New York, the metropolis : its noted business and professional men. . sent hither,in 1624, thirty families, composed chiefly of French Huguenots. By 1626 the colony had increased to over200 persons, and in that year Peter Minuit, the Director-General, purchased Manhattan Island from the savagesfor sixt) guilders, or about twenty-four dollars of our present money. Henceforth emigrants came pouring in,encouraged by the company, which furnished cheap transpcSrtation, gave free grants of land and establisheduniversal religious toleration. In 1633 Wouter Van Twiller succeeded Minuit as Director-Gen
New York, the metropolis : its noted business and professional men. . sent hither,in 1624, thirty families, composed chiefly of French Huguenots. By 1626 the colony had increased to over200 persons, and in that year Peter Minuit, the Director-General, purchased Manhattan Island from the savagesfor sixt) guilders, or about twenty-four dollars of our present money. Henceforth emigrants came pouring in,encouraged by the company, which furnished cheap transpcSrtation, gave free grants of land and establisheduniversal religious toleration. In 1633 Wouter Van Twiller succeeded Minuit as Director-General, erected a church and schoolhouse,imported negro slaves and called the growing village New Amsterdam. At this time bears, wolves, deer andpanthers frequented the dense forest covering the island of Manhattan, and it is not improbable that at onetime or another some enterprising panther may have carried off one of the New Netherland settlers fat sheepfrom the site of the present Equitable building. It may be a little disappointing to learn that Jean Vigne, the. VIEW CORNER EXCHANGE PLACE AND BROAD STREET 1690.—SITE OF THE PRESENT MILLS RUILDING. first white child ever l)orn on the island (1614) left no descendant, although the first New York girl, SarahRapaelje (1625), possibly did. Sarah was styled the first born Christian daughter in the Dutch authorities, recognizing what an honor this Avas, granted the girl a large tract of land at theWallabout. She married in 1647. Meantime the colony prospered to such an extent that in the fiscalyear 1629-30 goods to the value of 130,000 guilders were sent to Holland, showing a decided balance oftrade in favor of the colony, and in 1631 the ship New Netherlands, 800 tons and carrying 30 guns,was built. Van Twiller, who succeeded Minuit in 1633, brought with him from Holland 100 Dutch soldiers,whom he placed in garrison at Fort Amsterdam, and a still more pleasing sign of civilization, in the i)ersonsof Dominie l*>verar
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