Re: Anthony's Nose origin

Benson J. Lossing in "The Hudson", 1866, pp.266-167,
offers Washington Irving's explanation from his 1809
Knickerbocker history:

We crossed the river from Lake Sinnipink to Anthony's Nose, through
the point of which the Hudson River Railway passes, in a tunnel over
two hundred feet in length.  This is a lofty rocky promontory, whose
summit is almost thirteen hundred feet above the river, and with the
jutting point of the Donder Berg, a mile and a half below, gives the
Hudson there a double curve, and the appearance of an arm of the sea,
terminating at the mountains.  Such was the opinion of Hendrick
Hudson, as he approached this point from below.  The true origin of the
name of this promontory is unknown.  Irving makes the veracious
historian, Diedrich Knickerbocker, throw light upon the subject:--

"And now I am going to tell a fact, which I doubt much my readers
will hesitate to believe, but if they do they are welcome not to believe a
word in this whole history--for nothing which it contains is more true.
It must be known then that the nose of Anthony the trumpeter was of a
very lusty size, strutting boldly from his countenance like a mountain of
Golconda, being sumptuously bedecked with rubies and other precious
stones--the true regalia of a king of good fellows, which jolly Bacchus
grants to all who bouse it heartily at the flagon.  Now thus it happened,
that bright and early in the morning, the good Anthony, having washed
his burly visage, was leaning over the quarter railing of the galley,
contemplating it in the glassy wave below.  Just at that moment the
illustrious sun, breaking in all his splendour from behind a high bluff of
the Highlands, did dart one of his most potent beams full upon the
refulgent nose of the sounder of brass--the reflection of which shot
straightway down hissing hot into the water, and killed a mighty
sturgeon that was sporting beside the vessel.  This huge monster, being
with infinite labour hoisted on board, furnished a luxurious repast to all
the crew, being accounted of excellent flavour excepting about the wound,
where it smacked a little of brimstone--and this, on my verity, was the
first time that ever sturgeon was eaten in these parts by Christian
people.  When this astonishing miracle became known to Peter Stuyvesant,
and that he tasted of the unknown fish, he, as may well be
supposed, marvelled exceedingly; and as a monument thereof, he gave
the name of Anthony's Nose to a stout promontory in the neighborhood,
and it has continued to be called Anthony's Nose ever since that time."

Perhaps the other "Nose's" were copied from this initial
attribution [who knows?].

Tim Holls
20000822.0645