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PREFACE.

In collecting materials for the History of Long Island, the compiler has sought to avail himself of every source of authentic and valuable information applicable to his design of making the work both interesting and useful. How far these endeavors may have been successful, must be submitted to the deliberate consideration of the reader. In justice to himself he can truly say he has avoided no reasonable labor or expense to make the publication worthy the approbation of the public, although he has fallen far short of satisfying himself, or of accomplishing all that he had anticipated on his first setting out. Ornament of style and eloquence of description have not been among the primary objects of the compiler; his principal aim having been throughout to present a brief, yet correct account of such matters in relation to Long Island, as he conceived best worth preserving, and most likely to prove a repository of valuable historical and statistical information. He is, however, constrained to acknowledge that had he, in the commencement, been able to realize in any considerable degree the labor and responsibility he was about to assume, and the obstacles to be encountered in his progress, he would have been most effectually deterred from the undertaking.

The almost entire impracticability of de

scribing, with any degree of minuteness, so many towns, villages, and other localities, without incurring the charge of tediousness or repetition, is one of the minor difficulties which the compiler has endeavored as much as possible to avoid. Another and more formidable embarrassment presented itself in the progress of his researches, which was in great measure unexpected, and had well nigh persuaded him to relinquish his further labor after a considerable mass of materials had been collected. This arose from the peculiar condition and deficiency of the records of many of the twenty-one towns which he examined. In general they are almost entirely wanting in matters of antiquity, and in others have been so negligently kept, as to be in great measure incapable of being understood. A few towns are comparatively of recent organization, having formerly been included in the territory of other towns, and of course can possess no records beyond the period of their formation; which is the fact in the towns of North Hempstead and Riverhead. In the town of Brooklyn there are no remaining records reaching beyond the revolution, they having been carried away about the close of the war by some evil-disposed individual. In all the other towns in King's County, excepting Gravesend, the ancient entries are uniformly in the Dutch language; and this practice was in some instances continued for half a century after the conquest in 1664.

The hand-writing in many cases is so peculiar, and so much defaced by time or otherwise injured, as to be in a great degree unintelligible; and those written in the Dutch language more particularly so, even to

those who have some acquaintance with the language, now nearly obsolete; and, unless immediate measures are adopted in those towns to have their ancient records transcribed in English while any one can be found competent to the task, they will become not only a sealed book, but, so far as utility is concerned, a mere blank; and the compiler cannot but consider it matter of very sincere regret that so much indifference should prevail regarding the preservation of these venerable records of antiquity. When it is remembered that only two centuries have elapsed since this fair isle, now so far advanced in population and wealth, was the abode of a race of men scarcely elevated in the scale of intelligence above the wild beasts with which the country at that period abounded, it cannot but be matter of some importance, as well as of curiosity, to trace the progress of this strange eventful history, to mark the revolutions of time, and transmit its more important details to posterity. These considerations have been among the leading motives for this undertaking. A native of Long Island himself, and descended from an ancestry coeval with its settlement by Europeans, the compiler has been stimulated with the hope of being enabled to present to the attention of his fellow-citizens a series of valuable and interesting facts and incidents of the olden times. He has had the satisfaction, during the period devoted to this subject, to receive from the kindness of individuals many valuable communications, and for which he begs to express his grateful sense of obligation for favors thus gratuitously bestowed. His acknowledgments are especially due to the Hon. James Kent, Hon. Richard Riker, Joseph W. Moulton, Esq. William

Dunlap, Esq. Dr. Samuel Akerly, and John L. Lawrence, Esq. of New-York; Hon. Jeremiah Johnson, Hon. Gabriel Furman, and Benjamin D. Silliman, Esq. of Brooklyn; Rev. Thomas M. Strong of Flatbush Hon. Singleton Mitchill and Robert W. Mott, Esq. of North Hempstead; Hon. Silas Wood of Huntington; Dr. James E. Dekay and John Nelson Lloyd, Esq. of Oysterbay; Rev. Jonathan Hunting and Joseph H. Goldsmith, Esq. of Southold; Rev. John D. Gardiner and Luther D. Cook, Esq. of Sagg Harbor; Hon. John A. King and the Rev. William L. Johnson of Jamaica; Selah B. Strong, Esq. and General John R. Satterly of Setauket. From the Hon. Secretary of State, and the clerks of the several counties and towns upon upon Long Island, the compiler has experienced the utmost courtesy; all of whom have evinced their readiness to afford him every opportunity of examining the records and documents in their possession. The compiler has been largely indebted to the contents of Mr. Wood's able and comprehensive "Sketch of the First Settlement of the several Towns upon Long Island," the most of which has been incorporated in the pages of this work. Many valuable matters have also been found in Mr. Furman's "Notes, Geographical and Historical, relating to the Town of Brooklyn ;" and in the article, Geology of Long Island, the compiler has availed himself of the very scientific and laborious reports of Mr. Mather, being the most faithful and circumstantial account ever published in relation to Long Island, and which has been considered of too much importance to be omitted or abridge 1.

In this compilation, it is presumed something may be found interesting to all classes of readers; and that

it may hereafter be referred to as a record of facts connected with the first settlement of the country, and with our colonial and revolutionary history. No apology, it is hoped, can be thought necessary for the occasional introduction of the names of individuals, and a few family details, which appeared to the compiler in some measure indispensable to the accomplishment of his object. Short biographical memoirs of some conspicuous characters have been introduced in connection with impartial narrative; and the compiler laments the want of proper materials for the history of others whose lives and actions are associated with the annals of our island. He is aware that much important matter might probably have been procured in time; but this is incident to the very nature of History, which is made up of isolated facts gleaned from an infinity of sources; so that if one should resolve not to publish till every thing was to be collected, his labor would never have an end; and what was already obtained, would in the meantime remain useless to others. Those (says a modern author) who are unacquainted with the nature of such an undertaking, may complain that we should publish before we had filled up all vacancies in our documents, and hence been able, not only to have been completely full upon every head, but at the same time to have given a more continuous narrative of the whole. This object, could it have been obtained, would have been as gratifying to the compiler as to the reader. But we can assure all such as are disposed to censure upon this score, that, had they been obliged to turn over, compare, examine, and collate, as many volumes and defaced records as the compiler has done, they would abandon

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