THE TOWN OF YONKERS. 



577 



stone; or as rendered by some " Afekhkakhsin" meaning copper, " akk- 

 sin" stone* The latter word appears to denote not a common stone, 

 but the " colored copper stone" bound under some spell of Indian necro 

 mancy. On the east side of this enchanted rock are several Indian 

 marks almost effaced by age. " To these stones they paid all outward 

 signs of worship and devotion, not as to God, but as they are hierogly- 

 phics of the permanency and immutability of the Diety ; because these, 

 both for figure and substance, are, of all sublunary bodies, the least sub- 

 ject to decay or change." 6 This stone lies in an obscure nook on the 

 eastern shore of the Hudson, at the foot of a steep bank whose sides are 

 shaded with masses of wild cedar and laurel, the beautiful lake like ap- 



Indian Rocfc, iiegakecfcassin, or Amackassin. 



pearance of the river giving additional interest and magical illusion to 

 the scene. At ebb tide the huge boulder must have reminded them of 

 a monstrous Neebanawbaig, (or water spirit,) afloat on the waves. To 

 the superstitious Indian its peculiar position must have been a subject of 

 deep interest. The name of this stone is sometimes applied to a brook 

 that flows in the vicinity. The term Sigghes, which also occurs in some 

 of the deeds, doubtless belongs to the Indian rock, situated still higher 

 up, west of the post road on the land of J. O. Dyckman. The two rocks 

 or stones and rivulet here referred to, still form a portion of the northern 

 boundary of Yonkers, running east to Bronx's river. In this town are al- 

 so two Indian burying grounds. The principal one lies two miles north 



a TraDS. Amerc. .Antiq, Soc. vol. ii. 336. 

 b Beverly's Hist. Virginia. 



