Political Formation and Topography 19 



anounckc, a variant of Aquahung. Its lower portion is a 

 tidal stream, whose depth and course have been changed by 

 the Federal Government, so that it is navigable to the city 

 line. Black Dog Brook, the former Eastchester boundary 

 line, flows into Eastchester Creek at Baychester, while a short 

 distance above is Rattlesnake Brook, whose mouth is called 

 Mill Creek, from the old tide miH'(Reid's) which was located 

 there. Between Rodman's Neck and Hunter Island is 

 Pelham Bay. 



The islands in the Borough included Paparinemo and 

 Crab, both of which have disappeared. Lying in the East 

 River, a short distance above Port Morris, are North and 

 South Brother islands, called by the Dutch Gesellen. The 

 former has a light-house on it and is used by the city govern- 

 ment for hospital cases of infectious and contagious diseases. 

 Riker's Island is much larger and lies toward the mouth of 

 Flushing Bay, Long Island. This island, as well as several 

 of the others, was used during the Civil War for the encamp- 

 ment and drilling of recruits, and also for hospital purposes. 

 It was bought by the city in 1884, and for some time was 

 used as a dumping ground for the refuse of the city, much to 

 the disgust of the inhabitants of the Borough who found it 

 almost impossible to breathe when the wind blew from the 

 water. The Board of Health finally stopped the nuisance, 

 which was endangering the health of the people. The island 

 is still used for city refuse, but incineration plants have been 

 installed and no odor is perceptible except when close to the 

 island. Riker's Island originally contained eighty-seven 

 acres, but extensive crib work has been constructed and the 

 work of filling in continued, so that when completed the 

 island will contain four hundred acres to be used for municipal 

 purposes. The work has been done by the prisoners from 



