Part 27

Narrioch was given by the chief who confirmed the title to it in 1643, as the name of what is now known as Coney Island, and _Mannahaning_ as that of Gravesend Neck. (Thompson's Hist. L. I., ii, 175.) The Dutch called the former Conynen, and the latter Conyne Hoeck--"_t' Conijen Conine._" Jasper Dankers wrote in 1679: "On the south (of Staten Island) is the great bay, which is enclosed by Najaq, t' Conijen Island, Neversink," etc. Conijen (modern Dutch, Konijn), signifies "Rabbit"--Cony, Coney--inferentially "Small"--literally, "Rabbit, or Coney Island," in Dutch. The Indian names have been transposed, apparently. _Mannahaning_ means "At the island," and _Narrioch_ is the equivalent of _Nayaug,_ "A point or comer," as in Nyack. The latter was the Dutch "Conyne Hoeck." Judge Benson claimed Conyn as "A Dutch surname, from which came the name of Coney, or Conyn's Island," but if so, the surname was from "Rabbit" surely.

Gowanus--_Gowanus,_ 1639; _Gowanes,_ 1641; _Gouwanes,_ 1672--the name of one of the boundmarks of a tract of land in Brooklyn, is probably from _Koua_ (_Kowaw,_ Williams; _Curve,_ Zeisb.), "Pine"; _Kowawese_ (Williams), "A young pine," or small pine. It was that of a place on a small stream, the description in the Indian deed of 1639, reading: "Stretching southward to a certain kil or little low bushes." The land conveyed is described as being "overflowed at every tide, and covered with salt-meadow grass." The latter gave to it its value. The claim that the name was that of an Indian owner is not well sustained. The evidence of the Dutch description of the bay as Boompje Hoek, meaning, literally, "Small tree cape, corner or angle," and the fact that small pines did abound there, seems to establish _Koua_ as the derivative of the name.

Marechkawick, treaty of 1645--_Mereckawack,_ Breeden Raddt, 1649; _Mareckawick_ and _Marechkawieck,_ Rapelie deed, 1630; _Marechkourick,_ O'Callaghan; _Marechkawick,_ Brodhead--forms of the name primarily given as that of Wallabout Bay, [FN] "The bought or bend of Marechkawick"--"in the bend of Marechkawick," 1630--has been translated by Dr. Tooker from _Men'achk_ (_Manachk,_ Zeisb.), "fence, fort," and _-wik,_ "house" (Zeisb.), the reference being to a fenced or palisaded cabin presumably occupied by a sachem and his family of the clan known in Dutch history as the Mareckawicks. The existence of a palisaded cabin in the vicinity of "the bought or bend" is possible, but the name has the appearance of an orthography (Dutch) of _Mereca,_ the South-American name of a teal, (Mereca Americani) the Widgeon, and _-wick_ (_Wijk,_ M. L. G.), "Bay, cove, inlet, retreat," etc., literally "Widgeon Bay." "Situate on the bay of Merechkawick," is entered on map of 1646 in Stiles' "History of Brooklyn." _Merica_ was the Mayan name of the American Continent. It is spread all over South America and was applied to many objects as in the Latinized Mereca Americani. The early Dutch navigators were no doubt familiar with it in application to the Widgeon, a species of wild duck, and employed it in connection with the word _-wijk._ Until between 1645 and 1656, the Indians residing on the west end of Long Island were known as Marechkawicks; after 1656 they were called Canorise. (See Canar'sie.) Brooklyn is from Dutch _Breukelen,_ the name of a village about eighteen miles from Amsterdam. It means "Broken land." (Breuk.) On Van der Donck's map the name is written correctly. A record description reads: "There is much broken land here."

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[FN] Wallabout Bay takes its first name from Dutch _Waal,_ "gulf, abyss," etc., and _Bocht,_ "bend," It was spoken of colloquially by the early Dutch as "The bay of the foreigners," referring to the Walloons who had settled on the north side of the bay in 1625. The first white child, Sarah Rapelie, born in New Netherland, now the State of New York, was born here June 17th, 1625.

Manette, so written of record--"near Mannato hill," about thirty miles from Brooklyn and midway between the north and south sides of the island--has been interpreted from its equivalent, _Manitou,_ "Hill of the Great Spirit," but means strictly, "That which surpasses, or is more than ordinary." (Trumbull.) It was a word in common use by the Indians in application to everything that was more than ordinary or that they could not understand. In this instance it seems to have been applied to the water of a spring or well on the rising ground which they regarded as of surpassing excellence; from the spring transferred to the hill. The tradition is that some ages ago the Indians residing in the vicinity of the hill were suffering for water. They prayed to the Great Spirit for relief, and were directed to shoot an arrow in the air and where it fell to dig and they would find water. They did so and dug the well now on the rising ground, the water of which was of surpassing excellence, or Manitou. The story was probably invented to account for the name. It is harmless fiction.

Rennaquakonck, Rinnegahonck, a landmark so called in the boundaries of a tract on Wallabout Bay, described in deed as "A certain swamp where the water runs over the stones," and, in a subsequent deed, "At the sweet marsh" (Hist. of Brooklyn), is an orthography of _Winnegackonck,_ meaning "At the sweet place," so called from some plant which was found there, or to distinguish the marsh as fresh or sweet, not a salt marsh. The exchange of R and W may be again noted.

Comac, the name of a village in Suffolk County, is an apheresis of _Winne-comac,_ as appears of record. The combination expresses, "Good enclosed place," from _Winne,_ "Good, fine, sweet, beautiful, pleasant," etc., and _-komuck,_ "Place enclosed," or having definite boundaries, limited in size.

Nyack, the name of the site of Fort Hamilton, is a generic verbal from _Nâï,_ "A point or corner." (_Nâïag,_ Mass., _Néïak,_ Len.) The orthographies vary--Naywayack, Narrack, Nanak, Narrag, Najack, Niuck, Narrioch, etc. With the suffix _-ak,_ the name means "Land or place at the point." (See Nyack-on-the-Hudson.) Dankers and Sluyter wrote in their Journal (1679-80): "We went part of the way through the woods and fine, new-made land, and so along the shore to the west end of the island called Najack. . . . Continuing onward from there, we came to the plantation of the Najack Indians, which was planted with maize, or Turkish Wheat." The Nayacks removed to Staten Island after the sale of their lands at New Utrecht. (See Narrioch.)

Nissequague, now so written, the name of a hamlet in Smithtown, and of record as the name of a river and of a neck of land still so known, is of primary record _Nisinckqueg-hackey_ (Dutch notation), as the name of a place to which the Matinnecock clan removed after the war of 1643. (Col. Hist. N. Y., xiv, 60.) The English scribes wrote Nesequake (1650), Nesaquake (1665), Nessequack (1686), Wissiquack (1704), (Cal. N. Y. Land Papers), and other forms. The Indian deed of 1650 (Smithtown Records) recites the sale by "Nasseoonseke, sachem of Nesequake," of a tract "Beginning at a river called and commonly known by the name of Nesaquake River, and from that river eastward to a river called Memanusack." "Nesaquauke River" is the entry in patent to Richard Smith, 1665. The stream has its source in a number of springs in the southern part of Smithtown, the flow of which forms a considerable river. (Thompson.) The theory that "The tribe and river derived their name from Nesequake, an Indian sagamore, the father of Nassaconset" (Hist. Suf. Co.), is not well sustained. The suffix _-set,_ cannot be applied to an animate object; it is a locative meaning "Less than at." In addition to this objection, Nassaconset is otherwise written Nessaquauke-ecoompt-set, showing that the name belonged to a place that was "On the other side" of Nessaquauke. Neesaquauke stands for _Neese-saqû-auke,_ from _Nisse,_ "two," _Sauk,_ "Outlet," and _-auke,_ "Land" or place, and describes a place at "the second outlet," or as the text reads, "At a river called and commonly known by the name of Nesaquake River." The sagamore may have been given the name from the place, but the place could not have taken the name from the sagamore. The estuary, now known as Nissequage Harbor into which the stream flows, extends far inland and forms the west boundary of Nissequage Neck.

Marsepinck, a stream so called in Queens County, from which extended to the land which was sold, in 1639, by "Mechowout, chief sachem of Marossepinck, Sint-Sink and dependencies," and also extended to an Indian clan known as Marsepings, is no doubt an orthography of _Massepe_ and _-ing,_ locative. It means "At, to or on the great river." _Mas_ is an abbreviation of _Massa, Missi,_ etc., "great," and _Sepe,_ means "river." It was probably used comparatively-the largest compared with some other stream. (See Massepe.)

Unsheamuck, otherwise written Unthemamuk, given as the name of Fresh Pond, on the boundary line between Huntington and Smithtown, means "Eel-fishing place." (Tooker.)

Suggamuck, the name of what is now known as Birch Creek, in Southampton, means "Bass fishing-place." (Tooker.)

Rapahamuck, a neck or point of land so called, is from _Appé-amuck,_ "Trap fishing-place." (Tooker.) The name is assigned to the mouth of Birch Creek. (See Suggamuck.)

Memanusack and _Memanusuk,_ given as the name of Stony Brook, probably has its locative "At the head of the middle branch of Stony Brook," Which formed the boundmark noted in the Indian deed. The same name is probably met in _Mayomansuk,_ from _Mawé,_ meaning "To bring together," "To meet"; and _-suck,_ "Outlet," _i. e._ of a pond, marsh or river. The brook was "stony" no doubt, but that description is English.

Cussqunsuck is noted as the name of Stony Brook referred to in Memanusack. The stream is probably the outlet of the waters of a swamp. In his will Richard Smith wrote: "I give to my daughter Sarah, 130 acres of land at the _two_ swamps called _Cutts-cunsuck._" The first word seems to stand for _Ksúcqon,_ "Heavy" (Zeisb.), by metonymie, "Stone," _-es,_ "Small," and _-uck,_ locative, "Place of small stone." _Ksúcqon_ may be employed as an adjectival prefix. Eliot wrote, "_Qussukquemin,_ Stone fruit," the cherry.

Mespaechtes, deed to Governor Keift, 1638, from which Mespath (Brodhead), Mespat (Riker), Mashpeth and Mashpett (Co. Hist. N. Y., xiv, 602), now Maspeth, a village in Newtown, Queens County, and met in application to Newtown Creek (Col. Hist. N. Y., xiii, 25), has been translated by Dr. Tooker, "From _Mech-pe-is-it,_ Bad-water place," and by Wm. R. Gerard, "From _Massapichtit,_ verbal describing scattered settlements, as though the Indians who sold the lands had said, 'We include the lands of those living here and there.'" [FN] Flint, in his "Early History of Long Island," wrote: "Mespat Kills, now Maspeth, from the Indian _Matsepe,_ written by the Dutch, _Maespaatches Kiletje_"--long known as "Dutch Kills." In patent of 1642, for lands described as lying "on the east side of Mespatches Kil," the boundary is stated: "Beginning at the kil and the tree standing upon the point towards the small kil." Obviously there were two streams here, the largest called Mespatches, which seems to be, as Flint states, a Dutch rendering of _Matsepe-es,_ from _Mas_ (Del. _Mech_), a comparative term--"great," as distinguished from "small," the largest of two, and _Sepees (Sepoûs, Sepuus),_ "a brook." _Sepe, Sipo, Sipu,_ etc., is generally applied to a long stream. The west branch of Mespatt Kill has the record name of _Quandoequareus._ Flint wrote: "The _Canapauke,_ or Dutch Kills, sluggishly winding its way through the meadows of bronzed grasses." _Canapauke_ stands for _Quana-pe-auke,_ "Long water-land," or "Land on the long water." The stream is a tidal current receiving several small streams. (See Massepe.) Mespatches seems to belong to the stream noted in patent of 1642.

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[FN] "_Missiachpitschik,_ those who are or live scattered." (Zeisberger's Onond. Dic.)

Sint-Sink, of record as the name of Schout's Bay, [FN] also, "Formerly called Cow Neck, and by the Indians Sint-Sink," was the name of a place now known as Manhasset. (Col. Hist. N. Y.) It means "Place of small stones," as in Sint-Sink, modern Sing-Sing, on the Hudson.

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[FN] Known also as "Martin Garretson's bay." Garretson was Schout (Sheriff), hence "Schout's bay." The neck of land "called by the Indians Sint-Sink," was fenced for the pasturage of cows, and became known as "Cow Neck," hence "Cow bay" and "Cow harbor," now Manhasset bay. (See Matinnec'ock and Mochgonneck-onck.)

Manhasset, correctly _Manhanset,_ means, "Near the Island," or something less than at the island. The locative was long known as "Head of Cow Neck."

Matinnecock is noted in a survey for Lewis Morris, in 1685: "A tract of land lying upon the north side of Long Island, within the township of Oyster Bay, in Queens County, and known by the name of Matinicock," and in another survey: "A certain small neck of land at a place called Mattinicock." Extended also to an island and to an Indian clan. Cornelius van Tienhoven wrote in 1650: "Martin Garritson's Bay, or Martinnehouck, [FN-1] is much deeper and wider than Oyster Bay; it runs westward in and divides into three rivers, two of which are navigable. The smallest stream runs up in front of the Indian village called Martinnehouck, where they have their plantations. The tribe is not strong, and consists of about thirty families. In and about this bay were formerly great numbers of Indian plantations which now lie waste. On the rivers are numerous valleys of sweet and salt meadows." The name has, with probable correctness, been interpreted from _Metanak-ok_ (Lenape, _Metanak-onk_; Abn., _Metanak-ook_), meaning, "Along the edge of the island," or, as Van Tienhoven wrote, "About this bay." The same name appears on the Delaware as that of what is now known as Burlington Island. [FN-2] It is corrupted in New Jersey to Tinnicum, and is preserved on Long Island as the name of a village in the town of Oyster Bay.

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[FN-1] A corruption from "Martin."

[FN-2] Mattinacunk, Matinneconke, Matinnekonck--"having been formerly known by the name of Kipp's Island, and by ye Indian name of Koo-menakanok-onck." (Col. Hist. N. Y.) _Koo-menakanok-onck_ was the largest of two islands in the Delaware and was particularly identified by the Indian name, which means "Pine-tree-islands place." The name by which the Island came to be known was transferred to it apparently.

Hog's Island, so called by the early settlers, now known as Center Island, has the record description: "A piece of land on Martin Garretson's Bay, in the Indian tongue called Matinnecong, alias Hog's Neck, or Hog's Island, being an island at high tide." (Col. Hist. N. Y., xiv, 435.) "Matinneckock, a neck on the Sound east of Muchito Cove." (See Muchito.) The island is connected with the main land by a neck or beach which was overflowed at high tide.

Caumsett is recorded as the name of "The neck of land which makes the west side of Cow Harbor and the east side of Oyster Bay" (Ind. Deed of 1654), known later as Horse Neck and Loyd's Neck. Apparently a corruption of _Ketumpset,_ "Near the great standing rock." The reference may have been to what was known as Bluff Point.

Muchito, the name of what is now Glen Cove, near Hempstead Harbor, is otherwise written Muschedo, Mosquito and Muscota. It was primarily written as the name of Muchito Neck. It means "Meadow"--_Moskehtu_ (Eliot), "grass;" _Muskuta,_ "A grassy plain or meadow." (See Muscota.)

Katawomoke, "or, as called by the English, Huntington," is written in the Indian deed of 1653, _Ketauomoke_; in deed of 1646, _Ketauomocke,_ and assigned to a neck of land "Bounded upon the west side with a river commonly called by the Indians Nachaquetuck, and on the east by a river called Opcutkontycke," the latter now known as Northfield-Harbor Brook. The name is preserved in several orthographies. In deed to Lion Gardiner (1638), _Ar-hata-amunt_; in deed to Richard Smith (1664), _Catawaunuck_ and _Catawamuck_, and in another entry "Cattawamnuck land," _i. e._ land about Catawamuck; in Huntington Records, _Ketewomoke_; in Cal. N. Y. Land Papers, p. 60: "To the eastward of the town of Huntington and to the westward of Nesaquack, commonly called by the Indians _Katawamake_ and in English by the name of Crope Meadow;" in another entry, "Crab Meadow," by which last name the particular tract was known for many years. "Crope" and "Crab" are English equivalents for a species of grass called "finger-grass or wire-grass," and were obviously employed by the English to describe the kind of grass that distinguished the meadow--certainly not as an equivalent of the Indian name, which was clearly that of a place at or near the head of Huntington Harbor, from which it was extended to the lands as a general locative. The several forms of the name may probably be correctly read from _Kehti,_ or its equivalent. _Kehchi_, "Chief, principal, greatest," and _-amaug,_ "Fishing-place" (_-amuck,_ L. I.), literally "The greatest fishing-place." The orthography of 1638 is especially corrupt, and _Ketawamuck_, apparently the most nearly correct, the rule holding good in this, as in other cases, that the very early forms are especially imperfect.

Nachaquatuck, the western boundary stream of Eaton's Neck, quoted as the name of Cold Spring, is translated by Dr. Tooker from _Wa'nashque-tuck_, "The ending creek, because it was the end or boundary of the tract." "Called by the Indians Nackaquatok, and by the English Cold Spring." (Huntington Patent, 1666.) _Wanashque,_ "The tip or extremity of anything."

Opcutkontycke, now assigned to a brook entering Northfield Harbor, and primarily given as the name of a boundary stream (see Katawamake), seems to be a corruption of _Ogkomé_ (Acoom-), "On the other side," and _-tuck,_ "A tidal stream or estuary." It was a place on the other side of the estuary.

Aupauquack, the name of a creek in West Hampton, is entered, in 1665, _Aupaucock_ and described as a boundary stream between the Shinnecock and the Unchechauge lands, "Either nation may cutt flags for their use on either side of the river without molestation." Also given as the name of a "Lily Pond" in East Hampton. Written Appauquauk and Appoquague, and now Paucuck. The name describes a place "Where flags grow," and nothing else. [FN] (See Apoquague.)

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[FN] Rev. Thomas James, in a deposition made Oct. 18, 1667, said that two old Indian women informed him they "gathered flags for mats within that tract." (East Hampton Town Records, 156.)

Wading River, now so called, was also called "The Iron or Red Creek," "Red Creek" and "Wading Place," and by the Indians _Pauquacumsuck_ and _Pequoockeon,_ the latter, wrote Dr. Trumbull, "Because Pequaocks, a little thick shell-fish was found there, which the Indians waded for; hence the name 'Wading River,' _Quahaug_ is from this term, and _Pequaock,_ Oyster Bay." "Iron or Red Creek" explains itself. Wading River is preserved in the name of a village in the town of Riverhead.

Assawanama--"a tract of land near the town of Huntington called by the natives _Anendesak,_ in English Eaderneck's Beach, and so along the Sound four miles, or thereabouts, until [to] the fresh pond called by the natives _Assaiwanama,_ where a creek runs into the Sound"--describes "A creek beyond," _i. e._ beyond Anendesak; from Assawa-amhames.

Aquebogue, Aquebauke--"on the north side of Aquebauke or Piaconnock River" (COl. Hist. N. Y., xiv, 600)--means, "Land or place on this side," _i. e._ on the side towards the speaker, as is obvious from the description, "On the north side," and from the deed of 1648, which reads: "The whole tract of land called Ocquebauck, together with the lands and meadows lying on the _other side_ of the water as far as the creek," the latter called "The Iron or Red Creek," now "Wading River." The name is preserved in two villages in the town of Riverhead, on the original tract.

Wopowag, more correctly _Wepowage,_ given as the name of Stony Brook, town of Brookhaven, describes a place "At the narrows," _i. e._ of a brook or cove, and usually "The crossing place." (Trumbull.)

So'was'set, correctly _Cowas'sett_ (Moh.), the name of what is now Port Jefferson, signifies, "Near a place of small pine trees." (Trumbull.) The name was applied to what was long known as the "Drowned Meadow," but not the less a "Place of small pine trees" which was at or near the meadow.

Wickaposset, now given as the name of Fisher's Island, appears to be from _Wequa,_ "End of," _-paug_ (-peauke), "Waterland," and _-et,_ locative--near the end of the water-land, marsh or pond. The island is on the north side of the Sound opposite Stonington, Ct., but is included in the jurisdiction of Southampton.

Hashamomuck, "being a neck of land." (Southold Records.) Hashamomock or Nashayousuck. (Ib.) The adjectivals _Hash_ and _Nash_ seem to be from _Nashaué,_ "Between," and _-suck,_ "The mouth or outlet of a brook." The suffix _-momuck,_ in the first form, may stand for _-komuk,_ "Place"--a place between. The orthographies are very uncertain.

Minnepaug, "being a little pond with trees standing by it." (Southold Records.) The name is explained in the description, "A little pond." In Southampton Records the same pond is called Monabaugs, another orthography of Minnepaug.

Masspootupaug (1662), describes a boggy meadow or miry land. The substantival is _Póotapaug,_ Mass., "A bog." The adjectival may stand for _Mass,_ "Great," or _Matt,_ derogative.

Manowtassquott, or Manowtatassquott, is assigned to Blue Point, in Great South Bay, town of Brookhaven. The record reads: "Bounded easterly by a brook or river to the westward of a point called the Blue Point, known by the Indian name of Manowtatassquott." The name belongs to a place where Menhaden abounded--Manowka-tuck-ut--from which extended to the point.

Ochabacowesuck, given as the name of what is now called Pine Neck, stands for _Acquebacowes-uck,_ meaning, "On this side of the small pines." Narraganset. _Cówawés-uck,_ "At the young pine place," or "Small-pine place." _Koowa,_ Eliot; _-es,_ diminutive; _-uck,_ locative. The name of the tree was from its pointed leaves; _Kous,_ a thorn or briar, or "having a sharp point." (Trumbull.) _Acqueb,_ "This side."

Ronkonkoma, _Raconkamuck, Wonkonkoamaug, Wonkongamuck, Wonkkeconiaug, Raconkcamake,_ "A fresh pond, about the middle of Long Island." (Smithtown Records.) "_Woukkecomaug_ signifying crooked pond." (Indian deed of 1720.) Obviously from _Wonkun,_ "Bent," and _-komuk,_ "Place, limited or enclosed." Interpretation from _Wonkon'ous,_ "Fence," and _-amaug,_ "Fishing-place" (Tooker), has no other standing than that there was a fence of lopped trees terminating at the pond. The name, however, was in place before the fence was made. The explanation in the Indian deed of 1720 cannot be disputed. The pond divides the towns of Islip, Smithtown, Setauket, and Patchoug.

Potunk, a neck of land on Shinnecock Bay, is written _Potuncke_ in Smithtown Records, in 1662. "A swamp at Potunk," is another entry. Dr. Trumbull quoted it as a form of _Po'dunk,_ Conn., which is of primary record, "Called _Potaecke,_" and given as the name of a "brook or river." In Brookfield, Mass., a brook bearing the name is said to have been so called "from a tract of meadow adjoining." In Washington County, N. Y., is recorded "Podunk Brook." (Cal. Land Papers.) The meaning of the name is uncertain, but from its wide distribution it is obviously from a generic--presumably a corruption of _P'tuk-ohke,_ a neck or corner of land. "The neck next east of Onuck is known by the Indian name of Potunk." (Local History.)