34. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 



brook passed along the lower end of Potters' Field^ 

 and formed a large pond called Bollus's pond, 

 where Downing Street now is ; the low swampy 

 grounds that were filled up, caused this pond, 

 which lay a little north-west of Richmond Hill. 



Salt Meadow. — The next great tract of land, 

 which has been altered by improvements, is " Col. 

 Marimus Willet's and Stuyvesant meadows," Col. 

 Willet's house stood a little north of Corker's 

 hook point; at the first lowland, near where Riving- 

 ton and Columbia Streets cross each other, at this 

 point, the salt marsh began, and ran along the East 

 River, to a small distance beyond what was called 

 Brandt Muhle point," (Burnt Mill Point,) from 

 a wind-mill formerly burnt down at that place. It 

 was afterwards called Manhattan Island, and now 

 the Dry Dock. This was once a famous place for 

 the credulous to go money-digging, for it was said 

 by all the wags of those days, that the pirates 

 Kidd and Blackbeard had buried their plundered 

 treasures here. The writer has seen more than 

 20 large holes which had been dug in this little 

 knoll. About 25 years ago, the spot was covered 

 with beautiful native oaks and other trees, and on 

 its beach I used to catch an insect called the 

 Cicindela. These meadows were nearly a mile 

 long on the shore, and more than half a mile in 



