THE INDIAN WORD " NONACOICUS." 57 



of observation commanding a view up and down the intervale, and 

 rising above the floods that periodically inundate the surrounding 

 lands, to have received a designation by them. While it is not alone 

 the only " earthen pot " in this vicinity, it is just the kind of a forma- 

 tion to which such a name would be particularly applicable. 



It consists of a promontory about 500 feet in length, varying from 

 300 to 500 feet in width, and protruding from the higher lands at the 

 east in a succession of irregular ridges or small hills, which surround 

 or enclose various hollows or basins, some of which contain water. 

 During the last fifteen years I have often visited the place and won- 

 dered at its physical peculiarities, and I have tried to imagine what 

 impression it made on the natives. I consider it the most interesting 

 and curious natural feature of the territory called " Nonacoicus," and 

 I am strongly of the opinion that it gave rise to the Indian name of 

 this neighborhood. 



Yours truly, 



Geo. J. Burns. 



Many years ago (May, 1893) I made the remarks given above 

 before the Massachusetts Historical Society, in regard to the 

 Indian word Nonacoicus, a name well known to Groton anti- 

 quaries. At a period some time later Mr. Wm. Wallace 

 Tooker, of Sag Harbor, Long Island, wrote me a letter giving 

 the full meaning and derivation of the word. As Mr. Tooker's 

 authority is unquestioned in matters of Indian philology, I 

 print it with a high appreciation of the favor. I was par- 

 ticularly interested in his allusion to the existence of steatite 

 in this neighborhood. There is not a boy in town that does 

 not know of the soapstone quarry, formerly worked quite 

 extensively. At rare intervals in the vicinity Indian relics are 

 still found. 



Brooklyn, N. Y., Oct. 21st, 1898. 

 Dr. S.\muel a. Green : 



My dear Sir : — I thank you heartily for the five interesting pam- 

 phlets from your hands received yesterday. It is in such researches 

 that I take delight. You have in Massachusetts a field almost limitless 

 in my specialty, i. e., Indian place names and their history. Some 

 one ought to assemble all your names wherever they can be found 

 with brief historical memoranda relating to each name. I have done 



