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1. In 1790 the city of New York occupied only the lower part of Manhattan Island. The King’s Bridge, built in 1693, remained the principal artery connecting Manhattan to the mainland. Although today “Kingsbridge” refers exclusively to the Bronx side, at the time the toponym referred to the areas around both ends of the bridge. a correction 1 amico VB[R?] [Paolo Andreani’s (hereafter PA’s) note]. [The “correction ” referred to the addition of the H to the phonetic spelling “Udson” that appears elsewhere in the journal. Other proper nouns are subject to similar irregularities throughout.] 2. The “sea channel” to which PA refers is the Harlem River. 3. Archaic Dutch term Noort Rivier for the Hudson, distinguishing it from the Delaware , or South River (Zuydt Rivier). 4. The Albany Post Road; the Boston Post Road. 5. The Bloomingdale and Kingsbridge roads (modern Broadway). [3] From New York to King’s Bridge.1 King’s bridge forms the northern extremity of the island of N[ew]. York, connected to the continent by means of a wooden bridge which crosses a river, or more precisely a small sea channel that connects to the West with the river HUdson,a and to the East with the river thus called.2 In this location one observes that the Xow of the water varies at every change of the tide, running toward the East when the tide rises in the River of the North,3 and vice versa when it is high in the River of the East. In this location there are two or three houses; and there are two main roads one leading to Albany, and the other running eastward goes to Boston, and to all the States in the East.4 Exiting the City to enter the continent on this side, one takes a road that runs [4] in the middle of the island, and passably well kept.5 All around the city there are a number of hills, which taken all together form a circular shape. The heights of these hills present nevertheless some remnants of earthen fortiWcations, erected by the English army Journal 1790 Paolo Andreani 14. August during the last war, and that should have served to defend the city if the peace had not prevented the Americans from besieging it. Their position, and it was their number rather than skill, would have rendered the siege of N. York difWcult, and would have offered both sides a brilliant opportunity for their commanders. These fortiWcations extend all along the entire length for two or more miles past fort Vashington ,6 which is about twelve miles’ distance from the City. The position of this fort is interesting, since being situated in the vicinity of the river and on a ground elevated about 45 tese7 over its [water] level it easily guards its course. The English felt the importance of this site sufWciently not to neglect [5] its possession, and in fact they became its owners, capturing the entire garrison. The attack on this fort was conducted with much skill and bravery, and undertaken on three sides at the same time. Since the banks on the side of the river where the fort was built are a vertical drop, they could sail the boats nearby without being easily discovered and this helped a corps of English troops climb on this side. At the moment that the English took possession of this fort (which today is entirely destroyed) they fortiWed the high points that one meets advancing from the North, so that they could gain control of the navigation on the river, and consequently secure the communication with the army of General Bourgoigne. The idea was excellent, but the fate and the results were quite different. Borgoigne surrendered with his army to the American forces.8 [6 ] The soil of the island of N. York, as we already said elsewhere,9 cannot be compared in richness to that of the nearby countries. Thus the land is not cultivated except in the vicinity of the few houses that are to be found on the road, which are taverns for the most part. The farmers proWt better by cultivating the opposite side of the Jersey, where the soil is fertile. The land Wt for cultivation would be of a mediocre quality, if it was not full of big boulders rolled over there, most of which were probably transported 36 Journal 1790 6. Fort Washington controlled the northern access to the island and...

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