After Sir Henry Hudson's departure from the shores of Monmouth he proceeded towards Manhattan Island and thence up the river now bearing his name. The following traditionary account, the coming of the Whites according to Heckwelder, was handed down among both Delaware and Iroquois Indians. It is not often we meet in fact or fiction a more interesting story than this plain, simple Indian tradition. After explaining that the Indian chiefs of old Monmouth County notified the chiefs on York or Manhattan Island, and that the chiefs of the surrounding country finally gathered at the last named place to give a formal reception, the tradition says:

A long time ago before men with a white skin had ever been seen, some Indians fishing at a place where the sea widens, espied something at a distance moving upon the water. They hurried ashore, collected their neighbors, who together returned and viewed intently this astonishing phenomenon. What it could be, baffled conjecture. Some supposed it to be a large fish or other animal, others that it was a large house floating upon the sea. Perceiving it moving towards the land, the spectators concluded that it would be proper to send runners in different directions to carry the news to their scattered chiefs, that they might end off for the immediate attendance of their warriors.- These arrived in numbers to behold the sight, and perceiving that it was actually moving towards them, that it was coming into the river or bay, they conjectured that it must be a remarkably large house in which the Manitto or Great Spirit was coming to visit them. They were much afraid and yet under no apprehension that the Great Spirit would injure them. They worshipped him. The chiefs now assembled at New York Island and consulted in what manner they should receive their Manitto; meat was prepared for a sacrifice. The women were directed to prepare their best victuals. Idols or images were examined and put in order. A grand dance they thought would be pleasing, and in addition to the sacrifice might appease him if hungry. The conjurers were also set to work to determine what this phenomenon portended and what the result would be. To the conjurers, men, women and children looked for protection. Utterly at a loss what to do, and distracted alternately between hope and fear, in the confusion a grand dance commenced. Meantime fresh runners arrived, declaring it to be a great house of various colors and full of living creatures. It now appeared that it was their Manitto, probably bringing some new kind of game. Others arriving declared it positively full of people of different color and dress from theirs, and that one appeared altogether in red. (This was supposed to be Sir Henry Hudson.) This then must be the Manitto. They were lost in admiration, could not imagine what the vessel was, whence it came, or what all this portended. They are now hailed from the vessel in a language they could not understand. They answered by a shout or yell in their way. The house or large canoe as some call it, stops. A smaller canoe comes on shore with the red man in it; some stay by the canoe to guard it. The chief and wise men form a circle into which the red man and two attendants enter. He salutes them with friendly countenance, and they return the salute after their manner. They are amazed at their color and dress, particularly with him, who glittering in red, wore something, perhaps lace and buttons, they could not comprehend. He must he the great Manitto, they thought, but why should he have a white skin?

A large elegant Houckhack (gourd, i. e. bottle, decanter, &c.,) is brought by one of the supposed Manitto's servants, from which a substance is placed into smaller cups or glasses and handed to the Manitto. He drinks, has the glasses refilled and handed to the chief near him. He takes it, smells it. and passes it to the next, who does the same. The glass in this manner is passed around the circle and is about to be returned to the red clothes man, when one of the Indians, a great warrior, harangues them on the impropriety of returning the cup unemptied. It was handed to them, he said, by the Manitto, to drink out of as he had. To follow his example would please him- to reject, might provoke his wrath; and if no one else would, he would drink it himself, let what would follow, for it were better for one man to die, than a whole nation to be destroyed. He then took the glass, smelled it, again addressed them, bidding adieu, and drank its contents. All eyes are now fixed upon the first Indian in New York, who had tasted the poison, which has since effected so signal a revolution in the condition of the native Americans. He soon began to stagger. The women cried, supposing him in fits. He rolled on the ground; they bemoan his fate; they thought him dying; he fell asleep; they at first thought he had expired, but soon perceived he still breathed; he awoke, jumped up, and declared he never felt more happy. He asked for more, and the whole assembly imitating him became intoxicated. While this intoxication lasted, the whites confined themselves to their vessels; after it ceased, the man with the red clothes returned and distributed beads, axes, hoes and stockings. They soon became familiar, and conversed by signs. The whites made them understand that they would now return home, but the next year they would visit them again with presents, and stay with them awhile; but as that they could not live without eating, they should then want a little land to sow seeds, in order to raise herbs to put in their broth.

Accordingly a vessel arrived the season following, when they were much rejoiced to see each other; but the whites laughed when they saw axes and hoes hanging as ornaments to their breasts; and the stockings used as tobacco pouches. The whites now put handles in the axes and hoes and cut down trees before their eyes, dug the ground, and showed them the use of stockings. Here, say the Indians, a general laugh ensued- to think they had remained ignorant of the use of these things, and had borne so long such heavy metals suspended around their necks. Familiarity daily increasing between them and the whites- the latter prepared to stay with them- asking them only for so much land as the hide of a bullock spread before them would cover; they granted the request. The whites then took a knife, and, beginning at a place on the hide, cut it up into a rope not thicker than the finger of a little child. They then took the rope and drew it gently along in a circular form, and took in a large piece of ground; the Indians were surprised at their superior wit, but they did not contend with them for a little ground, as they had enough. They lived contentedly together for a long time, but the new comers from time to time asked for more land, which was readily obtained, and thus gradually proceeded higher up the Mahicannittuck (Hudson River), until they began to believe they would want all their country, which proved eventually to be the case.

The name which the Indians first gave to the whites was Woapsiel Lennape, which signified white people. But in process of time, when disagreeable events occurred between them, the Indians laid aside this name and called them Schwonnack- the salt people- because they came across the salt water; and this name was always after applied to the whites.

The foregoing traditions are said to have been handed down among both Delaware and Iroquois.

The Delawares owned and were spread over the whole country, from New York Island to the Potomac. They say they had a great many towns, among other places a number on the Lennapewihittack or Delaware river, and a great many in Sheyichbi on that part of the country now named Jersey. That a place named Chichohaci, now Trenton, on the Lannapewihittuck a large Indian town had been for many years together, where their great chief resided. The Delawares say Chickohacki is a place on the east side of the Delaware river above Philadelphia, at or near a great bend where the white people have since built a town which they call Trenton. Their old town was on a high bluff which was always tumbling down, wherefore the town was called Chiehohacki, which is tumbling banks, or falling banks.

When the Europeans first arrived at York Island the Great Unami chief of the Turtle tribe resided southward across a large stream, or where Amboy now is. That from this town a very Long sand bar (Sandy Hook) extended far into the sea. That at Amboy and all the way up and down their large rivers and bays and on great islands they had towns when the Europeans first arrived, and that it was their forefathers who first discovered the Europeans on their travel, and who met them on York Island after they landed.