[conspire] Federales in Portland?

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Ruben Safir (ruben at mrbrklyn.com):

> One of the interesting things I had learned when doing historical
> websites for Brooklyn was that prior to official settlement by the
> Dutch, there was more than a few French Wahloons already settled on
> Nausau Island (Long Island) and Manhattan.  They seemed to have been
> hiding here.  My friend, and Archeologist, Authur Bankoff, could give
> quite a detailed description of the fluidity of the european settlment
> that was taking place between the Half-Moon and 1624.

For the benefit of us non-NYC people, it wouldn't hurt to explain that
'Half Moon' in this context refers to the Dutch East India Company boat
'Halve Maen', captained by Englishman Henry Hudson, who'd been hired to 
find a western passage to China, and instead found New York Harbor, in
1609 (and sailed up the Hudson River as far as present-day Albany, where
the river ceased to be navigable).  

'Half Moon' is the name of a replica ship made in 1989, that careens
around the Hudson as a traveling museum, teaching youth groups about the
history of New Netherlands.

> Of course, all this predates the Mayflower.

Dude, the Puritans fleeing excessive religious tolerance in Holland were
johnnys-come-lately.  (I exaggerate:  They were the victims of a
diplomatic intrigue, and left Holland because dissident English churches
had just been banned by treaty negotiated with James I.)

> Martín Alonso Pinzón - he was the real trouble maker

Columbus's best captain, and a great deal more competent and
conscientious than was Columbus.  Apparently a man of integrity.