' THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH. 259 



Indians gave the name of Weghqueghe or Wysquaqua, by the English 

 called afterwards Wickers creek or William Portugues creek. 



At the mouth of this beautiful stream the powerful tribe of the Wich- 

 quaesqueeks, had erected a village which was standing in the time of 

 Nicholas Johannes Visschers, (Nicholas John Visschers,) for in his map 

 of Novum Belgium, published at Amsterdam, 1659,* he calls it Wickqu- 

 askek, a name which was also applied to the surrounding lands as already 

 shown. The site of this ancient village can still be traced on the 

 neighboring banks by the numerous " Indian shell beds" which in some 

 places are found to vary from two to three feet in depth. Another 

 Mohegan village occupied the site of Tarrytown, called in the Algonquin, 

 "Alipkonck," "Anneebikong ? " place of leaves or " rich foliage," 6 "Above 

 Weckquaskeck, says Schoolcraft, was the village of Alipkonck, that is 

 " a place of elms." 



On the map of "Novum Belgium" it is also styled Alipconck, which 

 clearly shows it was standing in 1659. 



From the bark of the white elm (ulmus Americana) the Indian manu- 

 factured his light canoe. d This tree is also celebrated for the elegance of 

 its foliage. 



As early as 1644 there were three entrenched castles belonging to the 

 Weckquaskecks. e One of these strong-holds was still remaining in 1663, 

 and garrisoned with eighty warriors. 



The first sachem of Weckquaskeck, of whom we have any account, 

 was Mongockonone, who appeared in behalf of this place, A. D. 1644, 

 at Fort Amsterdam. 



This chief must have held his authority under the high sachem of the 

 Mohegans, for on the 30th of August, 1645, we find Aepjen, chief sachem 

 of the Mohegans, appearing in behalf of Wappinx, and Weckquaskeck, 

 Sint Sincks and Kicktawom, before the Director General and Council at 

 Fort Amsterdam/ 



It was Cushawashet or Wequashcook, whose original name was prob- 

 ably Wequashcuk, a Nehantee sagamore who assisted Uncas in guiding 



a See copy of Visscher's map engraved by Thomas Starling, Wilmington Square, London, 

 1833 ; from the original, in the possession of S. Converse, New York. 



6 Schoolcraft's Ethnology. Oneota. 



c Proceedings of N. Y. His. Soc. 1844. 



d These canoes of bark were sewed together with thongs made from the dry sinews of the 

 deer. One of them was capable of holding from twelve to fourteen men, or one hundred and 

 fifty bushels of corn. 



e O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N: 299. An old Indian who had been captured by the Dutch at or 

 near Greenwich, Conn., in 1643 " promised to lead them to Wetquescheck which consisted of 

 three castles; sixty-five men were dispatched under Lieut. Baxter and Pieter Cock, who found 

 them empty— though thirty Indians could have stood against two hundred soldiers, inasmuch 

 as they were constructed of plank five inches thick, nine feet high and braced around with 

 thick bark full of fort holes. Our pepole burnt two, reserving the third for a retreat." Journal 

 of New Netherland, Doc. Hist, of N. Y., vol. iv. p. 15. 



/ N. Y. Hist. Coll., 2d series, vol., 2T6. 



