thousand British troops landed, and marched upon Fort Lee, on the top of the Palisades, a few miles below, after the fall of Fort Washington, in the autumn of 1776.

One of the most interesting points on the west shore of the Hudson, near New York, and most resorted to, except Hoboken and its vicinity, is Fort Lee. It is within the domain of New Jersey. The dividing line between that State and New York is a short distance below Rockland or Sneeden's Landing; and it is only the distance between there and its mouth (about twenty miles) that the Hudson washes any soil but that of the State of New York.

The village of Fort Lee is situated at the foot of the Palisades. A winding road passes from it to the top of the declivity, through a deep, wooded ravine. The site of the fort is on the left of the head of the ravine, in the ascent, and is now marked by only a few mounds and a venerable pine-tree just south of them, which tradition avers once sheltered the tent of Washington. As the great patriot never pitched his tent there, tradition is in error. Washington was at the fort a short time at the middle of November, 1776, while the combined British and Hessian forces were attacking Fort Washington on the opposite shore. He saw the struggle of the garrison and its assailants, without ability to aid his friends. When the combat had continued a long time, he sent word to the commandant of the fort, that if he could hold out until night, he could bring the garrison off. The assailants were too powerful; and Washington, with Generals Greene, Mercer, and Putnam, and Thomas Paine, the influential political pamphleteer of the day, was a witness of the slaughter, and saw the red cross of St. George floating over the lost fortress, instead of the Union stripes which had been unfurled there a few months before. The title of Fort Washington was changed to that of Fort Knyphausen, in honour of the Hessian general who was engaged in its capture. Fort Lee was speedily approached by the British under Cornwallis, and as speedily abandoned by the Americans. The latter fled to the Republican camp at Hackensack, when Washington commenced his famous retreat through New Jersey, from the Hudson to the Delaware, for the purpose of saving the menaced federal capital, Philadelphia.

The view from the high point north of Fort Lee is extensive and

interesting, up and down the river. Across are seen the villages of Carmansville and Manhattanville, and fine country seats near; while southward, on the left, the city of New York stretches into the dim

distance, with Staten Island and the Narrows still beyond. On the right are the wooded cliffs extending to Hoboken, with the little villages of Pleasant Valley, Bull's Ferry, Weehawk, and Hoboken, along the shore.

BOUT three miles below Fort Lee is Bull's Ferry, a village of a few houses, and a great resort for the working-people of New York, when spending a leisure day. The steep, wooded bank rises abruptly in the rear, to an altitude of about two hundred feet. There, as at Weehawk, are many pleasant paths through the woods leading to vistas through which glimpses of the city and adjacent waters are obtained. Hither pic-nic parties come to spend warm summer days, where

"Overhead

The branches arch, and shape a pleasant bower,

Breaking white cloud, blue sky, and sunshine bright,

Into pure ivory and sapphire spots,

And flocks of gold; a soft, cool emerald tint

Colours the air, as though the delicate leaves
Emitted self-born light."

Its

Our little sketch of Bull's Ferry is taken from Weehawk Wharf, and shows the point on which was a block-house during the revolution; from that circumstance it has always been called Block-house Point. history has a melancholy interest, as it is connected with that of the unfortunate Major André. In the summer of 1780, a few weeks before the discovery of Arnold's treason, that block-house was occupied by a British picket, for the protection of some woodcutters, and the neighbouring New Jersey loyalists. On Bergen Neck below was a large number of cattle and horses, belonging to the Americans, within reach of the foragers who might go out from the British post at Paulus's Hook, now Jersey City. Washington's head-quarters were then inland, near Ramapo. He sent General Wayne, with some Pennsylvanian and Maryland troops, horse and foot, to storm the block-house, and to drive the

cattle within the American lines. Wayne sent the cavalry, under Major Henry Lee, to perform the latter duty, whilst he and three Pennsylvanian regiments marched against the block-house with four pieces of cannon. They made a spirited attack, but their cannon were too light to be effective, and, after a skirmish, the Americans were repulsed with a loss of sixty men, killed and wounded. After burning some wood-boats near,

and capturing those who had them in charge, Wayne returned to camp with a large number of cattle driven by the dragoons.

This event was the theme of a satirical poem, in three cantos, in the ballad style, written by Major André, and published in Rivington's Royal Gazette, in the city of New York. The following is a correct copy, made

by the writer for his PICTORIAL FIELD BOOK OF THE REVOLUTION, in 1850, from an original in the hand-writing of Major André. It was written upon small folio paper. The poem is entitled

THE COW CHASE.

CANTO I.

To drive the kine one summer's morn,

The tanner took his way;

The calf shall rue, that is unborn,

The yumbling of that day.

And Wayne descending steers shall know

And tauntingly deride,

And call to mind, in every low,

The tanning of his hide.

Yet Bergen cows still ruminate
Unconscious in the stall,

What mighty means were used to get
And lose them after all.

For many heroes bold and brave
From New Bridge and Tapaan,
And those that drink Passaic's wave,
And those that eat soupaan; †

And sons of distant Delaware,
And still remoter Shannon,

And Major Lee with horses rare,
And Proctor with his cannon;

All wondrous proud in arms they came

What hero could refuse,

To tread the rugged path to fame,
Who had a pair of shoes?

At six the host, with sweating buff,

Arrived at Freedom's Pole,

When Wayne, who thought he'd time enough,

Thus speechified the whole:

O ye whom glory doth unite,

Who Freedom's cause espouse,

Whether the wing that's doomed to fight,

Or that to drive the cows;

* This is in allusion to the supposed business of General Wayne, in early life, who, it was said, was a tanner. He was a surveyor.

† A common name for hasty-pudding, made of the meal of maize or Indian corn.

Major Harry Lee was commander of a corps of light horseman, and Colonel Proctor was at the head of a corps of artillery.