HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 51

der Beeck, “surgeon and farmer.” Mr. Vander Beeck, who was one of the patentees mentioned in the charter of 1667, granted by Governor Nicholls to the town of Brooklyn, and a prominent and influential citizen, died in the year 1680; and the Gowanus estate is next found in the possession of Adrian Bennett, a son of the original proprietor. During his occupancy, some dispute seems to have arisen between him and one Simon Arison (de Hart), who had become possessed of a portion of the original purchase.1 In consequence of this controversy, and in compliance with the mandate of the Governor and Council, a new survey was ordered, as appears from the following report:2

“Pursuant to his Excellency's warrant, bearing date the 9th January, 1695-6:

“I have surveyed for Adriaen Bennett a certain parcel of land at the Gowanos, on the Island of Nassau, beginning at a certain small lane3 near the house of said Adriaen Bennett,4 and from thence it runs alongst the said lane and markt trees to a certain chesnut standing on the top of the hill,5 marked with three notches, and thence to a black oak standing on the south side of the said hill, marked with three notches. The course from the said black oak to the first station is south 44 degrees and 30' easterly, distance 80 chains; and thence it runs irregularly by markt trees, said to be markt by the Indians when purchased by Willem Arianse Bennett, to a white oak(6) standing by the Indian foot-path, markt with three notches, the course 20' northerly, distance 122 chains; and thence it runs by the southwest side of Brookland Patent to the bay of the North River, and so

1. Said portion being that owned by Thomas Frausen, as described in note 1, on previous page.

2. Land papers, liber ii. 228, office Secretary of State, Albany.

3. Probably the farm-lane between the farm late of Cornelius W. Bennett and that Of Abraham Schermerhorn; said lane being near the present Twenty-first street, in the Eighth Ward.

4. Supposed to be the present Schermerhorn house, or, at all vents, the older portion of it; said house having since been modernized. (See next page.)

5. Ocean Hill, in Greenwood Cemetery. (See note 2, p. 49.)

6. The “white oak standing by the Indian foot-path, markt with three notches,” referred to above, was a large tree with a decayed centre, which stood until some forty or fifty years ago, when it was finally prostrated by the wind. Within the remains of its stump, some twenty years since, Mr. Tennis G. Bergen, supervisor of New Utrecht, and Martenus Bergen, supervisor of the Eighth Ward, placed a stone monument, which forms the most southerly angle of the city of Brooklyn. At present all vestiges of the old tree have disappeared.