216 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 191 



distinct from a "Cynaco" group. Lederer, in his discourse on his 

 second expedition of 1670, states: 



From the fifth, which was Sunday, until the ninth of June, I travelled through 

 difficult ways, without seeing any Town or Indian; and then I arrived at Sapon, 

 a Village of the Nahyssans, about an hundred miles distant from Mahock, scituate 

 upon a branch of Shawan, alias Rorenock-River; and though I had just cause to 

 fear these Indians, because they had been in continual Hostility with the Chris- 

 tians for ten years before; yet presuming that the Truck which I carried with 

 me would procure my welcome, I adventiu-ed to put my self into their power, .... 

 [Lederer, 1958, pp. 22-23.] 



In a separate passage Lederer associates these "Saponi" or "Na- 

 hyssan" with a number of other tribes or groups. 



These parts [the Piedmont of Virginia] were formerly possessed by the Tacci 

 alias Dogi; but they are extinct; and the Indians now seated here, are distin- 

 guished into the several Nations of Mahoc, Nuntaneuck, alias Nuntaly, Nahyssan, 

 Sapon, Monagog, Mongoack, Akenatzy, and Monakin, & c. One language is 

 common to them all, though they diflfer in Dialects. [Lederer, 1958, p. 10.] 



At a considerably later date, Alexander Spotswood (1882-85, vol. 

 2, p. 88), Governor of the Vu'ginia Colony, stated: 



... I engaged the Saponie, Oconeechee, Stuckanox and Tottero Indians, (being 

 a people speaking much the same language, and therefore confederated together 

 tho' still preserving their different Rules). 



At a stiU later date William Byrd, while helping survey the dividing 

 line between Virginia and North Carolina, recorded a number of 

 Saponi names for creeks emptying into the middle Roanolse, as 

 follows: Moni-seep or Shallow Water; Massamoni or Paint-Creek; 

 Ohimpa-moni, Ohimpamony, or Jumping [Fish?] or Fishing Creek; 

 Yaypatsco, Yapatoco, or Beaver Creek; Tewahominy, Tewaw-hom- 

 mini, Tewakominy, or Tuskarooda Creek; Hicootomony, or Turkey 

 Buzzard Kiver; Wicco-quoi or Rock Creek. An analysis of these 

 names (see table 1) clearly indicates their Siouan natm'e. In addi- 

 tion, Tutelo has been firmly established, through more recent evi- 

 dence, as being Siouan (Byrd, 1929, pp. 158, 164-166, 168; Stm'tevant, 

 1958). 



From this analysis it would seem that the Maryland General As- 

 sembly of 1661 was apprehensive of attack by either a Siouan or an 

 Iroquoian group. It also is obvious that the battle in which Tot- 

 topottomoy met his death was separate and distinct from that in 

 which the English of Virginia met defeat at the hands of the Black 

 Minqua. The question thus arises as to whether all the statements 

 which generally have been taken to refer to the "Richahecrian" 

 or "Nahyssan" and "Mahock" defeat of the English refer to two 

 separate battles or to one. 



