Jouet's Journal of Hudson's Voyage

Full Text of Robert Juet's Journal
From the collections of the New York Historical Society, Second Series, 1841

Sept. 9, 1609

Fair weather. In the morning, two great canoes came aboard full of men; the one with their bows and arrows, and the other in show of buying of knives to betray us; but we perceived their intent. We took two of them to have kept them and put red coats on them and would not suffer the other to come near us. So they went on land, and two others came abord in a canoe; we took the one and let the other go; but he which we had taken, got up and leaped over-board. Then we weighed and went off into the channel of the river, and anchored there all night.

September 10

Fair weather, we rode till twelve o'clock. Then we weighed and went over, and found it shoal all the middle of the river, for we could find but two fathoms and a half, and three fathoms for the space of a league; then we came to three fathoms, and anchored, and rode all night in soft oozy ground. The bank is sand.

September 11

Was fair and very hot weather. At one o'clock in the afternoon, we weighed and went into the river, the wind at south-south-west, little wind. Our soundings were seven, six, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twelve, thirteen and fourteen fathoms. Then it shoaled again, and came to five fathoms. Then we anchored and saw that it was a very good harbour for all winds, and rode all night. The people of the country came aboard of us, making show of love, and gave us tobacco and Indian wheat, and departed for that night; but we durst not trust them.

September 12

Very fair and hot. In the afternoon at two o'clock we weighed, the wind being variable, between the north and the north-west; so we turned into the river two leagues and anchored. This morning at our first rode in the river, there came eight and twenty canoes full of men, women and children to betray us; but we saw their intent, and suffered none of them to come aboard us. At twelve o'clock they departed. They brought with them oysters and beans, whereof we bought some. They have great tobacco pipes of yellow copper, and pots of earth to dress their meat in. It floweth south-east by south within.

Sunday, September 13

Fair weather; the wind northerly; at seven o'clock in the morning, as the flood came we weighed and turned four miles into the river; the tide being done we anchored. Then there came four canoes aboard, but we suffered none of them to come into our ship; they brought very great store of very good oysters aboard, which we bought for trifles. In the night I set the variation of the compass, and found it to be 13 degrees. In the afternoon we weighed and turned in with the flood two leagues and a half further and anchored all night, and had five fathoms soft oozy ground, and had a high point of land, which shewed out to us, bearing north by east five leagues of us.

September 14

In the morning being very fair weather, the wind south-east, we sailed up the river twelve leagues, and had five fathoms and five fathoms and a quarter less, and came to a strait between two points, and had eight, nine and ten fathoms; and it trended north-east by north one league, and we had twelve, thirteen and fourteen fathoms; the river is a mile board; there is very high land on both sides. Then we went up north-west, a league and a half deep water; then north-east by north five miles; then north-west by north two leagues and anchored. The land grew very high and mountainous; the river is full of fish.

September 15

The morning was misty until the sun arose, then it cleared; so we weighed with the wind at south, and ran up into the river twenty leagues, passing by high mountains. We had a very good depth, as six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twelve, and thirteen fathoms, and great store of salmon in tne river. This morning our two savages got out of a port and swam away. After we were under sail they called to us in scorn. At night we came to other mountains, which lie from the river's side; there we found very loving people, and very old men, where we were well used. Our boat went to fish, and caught great store of very good fish

September 16

The sixteenth, fair and very hot weather. In the morning our boat went again to fishing, but could catch but few, by reason their canoes had been there all night. This morning the people came aboard and brought us ears of Indian corn and pompions and tobacco, which we bought for trifles. We rode still all day, and filled fresh water; at night we weighed and went two leagues higher, and had shoal water so we anchored till day.

September 17

The seventeenth fair sun-shining weather, and very hot. In the morning as soon as the sun was up, we set sail and ran up six leagues higher, and found shoals in the middle of the the channel, and small islands, but seven fathoms water on both sides. Towards night we borrowed so Rear the shore that we grounded: so we laid out our small anchor, and heaved off again. Then we borrowed on the bank in the channel and came aground again; while the flood ran we heaved off again and anchored all night.

Friday, September 18

The eighteenth in the morning was fair weather, and we rode still. In the afternoon our master's mate went on land with an old savage, a governor of the country, who carried him to his house and made him good cheer.

September 19

The nineteenth was fair and hot weather. At the flood, being near eleven o'clock, we weighed and ran higher up two leagues above the shoals, and had no less water than five fathoms we anchored and rode in eight fathoms the people of the country came flocking aboard, and brought us grapes and pompions, which we bought for trifles; and many brought us beavers' skins, and otters' skins, which we bought for beads, knives and hatchets. So we rode there all night.

Sunday, September 20

The twentieth in the morning was fair weather. Our master's mate with four men more went up with our boat to sound the river, and found two leagues above us but two fathoms water, and the channel very narrow, and above that place seven or eight fathoms. Toward night they returned: and we rode still all night.

September 21

The twenty-first was fair weather, and the wind all southerly: we determined yet once more to go farther up into the river, to try what depth and breadth it did bear, but much people resorted aboard, so we went not this day. Our carpenter went on land and made a fore-yard, and our master and his mate determined to try some of the chief men of the country, whether they had any treachcry in themi. So they took them down into the cabin and gave ihem so much wine and aqua-vita, that they were all merry, and one of them had his wife with him, who sat as modestly, as any of Our countrywomen would do in a strange place. In the end one of them was drunk, who had been aboard of our ship all the time that we had been there; and that was strange to them for they could not tell how to take it: the canoes and folks went all on shore, but some of them came again and brought stropes of beads; some bad six seven, eight, nine, ten, and gave him. So he slept all night quietly.

September 22

The two and twentieth was fair weather: in the morning our master's mate and four more of the company went up witho ut boat to sound the river higher up. The people of the country came not aboard till noon, but when they came and saw the savages well they were glad. So at three o'clock in the afternoon they came aboard and brought tobacco and more beads and gave them to our master, and made all oration, and shewed him all the country round about. Then they sent one of their company on land, who presently returned and brought a great platter full of venison, dressed by themselves and they caused him to eat with them: then they made him reverence and departed all save the old man that lay aboard. This night at ten o'clock, our boat returned in a shower of rain from sounding of athe river, and found it to be at an end for shipping to go in. For they had been up eight or nine leagues, and found but seven foot water, and unconstant soundings.

Wednesday, September 23

The three and twentieth, fair weather. At twelve o'clock we weighed and went down two leagues to a shoal that had two channels one on the one side, and another on the other, and had little wind, whereby the tide laid us upon it. So there we sat on the ground the space of an hour till the flood came. Then we had a little gale of wind it the west; so we got our ship nto deep water, and rode all night very well.

September 24

The four and twentieth was fair weather; the wind at the north-west, we weighed and went down the river seven or eight leagues; and at half ebb we came on ground on a bank of ooze in the middle of the river, and sat there till the flood; then we went on land and gathered good store of chestnuts. At ten o'clock we came off into deep water, and anchored.

September 25

The five and twentieth was fair weather, and the wind at south a stiff gale. We rode still, and went on land to walk on the west side of the river, and found good ground for corn, and other garden herbs, with great store of goodly oaks, and walnut trees, and chestnut trees, yew trees, and trees of sweet wood in great abundance, and great store of slate for houses, and other good stones.

September 26

The six and twentieth was fair weather, and the wind at south a stiff gale; we rode still. In the morning our carpenter went on land with our master's mate and four more of our company to cut wood. This morning two canoes came up the river from the place where we first found loving people, and in one of them was the old man that had lain aboard of us at the other place. He brought another old man with him who brought more strips of beads and gave them to our master, and showed him all the country there about, as though it were at his command. So he inade the two old men dine with him, and the old man's wife; for they brought two old women and two young maidens of the age of sixteen or seventeen years with them, who behaved themselves very modestly. Our master gave one of the old men a knife, and they gave him and us tobacco; and at one o'clock they departed down the river, making signs that we should come down to them, for we were within two leagues of the place where they dwelt.

Sunday, September 27

The even and twentieth, in the morning, was fair weather, but much wind at the north we weighed and set our fore-topsail, and our ship would not float, but ran on the oozy bank at half ebb. We laid out anchor to heave her off, but could not; so we sat from half flood, then we set our foresail and main-topsail, and got down six leagues. The old man came aboard, and would have had us anchor and go on land to eat with him, but the wind being fair we would not yield to his request, so he left us, being very sorrowful for our departure. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the wind came to the south south-west; so we made a bord or two, and anchor, in fourteen fathoms water. Then our boat went on shore to fish right against the ship. Our master's mate and boatswain and three more of the company, went on land to fish, but could not find a good place. They took four or five and twenty mullets, breams, basses and barbils, and returned in an hour. We rode still all night.

September 28

The eight and twentieth being fair weather, as soon as the day was light we weighed at half ebb, and turned down two leagues below water, for the stream doth run the last quarter ebb, then we anchored till high water. At three o'clock in fle afternoon we weighed and turned down three leagues until it was dark, then we anchored.

September 29

The nine and twentieth was dry close weather, the wind at south and south by west we weighed early in the morning, and turned down three leagues bv a low water, and anchored at the lower end of the long reach for it is six leagues long. Then there came certain Indians in a canoe to us, but would not come aboard. After dinner there came the canoe with other men, whereof three came aboard us; they brought Indian wheat which we bought for trifles. At three o'clock in the afternoon we weighed, as soon as the ebb came, and turned down to the edge of the mountains, or the northernmost of the mountains, and anchored, because the high land bath many points and a narrow channel, and hath rnany eddy winds; so we rode quietly all night in seven fathoms water.

September 30, 1609

The thirtieth was fair weather, and the wind at south-east a stiff gale between the mountains. We role still the afternoon. The people of the country came aboard us, and brought some small skins with them, which we bought for knive and tritles. This is a very pleasant place to build a town on. The road is very near, and view good for all winds, save an east north-east wind. The mountains look as if some metal or mineral were in them; for the trees that grew on them were all blasted, and some of them barren with few or no trees on them. The people brought a stone aboard like to emery (a stone used by glaziers to cut glass); it would cut iron or steel; yet being bruised small, and water put to it, it made a colour like black lead glistenng; it is also good for painters' colours. At three o'clock they departed, and we rode still all night.

Thursday, October 1

The first of October, fair weather, the wiid variable between west and the nnrth. In the morning we weighed at seven o'clock with the ebb, and got down below the mountains, which was seven leagues; then it fell calm and the flood was come, and we anchored at twelve o'clock. The people of the mountains came aboard us, wondering at our ship and weapons. We bought some small skins of them for trifles. This afternoon one canoe kept hanging under our stern with one man in it, which we could not keep from thence, who got up by our rudder to the cabin window, and stole out ny pillow, and two shirts, and two bandeleeres. Our master's mate shot at him, and struck him on the breast, and killed him. Whereupon all the rest fled away, some in their canoes, and so leaped out of them into the water. We manned our boat and got our things again. Then one of them that swam got hold of our boat, thinking to overthrow it but our cook took a sword and cut off one of his hands, and he was drowned. By this time the ebb was come, and we weighed and got down two leagues-by that time it was dark; so we anchored in four fathoms water, and rode well.

October 2

The second, fair weather. At break of day we weighed, Ilie wind being at north-west, and got down seven leagues then tlie flood was come strong, so we anchored. Then came one of the savages that swarn away from us at our going up tlte river, with many others, thinking to betray us. But we perceived their intent, and suffered none of them to enter our ship. Whereupon two canoes full of men, with their bows and arrows, shot at us after our stern, in recompense whereof we discharged six muskets, and killed two or three of them. Then above a hundred of them came to a point of land to shoot at us. There I shot a falkon at them, and killed two of them, whereupon the rest fled into the woods. Yet they manned off another canoe with nine or ten men, which came to meet us; so I shot at it also a falcon, and shot it through, and killed one of them. Then our men with their muskets killed three or four more of them. So they went their way. Within a while after, we got down two leagues beyond that place and anchored in a bay clear from all danger of them on the other side of the river, where we saw a very good piece of ground; and hard by it there was a cliff that looked of the colour of white green, as though it were either a copper or silver mine; and I think it to be one of them by the trees that grow upon it; for they be all burned, and the other places are green as grass; it is on that side of the river that is called Manna-hata. There we saw no people to trouble us, and rode quietly all night, but had much wind and rain.

October 3

The third was very stormy, the wind at east north- east. In the morning, in a gust of wind and rain, our anchor came home, and we drove on ground, but it was oozy. Then as we were about to heave out an anchor, the wind came to the north north-west, and drove us off again. Then we shot an anchor, and let it fall in four fathoms water, and weighed the other. We had much wind and rain with thick weather, so we rode still all night.

October 4

The fourth was fair weather, and the wind at north north-west we weighed and came out of the river, into which we had run so far. Within a while after, we came out also of the great mouth of the great river, that runneth up to the north- west, borrowing upon the more northern side of the same, thinking to have deep water, for we had sounded a great way with our boat at our first going in, and found seven, six, and five fathoms. So we came out that way, but we were deceived, for we had but eight feet and a half water; ad so to three, five, three, and two fathoms and a half; and then three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten fathoms; and by twelve o'cock we were clear of all the inlet. Then we took in our boat, and set our mainsail and spritsail, and our topails, and steered away east south-east, and south-east by east, off into the main sea; and the land on the southern side of the bay or inlet did bear at noon west and by south four leagues from us.