[Illustration:  Departure of Nicolls.]

The Governor also had a messenger make regular trips to Boston with letters, which was the first mail route from the city.  Matters were going along nicely when trouble arose between England and Holland again.  Then the Dutch decided that it would be a good time to get back their lost province of New Netherland.  The English in New York heard of this, and made all sorts of warlike preparations.  But the Dutch were so long in coming that the preparations for war were given up.  Finally the Dutch ships did arrive unexpectedly, sailing up the bay one morning in the month of July, in the year 1673.  Governor Lovelace was in a distant part of the colony, and the city had been left under the care of Captain John Manning.

Manning was in despair.  He knew full well that there was no hope of defending the city successfully.  He sent a messenger dashing off to the Governor, and he sent another to the Dutch ships to ask what they were doing in the bay, just as though he did not know.  The Dutch sent word back that the city must be surrendered to them that same day.  And to show they meant what was said, the Dutch admiral despatched one of his captains, Anthony Colve by name, who landed with 600 men.  The Dutch captain agreed that if the English left the fort without a show of resistance, they could do so with the honors of war and without interference.  Then he and his soldiers tramped down the road that is now Broadway.  The English marched out of the fort, and the Dutch marched in; just as nine years before the Dutch had marched out and the English had marched in.

When the King in England heard that New York had been so easily captured, all the blame was placed on Captain Manning, and after a time you will see what became of him.

[Illustration:  The Dutch Ultimatum.]

Captain Colve took charge of the reconquered province.  He began industriously to undo all that the English had done.  The province was again named New Netherland.  The city was called New Orange, in honor of the Prince of Orange—­a prince of Holland, who in a few years was to marry a daughter of the Duke of York, and who in a few more years was to be King of England under the title of William III.

Captain Colve put the fort in good condition, repaired the city wall, made a soldier of every man and drilled them every day.  He had the city gates locked at night, and put a guard at them to see that no one came in or passed out.

In less than a year, when the city was in shape to be defended, the English and the Dutch made up their quarrel.  The province of New Netherland was returned to the English, and became again the province of New York, and the Dutch soldiers left the Island of Manhattan, never again to return to it in warlike array.

CHAPTER VIII

Something about the bolting act