Thus every one, rich and poor, great and small, looked out
for the arrival of the ship. It was the great yearly event of the town
of New-Amsterdam; and from one end of the year to the other, the
ship--the ship--the ship--was the continual topic of conversation.
The news from the fort, therefore, brought all the populace down to
the battery, to behold the wished-for sight. It was not exactly the
time when she had been expected to arrive, and the circumstance was a
matter of some speculation. Many were the groups collected about the
battery. Here and there might be seen a burgomaster, of slow and
pompous gravity, giving his opinion with great confidence to a crowd
of old women and idle boys. At another place was a knot of old
weatherbeaten fellows, who had been seamen or fishermen in their
times, and were great authorities on such occasions; these gave
different opinions, and caused great disputes among their several
adherents: but the man most looked up to, and followed and watched by
the crowd, was Hans Van Pelt, an old Dutch sea-captain retired from
service, the nautical oracle of the place. He reconnoitred the ship
through an ancient telescope, covered with tarry canvas, hummed a
Dutch tune to himself, and said nothing.
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