The first mention by Europeans of that portion of our State now comprised within the limits of the county of Ocean is contained in the following extract from the journal kept by Robert Juet mate of the "Half Moon," of which ship Sir Henry Hudson was commander. Sir Henry Hudson himself has given us no account of his discoveries on this trip in 1609. The Half Moon left Delaware Bay and was proceeding northerly along our coast when Juet wrote as follows:

"Sept. 2nd 1609. The course along the land we found to be N. E. by N. from the land which we first had sight of until we came to a great lake of water as we could judge it to be, being drowned land which made it rise like islands, was in length ten leagues. The mouth of the lake has many shoals and the sea breaks upon them as it is cast out of the mouth of it. And from that lake or bay the land lays N. by E. and we had a great stream out of the bay, and from thence our soundings was ten fathoms two leagues from land. At five o'clock we anchored in eight fathoms water, wind light. Far to the northward we saw high hills."

The next morning the Half Moon proceeded on towards the Highlands.

Juet's description of the coast, its two courses, one above and the other below Barnegat gives it as it still is; the soundings are about as he describes, and the inlet and bay still present the same appearance.

Among the sawmills first erected in Ocean county may be mentioned the following:

John Eastwood had a sawmill on Cedar Creek previous to 1740.

Edward Beak's, sawmill, Kettle Creek, 1742.

Van Hook's sawmill, Dry Cedar Swamp Brook, 1749.

Everingham's sawmill, north branch Toms River, 1750.

Van Horn's sawmill, Van Horn's brook, Toms River, 1759.

Coward's sawmill, north branch Toms River, 1762.

In the New York Gazette, April, 1768, appears an advertisement offering for sale a tract of land of 1,000 acres at Toms River; also a sawmill four miles from the bay, renting for 82,000 feet good inch boards a year. The advertisement is signed by Paul and Abraham Schenck, and reference given to John Williams, Tiniconk Bridge.

Jackson's Mills and Schenck's Mills, Jackson township, Willett's Mills, Stafford, Kimmons' Mills, New Egypt and mills on Forked River (upper mill), Waretown and Oyster Creeks, were also built at an early date. The saw and grist mill at Toms River (where the village now is) were burnt by the British, March, 1782.

We find that some of these mills were established farther up some of these streams than many now would suppose would be the case; the lumber would be made into small narrow rafts and floated down towards the bay, where vessels would be in readiness to carry it to market. Old Cranberry Inlet being then open it was much more convenient to get to New York than at the present day.

In 1748 we find in ancient records mention of Marcus Hedden's dam at Toms River called "The old giving over place;" other writings speak of "The old riding overplace," which was near the present bridge. In 1749 we find mention of A. Luker's Ferry at Toms River.

The first land taken up at Toms River appears to have been a small tract of 17 1-2 acres along the river near Messrs. Aumack's store Nov. 14th, 1741; and same date a tract 75 acres back of Cowdrick's Hotel- by James Alexander, Surveyor General.

Mannahawkin: This name is from the original Indian designation of the place and signifies "good corn land."

Barnegat: From the Dutch and signifies "Breakers Inlet," or an inlet with breakers. It was first written "Bar-ende-gat," then "Barndegat" and finally the present orthography was adopted.

Waretown: So called from an early settler named Abraham Waeir who died in that village March 24th, 1768, aged 85 years.

Toms River: So called from a noted Indian living there previous to the Revolution. It is said he held some office under the British Government, but proving a defaulter was deprived of it and disgraced.*

New Egypt: One tradition says this place was formerly called "Kimmons Mills" a man named Kimmons owning the mills there; and from the amount of corn raised and sold in the vicinity, people at a distance used to speak jokingly of "going to Egypt to buy corn," and hence the name.

Goodluck: There is a tradition to the effect that a man on horseback being pursued by some enemies intent on taking his life, rode his horse into the bay and swam him across to the point of land near the mouth of Toms River now known as Goodluck Point by which means he escaped and to commemorate his deliverance he called it "Goodluck Point." In regard to the name of Goodluck applied to the village, another tradition says it was given by Rev. John Murray on account of the good luck which he seemed to meet with there. As Murray must have originally landed near Goodluck Point, it is not improbable that fancying the name as applied to the Point he might under the circumstances have bestowed it upon the village.

Barende-Gat: The name Barende-gat in Dutch signifies Breakers inlet or an inlet with breakers; it appears to have been applied to the inlet, not as a permanent name, but only as one descriptive of the inlet, by the first discoverers along our coast; the same name is found upon some ancient maps applied both to Absecon and Barnegat.

The name Barnegat in ancient times was not only applied to the inlet and bay but to much or most of the land bordering on the bay.