18 STATEN ISLAND INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 
Kieft asked me whether I would permit Melyn to go upon the 
point of Staten Island where the maize land lay, saying that he 
wished to let him plant it; and that he would place soldiers there, 
who would make a signal by raising a flag, to make known at the 
fort whenever ships were in the bay, to which I have consented— 
but am not to be prejudiced thereby—and to let him have twelve 
to fourteen or fifteen morgens® of land, without abridging my 
right, as he intended to distil brandy and make goats leather.” 
(IN, IN. IN, Biri.) 
The location of this plantation or bouwerie of DeVries, which 
apparently did not attain to the dignity of a colonie, has until 
recently been in doubt. Anthon and others have located it at 
“Oude Dorp,” while tradition has placed it in the vicinity of the 
Borough Hall, New Brighton, so Mr. Wm. T. Davis informs the 
writer, and Clute in his Annals of Staten Island states (p. 31): 
“Tradition says that one of the first dwellings on the Island was 
situated on the heights at New Brighton.” The Manatus map of 
1639, a facsimile of which is now presented to the Association, 
removed this doubt and definitely fixes the location of DeVries’ 
plantation at Tompkinsville, at or near the Watering Place, where 
vessels on their way to sea stopped for wood and water." 
The Watering Place is shown on the 1797 map of Staten Island.® 
It is described as “the small rivulet called the watering place” and 
shown in detail on Map of Quarantine Property 1799.° This 
rivulet not now existing, fed it is said by a spring, was less than 
200 feet north of Arietta Street, Tompkinsville, and its outlet was 
a short distance east of the S. I. R. T. Railway. It is quite prob- 
able that the entire neighborhood of this outlet became known as 
6 Morgen, about 2 acres. 
7“The outward bound vessels usually stop at the watering place under 
Staten Island, to lay in a sufficient supply of wood and water which are 
easily obtained at that place.’ Van der Donck, Description of New 
Netherland 1655 (Collections of N. Y. Historical Society, Ser. 1, p. 125- 
242). 
8 A copy of this map is in the Association’s collection. 
9 Filed in the office of the County Clerk as Map No. 1. 
