4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 82 



and wrote, when describing the James then " called Pozvhatan, ac- 

 cording to the name of a principall country that lyeth upon it 



It falleth from Rockes farr west in a Country inhabited by a nation 

 they call Monacans. But where it commeth into^ our discovery it is 

 Powhatan. In the farthest place that was diligently observed, are 

 falles, rockes, shoules, &c. which makes it past navigation any higher." ' 

 And it is believed the dotted line following the left bank of the river 

 indicates the trail traversed by Newport and his party in the autumn of 

 1608. The region beyond the end of the trail, as shown by the broken 

 line, was described by the Indians. The Monacan with whom Newport 

 came in contact would undoubtedly have been well acquainted with 

 the country as far westward as the mountains and even beyond, and 

 it may have been from " one of their pettie Werowances " that were 

 learned the description of the course of the river, the position of its 

 principal tributary beyond the falls, and the locations of the large 

 towns. But whatever may have been the source of the information, 

 the map made more than three centuries ago was remarkably accurate, 

 as may be seen by comparing it with a very recent plan of the same 

 region. The one tributary shown on the Smith map was the present 

 Rivanna, but its name, by which it was known to the Indians, has not 

 been preserved. 



Five villages, or rather centers of population, are indicated on that 

 part of the old map designated as the territory of the Monacans. 

 These are : 



a. Mowhemcho. On the right bank of the James. 



b. Massinacack. On the right bank of the James beyond Mo- 

 whemcho. 



c. Rassawek. At the junction of the James and the Rivanna. 



d. Monahassanugh. On the James beyond the mouth of the Rivanna. 



e. Monasukapanough. On the Rivanna. 



The spelling of the names differs in the text where they are often 

 given as : 



a. Monacans. d. Monahassanuggs. 



b. Massinnacacks. e. Mouhemenchughes. 



c. Russawmeake. 



The name Monacan was first applied to the territory occupied by 

 the five tribes as well as to the confederacy which they composed. 

 Later the first town entered by the English — Mowhemcho^ — became 

 known as Monacan Town. This was the village of the Monakins of 



^ Op. cit., p. 346. 



