CHAPTER IV

THE DIEECTOES

THE first Director-General of the colony, Captain
Cornells May, was removed by only a generation
from those "Beggars of the Sea" whom the Span-
iard held in such contempt; but this mendicant
had begged to such advantage that the sea granted
him a noble river to explore and a cape at its
mouth to preserve his name to posterity. It is
upon his discoveries along the South River, later
called the Delaware, and not upon his record as
Director of New Netherland, that his title to fame
must rest. Associated with him was Tienpont, who
appears to have been assigned to the North River
while May assumed personal supervision of the
South. May acted as the agent of the West India
Company for one year only (1624-1625), and was
followed in office by Verhulst (1625-1626), who be-
queathed his name to Verhulsten Island, in the Del-
aware River, and then quietly passed out of history*