The narrator is discussing a historical event involving two states, New York and New Jersey, who fought over islands between them. The dispute was resolved through a race to encircle the islands within 24 hours. The prize was Staten Island, which was described as the most commodious and richest land. New Jersey initially thought the island impossible to encircle in under a day, but New York determined to expand her empire states and thought she had the man for the job, Captain Christopher Phillip.
Phillip cleverly lashed empty barrels to his ship to help catch the wind and make haste. This strategy made the difference, allowing him to win the race against time and encircle the most commodious island of Staten for New York in just over 23 hours. This event earned him historical immortality in books, articles, and on Wikipedia.
The narrator then delves into the ambiguity of the historical record, questioning the timing and details of the race. They mention the discrepancy between sources that state the race took a little over 23 hours and others that state it took exactly 23 hours and 37 minutes. The narrator also questions the reliability of sources, mentioning the Supreme Court's decision on New York and New Jersey island ownership in the 90s.
The narrator then discusses the confusion caused by the existence of two individuals named Christopher Billup, both living on Billet Manor, Staten Island. The narrator also mentions the inconsistencies in the story, such as the ship being described as an Atlantic crossing vessel with cannons and sometimes as Billup's personal boat.
The narrator then discusses the trail of the story, mentioning that the first tall tale teller was a man named Dis Away, who lived from 1798 to 1868. The first written records of the story are lost to history. The narrator also mentions their visit to the New York Public Library, where they were unable to access the rare book room.
Finally, the narrator expresses disappointment that they were unable to visit the Billet Museum, which was closed. They also express frustration with the lack of clarity in the historical record and the difficulty of verifying the details of the story. The narrator concludes by expressing a sense of being alone on Staten Island, surrounded by ghosts and graves.
1. The story revolves around a race between New York and New Jersey over the islands that could be encircled in less than 24 hours.
2. The islands that could be encircled in less than 24 hours would belong to New York, while those that could not be encircled in the same time would belong to New Jersey.
3. Staten Island was the big prize, described as the most commodious and richest land.
4. New Jersey thought the island impossible to encircle in under a day due to its size and the slow speed of boats in the past.
5. Captain Christopher Phillip, a clever captain, lashed empty barrels to his ship to help catch the wind and make haste.
6. This strategy made the difference, allowing New York to win the race against time and encircle the most commodious island of Staten for New York in just over 23 hours.
7. The story of this event has been immortalized in books, articles, and on Wikipedia.
8. The ambiguity today is about the route of the race, whether it was individually or all islands at once.
9. The story was inspired by a New York Times article from 1913.
10. The race had to happen after the Royal Charter in 1664, which made New Jersey a separate entity from New York.
11. The Supreme Court dealt with New York and New Jersey island ownership in the 90s.
12. The youngest reliable source that might mention the race is the Supreme Court decision.
13. The race took a little over 23 hours according to the New York Times, but the Staten Islander 1911 says the race took exactly 23 hours and 37 minutes.
14. The ship used in the race was sometimes an Atlantic crossing vessel with cannons, and sometimes it was Captain Christopher Billup's personal boat.
15. The ship was sometimes covered with empty barrels to gain considerable sailing power.
16. The story of the race is considered a cute tale that evolved over time, surviving the centuries by being clever and cute.
17. The first tall tale teller was a local chronicler named Dis Away, who wrote articles for the Richmond County Gazette about the race that never happened.
18. The first written records of the story are lost to history.
19. The story of the race is considered a cute tale that evolved over time, surviving the centuries by being clever and cute.
20. The story of the race is considered a cute tale that evolved over time, surviving the centuries by being clever and cute.
21. The story of the race is considered a cute tale that evolved over time, surviving the centuries by being clever and cute.