This town is situated in Kings County, on the west end of Long-Island,
in the State of New-York. It is bounded north by the City and County of
New-York; east by the township of Bushwick; south by the township of
Flatbush and New Utrecht; and west by New-York Bay; and contains the
village of Brooklyn, which is about a mile square. This town formerly
composed part of a powerful Indian Sachemdom; and with the other parts
of the Island bore the Indian name of Matowcas.
This part of the Island, as far as Jamaica was inhabited by the Canarsee
tribe of Indians. The old Dutch inhabitants in this county have a
tradition, that the Canarsee Indians were subject to the Mohawks, as all
the Iroquois were called; and paid them an annual tribute of dried clams
and wampum. When the Dutch settled here, they persuaded the Canarsees to
keep back the tribute; in consequence of which a party of the Mohawks
came down and killed their tributaries wherever they met them. So great
was the dread that these Indians afterwards entertained of the Iroquois,
that when a party of the Iroquois, during the French war were taken
prisoners and imprisoned in the Jail of this county, the Canarsees
avoided them with the greatest care; and seemed to be afraid even to
come where they should see them. The Canarsee Indians are at this time
totally extinct: not a single member of that ill fated race is now in
existence.
There was also a small tribe of the Nyack Indians near the Narrows.
In this town is also the United States Navy-Yard, containing about 40
acres; which was purchased of John Jackson, Esq. by Francis Childs, Esq.
for $40,000, and on the 23d day of February, 1801, was conveyed by said
Childs to the United States.