142 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

and Stuyvesant agreed personally to contribute two hundred and fifty guilders, provided Mr. Selyns would preach a sermon, on Sunday afternoons, at his “bouwery” on Manhattan Island.1 In this arrangement the Dominie acquiesced, and thereafter preached at the “Director's bonwery,” which was a “sort of stopping-place and pleasure-ground of the Manhattans.” Here his audiences consisted mostly of people from the city, and besides Stuyvesant's own household, about forty negroes who lived in that neighborhood, in what was known as the “negro quarter.” After Selyns’ installation at

hopes that their village would now daily increase, and that consequently they would be enabled in future to contribute more; and they earnestly requested that Dominio Selyns might come among them at the earliest opportunity.”

1 Extract from a letter of Dominic Selyns to the Classis at Amsterdam, dated “Amsterdam on the Manhattans, 4 October, 1660” (Doc. Hist. N. Y., iii. 108): “When we arrived in N. Netherland, we repaired forthwith to the Manhattans; but the negotiations for peace at the Esopus, where we were, and the public interests, necessarily retarded our progress thus long. We preached, meanwhile, here, and at the Esopus and Fort Orange; during our stay were provided with board and lodging. (See Alb. Rec., xxiv. 387.) Esopus needs more people, but Breuckelen more wealth; wherefore I officiate, Sunday afternoons, at the General's bouwerye, at the Noble General's private expense. Through the worshipful Messrs. Nicasius de Sille, Fiscal, and Martin Cregiers, B urgomaster, the induction (or call) in Breuckelen occurred with the Hon'ble General's open commission. Whereupon I was suitably received by the Magistrate and Consistory, and De Polhemus was forthwith discharged. We do not preach in any church, but in a barn (Korenschuur), and shall, God willing, erect a church in the winter, by the co-operation of the people. The congregation is passable. The attendance is augmented from Middlewout, New Amersfoort, and frequently Gravesende but most from the Manhattans. To Breuckelen appertains, also, the Ferry, the Walebocht, and Gujanus. The Breuckelen Ferry is about 2,000 paces, but the River of the Manhattans is 4,000 feet from the Breuckelen Ferry. I found at Breuckelen one elder, two deacons, twenty-four members, thirty-one householders (Huysgesins), and 134 persons. The Consistory will remain provisionally as it is. Afore material will be obtained through time and a better knowledge of the community. There can be no catechizing before the winter; but this shall be introduced either on week-days, or when there is no preaching at the Bowery. Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and September will be most suitable for the Lord's Supper, as Thanksgiving is observed on these festivals . . . There is preaching in the morning at Breuckelen, but towards the conclusion of the Catechismal exercises of New Amsterdam, at the Bou. wery, which is a continuation and the place of recreation of the Manhattans, where people also come from the city to evening service. In addition to the household, there are over forty negroes, whose location is the negro quarter. There is no Consistory here (i.e., at the Bouwery), but the deacons of New Amsterdam provisionally receive the alm-offerings; and there are to be neither elders nor deacons there. Besides me, there are in New Netherland: D. D. Johannes Megapoleasis and Samuel Drisius, in New Amsterdam; D. Gideon Schaets, at Fort Orange; D. Joannes Polhemus, at Middlewout; and N. Amersfoort and Hermans Blom, at the Esopus.”