10 



the southward, which includes a large sweep of the ocean, the High- 

 lands of Kavesink, Sandy Hook, and all the outer harbor of New 

 York. The formation of a lake on the low ground referred to, in 

 such a manner that this elevation would be reflected upon its sur- 

 face, would add such an unquestionable advantage to the landscape 

 attractions of the park, that we shoidd feel obliged to take the same 

 course with reference to it as we have done in regard to the previ- 

 ously proposed extension of the limits of the site, even if no other 

 considerations favored it. The great value of a park lake in this 

 climate, however, for skating, and the attractiveness of the spectacle 

 which crowds of skaters afford to others, added to its value for the 

 recreation of rowing, afford additional inducements of no small 

 consequence in favor of this course. With the further addition, which 

 we therefore advise, it will be practicable to form a sheet of water 

 having more than twice the accommodation for skaters of that in the 

 Central Park. The Central Park lake, though many objected to it 

 originally as larger than necessary for any artistic purpose, while it 

 occupied space which might be otherwise used to advantage, is al- 

 ready found much too small for the comfortable accommodation of 

 those who are prepared to use it, and many turn from it, in conse- 

 quence, to those small ponds where the payment of an admission fee 

 secures greater space to individual skaters. If this is now the case, 

 the need of very much larger skating space will be a very pressing 

 one in the future, as population increases. We cannot doubt that a 

 sheet of ice in Brooklyn, equally near to the present centre of popu- 

 lation of the metropolis, and more than twice as large as that in the 

 Central Park, would soon attract a larger number of persons than have 

 ever yet resorted to the latter. This number has on several occasions 

 been above one hundred thousand in a day and five hundred thou- 

 sand in a week. If we consider that the opportunity afforded for 

 this recreation would be worth in the acquisition of health and vigor 

 to the whole body of citizens an amount equal to a dime for each 

 visitor, it will be evident that the whole cost of purchasing the land 

 in view, and of constructing the lake, might be defrayed by the 

 use which would lie made of it in a single season. 



Supposing the more hilly land to be covered by plantations, and 

 a greensward to be formed upon the open ground which we have 

 described, and the low plain to be mainly occupied by a lake, we 

 have the three grand elements of pastural landscape for which we 

 were seeking. What remains consists of limited strips of surface, 



