22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Muhheakunnuk until they came to Hudson's river, then they said 

 one to another, this is like Muhheakunnuk our nativity." Hickan 

 is tide in Delaware, and perhaps the word in question might be 

 formed from this, though none like it appears in any vocabulary. 

 Catlin erroneously called Mohegan good canoe men. 



Mon-at'-tan hook is mentioned by Spafford, who says : "Monat- 

 tan hook, north of Hockatock and Indian Fields, is perhaps the 

 last of the local names that I need mention in this town." It refers 

 to an island as usually defined, not to a point. 



Ne-wes'-keke or Naveskeek is described by Ruttenber as a neck 

 of land with a stream on its east side, lo miles below Albany. This 

 would place it above Coeymans Landing. 



Nis-cont'-ha is Niscatha on the map of the New Hampshire 

 grants, near the mountains west of Coeymans, but on the Coeymans 

 patent. It refers to corn lands, and was probably derived froin the 

 next. 



O-nis'-ke-thau creek in Coeymans Hollow, is also called 

 Coeymans creek. There is a hamlet of this name in New Scotland, 

 and also Oniskethau flats and mountain. It is said to have been 

 an early name for Coeymans, meaning cornfields. 



Pa-chon-a-hel-lick or Mahickander's island was bought in i66i. 

 It is opposite Bethlehem and has been called Long island. The 

 name may be derived from pachgammak, black ash, or from 

 pisseogquayeuonk, mify place. 



Eas-sa-pe'-nock is Bear island below Albany, and was an early 

 name. A suggested derivation has been from pussough, wildcat, 

 penuhkau, he cast it down upon him, but this is not satisfactory. 

 Pesuponk, szveating house, seems better, but Trumbull had a pred- 

 ilection for names from roots, and said : '' P'sai-pen, ' wild onion,' 

 with the suffix for 'place,' gave p'sai- pen-auk, or as it was written 

 by the Dutch, "Passapenock" [O'Callaghan's New Netherlands, 

 I :i22], the Indian name for Beeren island, in the Hudson, near 

 Coeyman's." This would be wild onion place. 



Pem-pot-a-wut'-hut, according to Schoolcraft, was a Mahican 

 name for Albany, meaning place of the council fire, but he suggested 

 no derivation. Ruttenber merely assented to the name and meaning, 

 saying that Mahican tradition placed their capital there, under the 

 name of Pempotowwuthut-Muhhecaneuw, or the fireplace of the 



