gallons, and is divided into four apartments, two of which are for filtering. We now come to our own great work — THE CROTON AQUEDUCT. MEMOIR CROTON AQUEDUCT. MEMOIR CROTON AQUEDUCT. AT A very early day the want of a sufficient supply, and a convenient distribution of good water, was felt by the citizens of New- York. Before the declaration of independence, considerable expenditures had been made in order to satisfy this want. In July, 1774, the proposal of Christopher Colles, to erect a reservoir and to convey water through the several streets of the City, after having been sometime before the Com- mon Council, was finally adopted and ordered to be carried into effect. The scheme of Mr. Colles, was simply that since adopted by the Manhattan Com- pany, of digging large wells, and from them pumping the water up into reservoirs. The ground selected, was on the east line of Broadway, between Pearl and White streets, where a spacious reservoir was constructed. On the 8th of August, 1774, the following resolution was adopted by the Common Council : — Ordered — That the northerly part of the property of Augustus Van Cortlandt and Frederick Van Cortlandt, fronting on Great George street, be purchased at £600 per acre, for a RESERVOIR, provided, that upon sinking a well there, good water be found. If not, the well to be filled up by the Corporation. The quality of the water proving satisfactory, on the 25th of August, the former reso- lution of the Board accepting the proposals of Mr. Colles was confirmed, and Treasury notes to the amount of £2,500, were ordered to be issued to meet the expense. 22 86 MEMOIR OF THE Notes to that amount were, accordingly, issued of the following denominations : — 4000 of six pence each £100 4000 of one shilling « 200 4000 of two " " 400 4000 of four shillings each £800 2500 of eight " « 1000 At the bottom of this page will be found an engraved fac-simile of one of these notes. The back of the note represents the machinery by which the water was to be raised, undoubtedly one of Newcomen's Atmospheric Engines, which, since the commencement of the century had been in general use, in draining mines in all parts of Europe, and one of which about 1760 was imported by the proprietors of the old copper mines near Belleville, 3^- ^£ T^gWQjgg [No. ] rpH IS NOTE shall entitle the BEARER to the Sum of TWO SHILLINGS, current Money of the Colony of New- York, payable on DEMAND, by the MAYOR, ALDERMEN, and COMMONALTY of the City of New-York, at the Office of Chamberlain of the said City, pursuant to a Vote of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, of this Date. Dated the Twenty-fifth Day of August, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-four. By Order of the Corporation, CROTONAQ.UEDUCT. 87 New- Jersey ; this engine it is very probable Mr. Colles had seen; arid designed to use for raising water into the reservoir. On the 15th of November, this entry appears in the minutes of the Common Council : — The clerk of the Board produced three bonds from the Corporation, two of which to Augustus Van Cortlandt and John Fay for £700, and the other to Frederick Van Cort- landt for £350, bearing five per cent, interest, being the consideration money of the ground this Board purchased for the Water Works, which said bonds were read, approved, and signed by Mr. Mayor, by order of the Common Council. We have in our possession a copy of the deeds given by the Messrs. Van Cortlandt's, for the land thus sold. The boundaries are thus described. " All that certain piece or parcel of land situated lying and being partly in the west ward, and partly in the out ward of the said city, beginning on the east side of Great George Street, at the westerrnost corner of Mr. Peter Jay's land, and runs thence along the same, south, fifty-three degrees, east six chains and twenty links to a meadow, thence along the meadow, south sixteen degrees and thirty minutes, west two chains and seventy-seven links, thence north fifty-three degrees, west seven chains and twelve links to Great George Street aforesaid, thence along the east side thereof north thirty-seven degrees and thirty minutes, east two chains and sixty-four links to the place of beginning ; containing one acre and three quarters of an acre, together with all and singular the profits, hereditaments, &c. &c." The conveyance is to the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the city of New York, and their successors and assigns for ever, for the consideration of £1050. The deeds are signed on the eighth day of