Adriaen Block

Adriaen Block (1567 - 1627) was a navigator and a trafficker of Dutch furs; it explored the littoral of the New Jersey and Massachussets current, during four voyages accomplished between 1611 and 1614, following the forwarding of Henry Hudson in 1609. For the first time in this area, it establishes commercial relations with the autochtones. The chart drawn according to its voyage from 1614 mentions for the first time of many features of the American coast, as well as the name of the New-Country-Low. It is generally regarded as the first European to have visited the strait of Long Island, the course of the Connecticut and to have proven that Manhattan and Long Island were many islands.

Forwardings of Adriaen Block

The first voyages (1611-1612)

After the first contacts between Hudson and the autochtones Amerindian, in 1609, in the valley of Hudson, the Dutch traders of Amsterdam estimated that the area could appear interesting for its skins of beaver, whose trade was very lucrative at the time.

In 1610, a boat started from Monnickendam, with for captain Symen Lambertz Mau, disappeared in the estuary from the Hudson; the following year, Andriaen Block and Hendrick Christiaensen, financed by groups of traders Lutherans, visited the estuary of Hudson again, and brought back skins, as well as wire of an indigenous chief. The prospect for abundant resources in furs led the General states of the United Provinces to promulgate the March 27th 1614 an edict stipulating that the people who would discover new areas, ports or straits would be seen granting an exclusive license for four voyages, which should be carried out in the four years following the discovery, the discoverer having to submit a report detailed to the General states fourteen days after its return.

The forwarding of 1614

In 1614, Block went on a fourth journey until the course lower of Hudson, on board the Tyger , and accompanied by several tradind ships. A fire destroyed the Tyger while it was anchored to the south of the island of Manhattan, and the crew, helped by the people close to the Lenapes, had to build a new boat during the winter, which was baptized l' Onrust .

On board this ship, Adriaen Block explored the East River; it is also during this voyage that he discovered Hell Gate and the strait Island Length. Traversing this last strait, he also discovered two rivers, Housatonic and the Connecticut, which he went up until current the Hartford, with sixty miles of the mouth. The island which it could observe for the first time by leaving the strait Island Length bears today its name (Block Island); it gave the name of Roode Eylandt (the red bay) with what is today the Baie of Narragansett. Arrived at the Cape Cod, it found one of the other ships of forwarding, on board of which it turned over to Europe, giving up l' Onrust .

The Company of the Nouvaux-Countries-Low

Returned in the United Provinces, it gathered information which it had obtained in a chart, which was the first to be used the term of " New-country-Bas" to indicate the area ranging between English Virginia and French Canada, and to represent Long Island like an island.

October 11th, 1614, Block, Christiaensen and a group of twelve other traders obtained in the name of the Compgnie news of News-Holland a three years monopoly for the trade with the areas ranging between the 40e and the parallel 45e.

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