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A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices,the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York City
The City of New York is the largest and most important in America. Itscorporate limits embrace the whole of Manhattan Island, on which it issituated, and which is bounded by the Hudson, the East and Harlemrivers, and by Spuyten Duyvil creek, which last connects the Harlemwith the Hudson. Being almost entirely surrounded by deep water, andlying within sight of the ocean, and only sixteen miles from it, thecity is naturally the greatest commercial centre of the country. Theextreme length of the island is fifteen miles, and its average breadtha mile and a half. The city lies at the head of New York Bay, whichstretches away for miles until the Narrows, the main entrance to theharbor, are reached, presenting a panorama unsurpassed for natural andartificial beauty. The people of New York are very proud of their bay,and justly regard it as one of the most magnificent in the world.
The city was originally settled by the Dutch, toward the close of theyear 1614, and called by them New Amsterdam. In 1664, it passed intothe hands of the English, and was named New York, which name was alsogiven to the whole province. The first settlement was made at theextreme lower part of the island, on the spot now known as the Battery.A fort was erected, and the little hamlet surrounded by a strongstockade as a protection against the savages. The first settlers wereeminently just in their dealings with the red men, and purchased theisland from them, giving them what was considered by all parties a fairprice for it. They felt sure that their new home was destined to becomea place of importance in the course of time. Its commercial advantageswere evident at a glance; the climate was delightful, being neither sorigorous as that of the Eastern colonies, nor so enervating as that ofthe Southern. The hopes of the founders of New York are more thanrealized in the metropolis of to-day.
The city grew very slowly at the beginning. In 1686, it was regularlyincorporated by a charter. In 1693, the first printing press was set upin the city by William Bradford. In 1690, New York contained fivehundred and ninety-four houses and six thousand inhabitants. In 1790,one hundred years later, the city had a population of thirty-threethousand. It was not until the beginning of the present century that itcommenced that wonderful growth which has given it its presentimportance. At first it spread more rapidly on the east side than onthe west. As late as the close of the Revolution, what is now Chambersstreet was the extreme upper limit, and its line was marked by a strongstockade, built across from river to river, with gates leading to thevarious country roads which traversed the upper part of the island.
The City of New York now extends from the Battery to the Harlem riverand Spuyten Duyvil creek, and is built up with great regularity as faras One-hundred and Thirtieth street. Harlem, Yorkville, Manhattanville,Bloomingdale, Carmansville, and Washington Heights or Fort Washington,were all originally separate villages, but are now parts of the greatcity. The island comes to a point at the Battery, and from thisextremity stretches away northward like a fa