Wallabout obtained its name from the French-speaking Walloons of Belgium who settled on the Bay in the mid 1620s. The bay served as a natural port for these early immigrants because of its calm waters off the East River and the close proximity to New Amsterdam. The area remained rural for much of its early history up until the Revolutionary War, and much of the land was owned by the Ryerson family. Below please find some artistic renderings of what would have been the view of Waal-bogt during this time period

Credit: http://whitmans-brooklyn.org/