Records of Meetings 57 



features, or social conditions, or local characters in works of fiction, and 

 incidentally mentioned James Fenimore Cooper as one of the few, in con- 

 nection with his romance " The Water Witch." Mrs. Andrew J. Newbury 

 happened to be one of my audience and subsequently very kindly sent 

 me this . interesting letter : 



" Cooper's account of his chum for months on the Sterling is given in 

 his book ' Ned Myers.' The life of this shipmate, Ned Myers, was writ- 

 ten in 1843, when the old salt, then a battered hulk, was an inmate of 

 Sailors Snug Harbor. 



" When Cooper was on the crest of the wave of his literary fame the old 

 sailor, wondering if this could be the comrade of his youth, wrote after 

 twenty-five years of separation to inquire. The answer was ' I am your old 

 shipmate ' ; and Ned was invited to visit Cooper's home, ' Otsego Hall.' 



" Many people noted this pair in 1843. Hardly a day passed that they 

 were not seen together, as the heavy hall gates swung open at eleven 

 o'clock, coming out for a morning walk or a sail on the lake, — Cooper's 

 portly form and, by his side, a shriveled figure with halting step, leaning 

 heavily on a crooked stick which served for a cane. It was during this 

 visit that the old sailor spun his life yarn in his own way and Cooper 

 wove it into his book ' Ned Myers.' 



" The Sterling, named for Sterhng Castle, sailed from Maine in 1806 

 for Cowes, England. Cooper learned much of London in his stay there, 

 and went thence to Gibraltar. Seamen of English birth were impressed 

 from the vessel for the war against Napoleon. The ship was chased by a 

 pirate in the Bay of Biscay. Once, in a heavy sea, they were almost 

 wrecked, but finally got back to Philadelphia, in 1807." 



Mr. Stephen L. Mershon exhibited and discussed the British military 

 map of New York, Staten Island, and part of Long Island, made in 1781, 

 presented at the preceding meeting of the Section ; also a blueprint copy 

 of a map of Staten Island showing the location and boundaries of all the 

 Crown grants of land on the island, from 1668-1712, prepared under the 

 direction of the State Engineer and Surveyor, dated 1907, and a list of 

 the grants, with official data, froni the original one down, including a his- 

 tory of quit rerits. Discussion in regard to the accuracy of certain details 

 of the map and accompanying data was participated in by Messrs. Mershon, 

 Delavan, and Tuttle. 



S. McKee Smith, 

 Recorder. 



SECTION OF NATURAL SCIENCE 

 The Section held one meeting, as follows : 



Annual Meeting, April 13, 19 18 



In the absence of the chairman Mr. William T. Davis was elected 

 chairman pro tem. 



The minutes of the annual meeting of April 14, 1917, were read and 

 approved. 



The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : chairman, 

 Charles W. Leng ; recorder, Howard H. Cleaves. 



