all　who　visited　it。　These　people　had　immediately　notified　the　Dutch　governor　Kieft　at　New　Amsterdam　of　the　arrival　of　the　Swedes；　and　he　promptly　issued　a　protest　against　the　intrusion。　But　his　protest　was　neither　very　strenuous　nor　was　it　followed　up　by　hostile　action；　for　Sweden　and　Holland　were　on　friendly　terms。　Sweden；　the　great　champion　of　Protestant　Europe；　had　intervened　in　the　Thirty　Years'　War　to　save　the　Protestants　of　Germany。　The　Dutch　had　just　finished　a　similar　desperate　war　of　eighty　years　for　freedom　from　the　papal　despotism　of　Spain。　Dutch　and　Swedes　had；　therefore；　every　reason　to　be　in　sympathy　with　each　other。　The　Swedes；　a　plain；　strong；　industrious　people；　as　William　Penn　aptly　called　them；　were　soon；　however；　seriously　interfering　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　retalia