HISTORICAL SKETCHES. 173 



Receipt op Wanackmamak. 

 Nantucket Records, Old Book, Page 27. 



Keceived of Tristram Coffin, of Nantucket, the just 

 sume of five poun, which is part of the seven poun 

 that was unpaid of the Twenty poun Purchase of the 

 Land that was purchased of Wanackmamak and Neck- 

 anoose, that is to say, from Monomoy to Waquetta- 

 quage pond, Nanahumack neck, and all from Wesco 

 westward to the West end of Nantucket, I say Keceived 

 by me, Wanackmamak, of Tristram Coffin, five pounds 

 Starling, the 18th 11 M. 1671. 



The mark X of Wanackmamak. 

 Witness hereunto: 



Eichard Gardner. 



Elezer Folger. 



The probabilities are that the site of a town was 

 not immediately determined upon: each one, doubtless, 

 having due regard for his ownership, placed his house 

 in the locality that suited him best. 



Three or four localities are claimed by as many dif- 

 ferent people as sites of the first town. Macy's His- 

 tory says, " Thomas Macy chose a spot for settlement 

 on the southeast side of Madaket harbor, where he 

 found a rich soil and an excellent spring of water"; 

 but gives no authority for the statement. Allen Cof- 

 fin, Esq., in his <l Coffin Family," claims CapaumPond 

 as the site of the first village, and quotes from the 

 first book of Nantucket Eecords to substantiate his 

 claim; he says, " At a meeting held at Nantucket, July 

 15, 1661, of the owners or purchasers residing there, it 

 was agreed that each man have liberty to choose his 



