Here he located his bowerie, or home-farm, with its " planting-field," and near the latter he had already begun the erection of his house, before going to Holland, in 1649, as the representative of the commonalty of New Amsterdam. Van der Donck's " planting-field " was on the plain or flat of the Van Cortlandt estate, lying between Broadway and the present lake, and extending up to the southerly end of Vault 11111.** It is probable that his house was on the flat, and located, per. haps, where the old house of Jacobus Van Cortlandt afterwards stood until the early part of this century.'"

While absent in Holland, Van der Donck's lands were erected into the fief or Colonie of Nepperhaem (or, as he called it after his own name, Colen-

1 According to tradition, the natives had a castle or stronghold on the point.

silence the name of "Saw Kill," by which this stream became known.

' It may have also stretched eastward across the brook and beyond the site of the present lake.

1'' Its site was just behind the present grove of locusts, north of the Van Cortlandt Mills.

74G

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

donck), and he was made its i)atroon. Pursuant to the " Freedoms and Exemptions," he sent out to it, from Holland, a number of colonists with supplies of farming stock and implements. In 1652 he was about to return io his colonie, and had already embarked his wife, mother, brother and sister, with an ample stock of goods, when the West India Company prevented his departure.' During his detention he got word that some " land-greedy " persons were squatting on his lands. He appealed to the company to protect his possession of the " flat and meadows ;" also tor leave to return to them, which was withheld until 1653.