224 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

first rude cabins of the settlers on the shores of the Waale-boght and at “the Ferry,” partook of the same general characteristics. The farm-houses on Long Island, however, were more generally constructed, in a rough but substantial manner, of stone—lighted by narrow windows, containing two small panes of glass—and protected against the “overloopen” or escalading of any savage foe, by strong, well-pointed palisades. Snugness, economy, safety, were the characteristics of these country dwellings.

An interesting glimpse at the construction of the ordinary country houses of the day, is afforded by the following translation of a contract for the erection of a ferry-house, or tavern, on the Long Island side, for Egbert Van Borsum, the ferry-master, in 1655:

“We, Carpenters Jan Cornelisen, Abram Jacobsen, and Jan Hendricksen, have contracted to construct a house over at the ferry of Egbert Van Borsum, ferry-man, thirty feet long and eighteen feet wide, with an outlet of four feet, to place in it seven girders, with three transome windows and one door in the front, the front to be planed and grooved, and the rear front to have boards overlapped in order to be tight, with door and windows therein ; and a floor and garret grooved and planed beneath (on the under side); to saw the roof thereon, and moreover to set a windowframe with a glass light in the front side; to make a chimney mantel and to wainscot the fore-room below, and divide it in the centre across with a door in the partition; to set a window-frame with two glass lights therein; further to wainscot the east side the whole length of the house, and in the recess two bedsteads, one in the front room and one in the inside room, with a pantry at the end of the bedstead (betste); a winding staircase in the fore-room. Furthermore we, the carpenters, are bound to deliver all the square timber—to wit, beams, posts, and frame timber, with the pillar for the winding staircase, spars, and worm, and girders, and foundation tim. bers required for the work; also the spikes and nails for the interior work; also rails for the wainscot are to be delivered by us.

“For which work Egbert Van Borsum is to pay five hundred and fifty guilders (two hundred and twenty dollars), one-third in beavers, one-third in good merchantable wampum, one-third in good silver coin, and free passage over the ferry so long as the work continues, and small beer to be drunk during work.

“We have subsequently contracted with said Egbert Van Borsum to