But in 1666 Governor Nicolls granted to the people of Harlem a charter providing for "a ferry to and from the main," and authorizing them "at their charge to build one or more boats for that purpose fit for the transportation of men, horses, and cattle, for which there will be such a certain allowance given as shall be adjudged reasonable." A ferry was soon afterward put in operation, conducted by Johannes Verveelen, in whom the privilege was vested for six years. He was required to maintain a tavern for the accommodation of the public. Special favors were extended to him in consideration of the expense that he was under and to encourage him in his enterprise. He was given a small piece of land on the Bronx side to build a house on. The sole right to remove cattle from one shore to the other belonged to him, and persons swrimraing cattle over were obliged to pay him half the ferriage rate per head. The "fording place" on Spuyten Duyvil Greek was fenced about so as to prevent its surreptitious use for cattle. Finally, he was exempted from all excise duties on wine or beer retailed by him for the space of one year. The ferriage charges, as fixed by law, were: For every passenger, two pence silver or six pence wampum; for

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every ox or cow brought into the ferryboat, eight pence or twentyfour stivers wampum; cattle under a year old, six peine or eighteen stivers wampum. Government messages between New York and Connecticut were free. Each passenger whom he entertained was to pay " for his meal, eight pence; every man for his lodging, two pence a man; every man for his horse shall pay four pence for his night's or grass, or twelve stivers wampum, provided the grass be in thehayfence." The site of the ferry landing on the Manhattan side is located by Biker, in his "History of Harlem," at the north of One Hundred and Twenty-third Street, three hundred feet west of First Avenue.