an "incline" railway that is nearly perpendicular. From the summit the view is unsurpassed in extent and variety by any in New York State. From Beacon Hill the huge watch-fires, lighted to give warning of the approach of the enemy or to celebrate the advent of peace, could be seen from the peaks of the Catskills, the rugged tops of the Highlands, the hills of West- chester, or the far-away elevations of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. On a level plateau at the base of the hills the en- campment of the American army was at one time situated; and fortified works, manned by detach- ments from the camp, were placed upon hills that commanded the approach. Here, after the battle of White Plains, were brought the wounded soldiers, many of whom lie in unidentified graves near the spot. According to the writer quoted above, " Upon one of the hills rising out of this mountain passway very distinct lines of earthworks are still apparent." Fishkill Landing, Matteawan (so named from an Indian sub-tribe), and Fishkill village are here grouped, as they are in reality, under one name. Along with Revolutionary story there is a later flavour of the Digitized by Microsoft® 4i8 The Hudson River delightful conservative life of old country families, with traditions of wholesome living and hospitality to bal- ance the inborn thrift of a race whose forebears wrested their acres with pain and sweat of brow from the abounding wilderness. Modern Fishkill. is generally known-as a place where brick-makers nourish a perennial strike and where hat factories abound. . It is stated with authority, however, that the idea of associating bricks with hats did not. originate in Fishkill. Carthage lies about four miles to the north of Fish- kill Landing. It was formerly known as Low Point, to distinguish it from the High- Point — New Hamburg — two miles above. The latter village lies at the mouth of Wappenger's (or Wappingi's) Creek, so named from the Indians who once owned the land on the east shore from this vicinity south to the island of Manhattan. From this point is the best view of that projection upon the western shore that has borne from early colonial times the significant name of den Duyvel's Dans Kamer — the Devil's Dance Chamber. It is a rock, half an acre in extent (an island by courtesy), where formerly the Indians held their pow-wows. Here, with wild, savage ceremonies, the imaginative sons of the forest invoked their evil spirit. Under the lead of their raedicine-men they worked themselves to a frenzy with violent dances and chanted invoca- tions. According to the belief of the Dutch skippers. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Fishkill to Poughkeepsie 421 the devil appeared here to his votaries and set them on when any particularly atrocious deed was to be accomplished. The crew of Peter Stuyvesant, on pass- ing this place in ascending the river, were " horribly frightened by roystering devils," if we may believe the sober narrative of Knickerbocker. The traditions re- lating to this miniature island commenced when Hen- drlck Hudson made his voyage of discovery, and have reached quite to the present day, for there are many young men — not to mention maidens — ^who would hesitate long before venturing to spend the lonely hours of night in a solitary vigil on the Dans Kamer. For some reason not yet fathomed the spectre of Kidd rises wherever there is a remarkable rock or cove on the river bank. Kidd's Rock appears on " Kings- land's" Point at Tarry town, and again in the High- lands. A futile attempt to discover a portion of his treasure in a sunken wreck off the foot of the Dunder- berg has already been alluded to, and the Dans Kamer has been the scene of one or more similar endeavours to possess the Spanish gold pieces with which he was supposed to have recklessly planted the shores near which he may have sailed. But it is necessary to put away the childish things of superstition and credulity before entering a city long devoted to the work of disseminating knowledge. Men that the nation has delighted to honour passed their schooldays at the old Poughkeepsie Collegiate School, that received its charter in 1836. It afterwards Digitized by Microsoft® 422 The Hudson River became the Riverview Academy, the change of name corresponding with the removal from College Hill, the old site, to Riverview. The Eastman College, devoted to the work of preparing young men for business, has also been long established and is widely known; but to a great many thousands of educated women all over the world Poughkeepsie means " Vassar." When Matthew Vassar conceived the idea of doing something of public value with