HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 69

Frederic Lubbertsen, to whom the said marsh belonged, was also examined, and said he had no objection. So they were allowed to deepen the kil at their own expense; with reservation, however, of Fred. Lubbertsen's right in the property. The petition was granted, and the settlers were thus relieved of the necessity of going around the Hook. In August, 1751, Isaac Sebring, in consideration of £117, conveyed to Nicholas Vechte, Jurry Brouwer, and others, all Gowanus residents, the fee of a strip of meadow, “beginning at the east side of a little island where John Van Dyke’s long mill-dam is bounded upon, running from thence northerly into the river,” and twelve feet and a half wide. He was also to make a ditch along this strip at least six feet deep, and to allow the grantees the use of a “foot-path, two foot and a half wide, to dragg or hall up their canoes or boats.” March 16, 1774, the Colonial Assembly of the State passed an act empowering the people of Gowanus to widen the canal, keep it in order, and tax those who used it. This canal was partially closed, some twenty-five years ago, by improvements at Atlantic Dock, but there are persons yet living who have frequently passed through it with their boats, in going to or returning from New York.

V.

We come next to the farm of Vlaes Jansen Van Naerden, called in his neighbor Manje’s patent, Claes Janse Ruyter. He received, September 30, 1645, from Governor Kieft, a patent of “land, lying about south by east, a little easterly, over against the Fort, on Long Island, and bounded on the southwest and southeast sides by Frederick Lubbertsen, and on the northeast side by Jan Manje; it extends along the said Jan Manje’s land from the beach, southeast one half point easterly, one hundred and eighty rods, then southeast fifty rods, south round the hill southwest by west and west southwest eighty rods; again through the woods next to the Said Frederick's northwest by north one hundred and eighty rods, yet fifty rods more northwest by west, further along the beach seventy-four rods, amounting in all to twenty-one morgens, two hundred rods.”1

1 Kings County Conveyances, liber II. 20, 246.