by the settlers, originally with the consent of the agent of the Earl of Stirling; and after his death, the purchases of the Indiaus were made by the people of the several towns for their common benefit.*

In cases of grants to companies by the Dutch Governor, the lands were divided by lot; and in all cases of purchase, the rights of individuals were deemed to be in proportion to their contribution to the purchase, or to the patent by which it was confirmed.

A single family of French protestants seems to have settled on the Island in the vicinity of New-York, as early as 1625. In a family record in the hands of Gen. Johnson of Brooklyn, it is stated that the first child of George Jansen De Rapalje, was born at the Wallaboght that year; and it is a tradition among the Dutch, that this was the first white child that was born on the Island.

This family and perhaps a few others, may have thus early located themselves on the shores of the Island opposite NewYork, but it is supposed that very few emigrants had yet arrived in the Dutch territories, whose object was the cultivation

The first purchase of Southold was made under the authority of New-Haven, and the purchase of Ea thampton was made by the Governor of New-Haven and Hartford, and the lands were afterwards conveyed to the respective settlers of the two towns.

Lyon Gardiner was the sole proprietor of Gardiner's Island. Shelter Island was purchased by James Farrett, and after some intermediate conveyances in 1666, became vested in Nathaniel Sylvester, Constant Sylvester, and Thomas Middleton. Constant Sylvester resided in Barbadoes, and Thomas Middleton in England. During the period of the Dutch power, on the reconquest of the colony, the Dutch Governor on the 28th April, 1674, by a formal act confiscated the rights of those two gentleman as public enemies, and on the 28th of August sold the same to Nathaniel Sylvester for 1500, for which he gave his bond. When it was ascertained that the Dutch must shortly leave the country, it appears, from a recital in the will of Nathaniel Sylvester, dated in 1679, reciting the confiscation and bill of sale, that the Governor sent a ship with fifty soldiers to Shelter Island, to collect the money due on the said bond. They landed on the Island, surrounded the house of Nathaniel Sylvester, and compelled him to pay them the amount of the bond. Smithtown was given to Lyon Gardiner by Wyandance, in 1659, by whom it was sold to Richard Smith in 1663, and was confirmed by the Nissaquague Sachem in 1665.

William Nicolls was the original purchaser and sole proprietor of the greater part of Islip. Eaton's Neck was given to Governor Eaton by the Indians, and Winthrop's patent in like manner to Governor Winthrop, Exclusive of Judge Smith's purchases and a few others, the other lauds in the several towns in Suffolk county, were purchased by the first settlers in common.

The lands in the occupancy of the Indians in the towns of Southampton and Easthampton, belong to those towns respectively. The Indians have only a usufructuary property in them.

The peninsula of Montauk contains about 9000 acres, 1500 of which are timber, and 1000 water, is divided into three fiells; the first or common field, contains 6600 acres, the other two 1200 each. The Indians occupy one or other of the smaller fields as they choose, from the time of planting, to the time of gathering corn, and have a right to keep 52 head of cattle or horses. The whole is divided into 38 shares, each share entitles the proprietor to put 56 head of cattle into the common field, the first week in April, and on the first of June to put 12 of the 56 into the fatting field. The fat cattle are taken away the first of November, and the others the first of De cember. One horse is deemed equivalent to two cattle, or four calves, or 7 sheep.

of the soil. The earliest deed for land in the town of Brooklyn, is a grant to Abraham Rycken in 1638; and the earliest deed on record, is a grant to Thomas Besker in the year 1639, and the earliest grant for lands in Kings county that has been discovered, was in 1636.

This must be considered as the commencement of the Dutch settlements on Long-Island. There is no evidence that any direct and systematic efforts were made for this purpose, till this period.

In 1641, the Dutch Governor and Council, in order to strengthen their claim to the Island, consented that the English should settle there under their jurisdiction, on taking the oath of allegiance to the states general, and the Dutch West India Company.

The Town of Gravesend in Kings county, and the several Towns of Hempstead, Flushing, Jamaica, and Newtown in Queens County, were originally settled by Englishmen on these conditions: The other towns in Kings County were settled by the Dutch, and all the other towns on the Island, were settled under the English.

The first settlement under the English was made by Lyon Gardiner, on Gardiner's Island, in 1639, under a purchase made by him of the natives, which was confirmed by James Farret, agent of the Earl of Stirling, in 1640.

In October 1640, the people of Southold commenced a settlement on a tract of land which had been purchased of the natives by the government of New-Haven.

In May 1640, the English attempted to make a settlement on a tract of land on the east side of Great Neck, or on the west side of Cow Neck, in the town of North Hempstead, on the north side of the Island, which had been purchased of the natives by Daniel How, under an agreement with the agent of the Earl of Stirling; but were prevented by Kieft, the Dutch Governor, and the settlers removed to Southampton, purchased a tract of land of the natives, and commenced a settlement there in December 1640, which was the foundation of that town.*

By an agreement bearing date 17th April, 1640, James Farret, agent of the Earl of Stirling, authorized Daniel How, Job Payne and others, their associates, to purchase lands, and form a settlement on Long-Island," with as full and free liberty both in church order and civil government, as the plantations in Massachusetts enjoyed." By virtue of this agreement, Daniel How shortly after made a purchase of the natives on the Island, Which extended from the eastern part of Oysterbay, to the western part of a bay called after him, How's bay, to the middle of the plains, being half the breadth of the Island," and immediately commenced a settlemeut in the western part of said purchase May 13, 1640. Governor Kieft sent Cornelius Van Tienhoven, the Secretary, the under Sheriff, a Sergeant, and twenty-tive soldiers to

In 1642. the English advanced as far as Oysterbay, within the tract purchased by Captain How, and were broken up by the Dutch Governor. Some of the English planters were seized and imprisoned, and others driven from their settle

ments.

The line of division between the respective territories of the two powers, was a constant source of contention between them, and the public harmony was interrupted by mutual complants of encroachments on Long-Island, as well as on the main.

It was at length attempted to put an end to these complants, and to secure peace and quiet on the borders, by definitively settling the boundaries between their respective territories.

May 19, 1643, the four New-England colonies, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Hartford, and New-Haven, formed a union for their mutual security, and the protection of the settlements that were connected with them.

Public affairs were transacted by two commissioners from each colony. All controversies between the English and the Dutch, were from that period on the part of the English managed by the commissioners of the united colonies.

A treaty for the adjustment of differences, and the settlement of boundaries between the two powers, was negociated by Mr. Bradstreet, of Massachusetts, and Mr. Prince of Plymouth, on the part of the Commissioners, and by Thomas Willet and George Baxter, on the part of the Dutch Governor, at Hartford, the 19th September, 1650.

Scout's bay, to break up the said settlement. The party set out the 14th and returned the 15th. They found the company, consisting of eight men and a woman with an infant, who had erected one house, and were engaged in erecting another.The party brought six of the men with them to the Governor, to wit, Job Sayre, George Wells, John Farrington, Philip Cartland, Nathaniel Cartland, and William Harcher, whom he confined, and examined on oath. On examination it appeared that they came from Lynn, near Boston, and were brought to the Island by James Farret, in a vessel commanded by Daniel How, both of whom had returned to New-Haven. On the 19th these men, on signing an agreement to leave the place, were dismissed.

How's bay was the same as Scout's bay, and is the bay between Cow Neck and Great Neck, and so called in the ancient deeds for land adjoining it. Martin Garretson's bay is the bay between Great Neck and Little Neck, and is the boundary be tween Flushing and North Hempstead.

The settlement therefore must have been on the east side of Great Neck, or the west side of Cow Neck, and probably at the latter place. After their settlement at How's bay was broken up, Daniel How and his associates went to Southampton, contracted with the natives for the purchase of a tract of land there, and advanced them some part of the consideration to secure the bargain.

December 13th, 1640, they settled the payment of the remaining part of the consid eration, obtained a deed for the land, and commenced their settlement. They held their first town meeting the 6th of April, 1641, and their town meetings are regularly recorded from that period.

The acknowledgment to the Earl of Stirling, or his heirs, was fixed by Governor Winthrop of Boston in 1641, according to an agreement with James Farrett, at four bushels of Indian corn, payable the last day of September annually, at Southampton.

By that treaty it was mutually agreed, with regard to the boundaries between the two powers on I ong Island, “That a line run from the westermost part of Oysterbay, and so a straight and direct line to the sea, shall be the bounds betwixt the English and Dutch there. The easterly part to belong to the English, and the westermost to the Dutch.” When Oysterbay came to b settled by the English, a dispute arose between them and the Dutch Governor, respecting the westermost limits of the bay; and this with the delay of the States General to ratify the treaty, fornished the Dutch Governor with a pretext for not fulfilling it.

In 1659, the directors of the West India company ordered the Dutch Governor, to erect a Fort, or to build a Block-house on their east bay, in order the more effectually to resist the encroachments of the English.

In 1661, the Governor informed them that he had not begun the Fort on Long-Island, near Oysterbay," because our neighbours lay the boundaries a mile and a half more westerly than we do; and the more as your honours are not inclined to stand to the treaty of Hartford," and although the. treaty was ratified by the States General the 22d February, 1656, yet it seems that the Governor never wholly relinquished his claim of jurisdiction over that town, or a part of it.

In June 1656, the commissioners of the United Colonies in answer to a communication of the Dutch Governor, reproach him with still continuing to claim Oysterbay, in violation of the treaty of Hartford.

These disputes involved the people of Oysterbay in much difficulty and perplexity To avoid giving offence to one power or the other, and to secure peace and quietness, they were compelled to observe a kind of neutrality between the contending parties.

December 13, 1660, they resolved by a vote of the people in Town meeting, that no person should intermeddle to put the town either under the Dutch or English, until the difference between them should be ended, under the penalty of £50 sterling.

January 8, 1662, they seem to have taken a more decisive part. They avowed their allegiance to the King of England, and resolved to defend any one who should be molested for exercising authority among them, at their common expense.

It is presumed that this town about this period, united with the other English towns on the Island east of Hempstead, in their voluntary submission to the jurisdiction of Connecticut.

Of the order in which the several Towns on the Island

were settled.

The time of the settlement of the English towns, is to be collected from the dates of their respective purchases of the natives, and that of the Dutch towns from the grants of the Governor, or from the original records of their respective proceedings. From these, it appears that the first settlement of the several towns on the Island, was commenced at or near the time, and in the order following:

Although a few settlements were first made by individuals in the Dutch territories, it was some years be ore the number was sufficient to require any political organization. Brooklyn, the largest of the Dutch villages did not choose regular magistrates till 1646, though some kind of authority was established there before. On the contrary, Southold and Southampton, were settled by regular organized societies, governed from their origin by laws and magistrates, with regular churches. A house for public worship was erected at Southampton previous to 1645, the first in the Dutch towns was commenced 1654, so that although there were a few settlers in Brooklyn, and Flatlands before 1640, they did not become towns till some years after; and the towns of Southold, Southampton, and probably Easthampton, were some years in advance of them in numbers in organization and social improvements.

+Some confusion exists in the dates of this period, and an event may have taken place a year before, or a year after it is stated to have happened, but the error in time can rarely exceed a year.

When the computation by the christian era was introduced, the commencement of the year was fixed on the day of the annunciation or incarnation of Christ, which was placed on the 25th of March, and so continued in England and her dominions, till the alteration of the style in 1752, wheu by an act of Parliament, it was enacted, that eleven days should be stricken out of the month of September, and that the 3d should