ABORIGINAL PLACE NAMES OF NEW YORK 23 



Mnhheakiinnuk nation. For the latter he quotes the tradition 

 already given. The name may refer to a place for games. 



Peoria is a western name for a place in Berne. 



Sa-chen-da'-ga, said to be a place near a branch of the Hudson 

 at Albany, was probably Sacondaga, overflowed lands, lying much 

 farther north. 



San'-a-go was placed at Coeymans by Schoolcraft, probably 

 intending Sanhagag at Albany. 



San-a-ta'-tea for the Hudson at Albany, is probably a personal 

 form of Cohatatea, a river. 



San-ha'-gag appeared in 1630. In that year Van Rensselaer 

 bought this tract west of the Hudson, from Smack's island to a 

 little above Beeren island. Ruttenber called this Sunckhagag. It 

 may have been corrupted from sanaukamuck, land, referring merely 

 to the tract, without being a name. Another derivation might be 

 from Sunnuckhig, a falling trap. 



Sek-tan'-ic, or Mill creek, was mentioned by Schoolcraft, above 

 Coeymans. 



Ska'-neh-ta'-de^ beyond the openings, is Morgan's Iroquois name 

 for Albany, afterward transferred to Schenectady, where it was 

 equally appropriate. Dr Mitchill said he learned that Skenectadea, 

 or Albany, "signifies the place the nations of the Iroquois arrived 

 at by traveling beyond the pine trees." It has also been given as 

 Skaghnetade, beyond the pines, etc., and Skaneghtada, end of pine 

 woods. There are numberless forms of the name. David Cusick 

 called it Shaw-na-taw-ty, beyond the pineries, and the Onondagas 

 give essentially the same definition. Bruyas defined Skannatati 

 as on the other side, from askati on one side. 



Sne-ackx island, above Albany, is sometimes written Smack's. 



Soen-tha'-tin was a place in Coeymans. 



Ta-wa-sen'-tha is a name for Norman's kill which Schoolcraft 

 erroneously defined as the place of many dead. Literally it is a 

 zvaterfall, but by analogy it may signify to lament or shed tears. 

 Bruyas gave the Mohawk word and definition. Dr Yates is said to 

 have translated it like Schoolcraft, while Gallatin gave the word 

 correctly, but called it an abbreviation, which it is not. In the 

 Colonial Laws of Nezij York it appears as Tawalsontha, and Rut- 

 tenber used this form. 



