Cornelius Jacobsen May cared for the colony for less than a year, when his place was taken by William Verhulst.  Before the year was out, Verhulst decided that the new country never would suit him, and he sailed away to Holland.  Then came in his place, in the year 1626, Peter Minuit, under appointment as the first Dutch Governor of New Netherland.

[Illustration:  Seal of New Netherland.]

CHAPTER III

Peter Minuit, first of the Dutch governors

Peter Minuit was a large man, of middle age, whose hair was turning gray, whose eyes were black and dull, and whose manners were quite coarse.

The West India Company gave to this Governor absolute power over all the Dutch lands in America.  His power was equal to that of a king; much more than some kings have had.  To be sure, in matters of extreme importance he was supposed to refer to the Company in Holland.  But Holland was far away, farther away than it is in these days of fast steamers and the telegraph, and the Company had too many other matters to look after to give much thought to New Netherland.

One of the first acts of Governor Minuit was to buy the Island of Manhattan from the Indians, giving them in exchange some beads, some brass ornaments, some bits of glass and some strips of colored cloth; all of which seemed a rich treasure to the Indians, but were in reality worth just twenty-four dollars.

As soon as Minuit had bought the island, he organized a government.  In authority next to the Governor was the koopman, who was secretary of the province, and bookkeeper at the Company’s warehouse, and who worked very hard.  Then came the schout-fiscal, who worked still harder, being half sheriff, half attorney-general, and all customs officer.  There was also a council of five men who looked wise but had very little to say and did not dare to disagree with the Governor.

Although in buying their land Governor Minuit had made the Indians his friends, he took care to be prepared in case they should change their minds and become warlike.  He had Kryn Frederick, the Company’s engineer, build a solid fort on the spot where the fur-traders’ stockade had stood.  This he called Fort Amsterdam.  It was surrounded by cedar palisades, and was large enough to shelter all the people of the little colony in case of danger.  Inside this fort there was a house for the Governor, and outside the walls was a warehouse for furs, and a mill which was run by horse-power, with a large room on the second floor to be used as a church.

[Illustration:  The Building of the Palisades.]

When Minuit had become fairly settled in his new colony, he divided the lower part of the island into farms, which in those days were called “bouweries.”  A road which led through these farms was named Bouwerie Lane, and the same road is to-day known as The Bowery.