314 In Touch with Nature. 



for the spot whereon had stood the house, for this 

 was soon found ; but who lived here ; when did 

 he build ; when and why did he leave ? A hun- 

 dred questions plagued me at once, and I took 

 refuge in the book-stack. 



As far back as 1668, we learn that Peter Jegou 

 purchased a tract of land including this island, and 

 for his own use built a house, which, by the way, 

 was an inn, and the first house of entertainment, or 

 tavern, built on the Delaware. It stood near the 

 mouth of a large creek, and on what is now the 

 main-land, the Jersey shore ; while within sight, 

 on the end of the island, was another house, and 

 one most advantageously situated, for it com- 

 manded a perfect outlook down the river, which 

 is here fully a mile wide. We will not speculate 

 as to the guests of Jegou's tavern, nor as to who 

 were his neighbors. The whole matter would 

 probably have been irrecoverably lost to history 

 had Peter not gone to law, and left on record that, 

 of this island and the Jersey shore hard by, he 

 was "in Lawfull possession until ye Jeare 1670; 

 att w ch tyme yo r Pit. was plundered by the Indians 

 & by them utterly ruined as is wel knowne to all 



