64 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

improvements of the modern city; and Lubbertsen's farm can only be defined, in general terms, as bounded by a line drawn between Degraw and Harrison streets west of Court street, the East River, Hamilton avenue, Gowanus Creek, and by Warren street east of Court.1 This tract is described in the patent as land

“lying on Long Island, at Merechkawickingh,2 near to Werpos,3 extending in breadth from the kil and marsh coming from Gouwanus northwest by north, and from the beach on the East River with a course southeast by east 1700 paces of 3 feet to a pace; and in the length, from the end of said kil northeast by east and southwest by west4 to the Red Hook.”5 This was accompanied with the Òexpress condition that whenever the Indians shall be willing to part with the maize-land lying next to the aforesaid land, then Frederick Lubbertsen shall have the privilege of entering upon (i.e., occupying) the same, in the breadth of the aforesaid parcel of land, and extending from that, without his being hindered by any one.”

This Indian “maize-land” or cornfield was situated along the east side of Court street, somewhere between Atlantic and Baltic streets, and was probably in possession of the Indians two years later, in 1642, when it is called “Sassian’s maize-land,” and mentioned as one of the boundaries of Manje’s patent. Three years after this, in 1645, it is mentioned in both Hudde’s and Ruyter’s patents as “Frederick Lubbertsen’s maize-land.” It is quite possible that the

1 Lubbertse’s patent appears to have covered (with the exception of Red Hook) a large portion of what is now familiarly known as South Brooklyn, comprising a large tract of upland, together with the adjoining salt meadows and marsh, which formerly separated Red Hook from the mainland; extending 5,100 feet along the East River, in ad dition to the water-front on Gowanus Cove and the Mill Creek, and including a portion of the surrounding salt meadows. These lands, afterwards owned by the Seabrings, and subsequently by the Cornells, are designated in Butt's map as lands of Luquer, Bergen, Coles, Conover, Hoyt, Cornell, Kelsey and Blake, Johnson, Heeney, and others.

2 Or “Merechawieck,” which name, although originally appied to the Waal-boght, was also used to designate the country between that bay and the head of the Gowanus Kil.

3 Or Warpoes, from warbase or warpoos, a Dutch word signifying a hare. The name was applied to a place near the head of Gowanus Kil (see testimony of Peter Stryker, in case of Horsfield vs. Heirs of Hans Bergen, in Appendix, No. 5), and probably derived its significancy from the fact that the place abounded with these animals. There was a place on Manhattan Island bearing the same name. See Benson's Memoir, p. 7; Schoolcraft, in N. Y. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1844, p. 93; E. B. O’Callaghan, Hist. Mag., III. 85.

4 W.S.W. by W.

5 Patents, Book G G. 53.