458 



HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



in this quarter of the country. " The Indians (continues the same au- 

 thority) burn the beaver bones and never permit their dogs to gnaw the 

 same; alleging that afterwards they will be unlucky in the chase. 

 Among all the beaver skins I have seen, no more than one was of a 

 different color, and that was white, the outer-wind hairs were golden 

 yellow. The skin was shipped on board the Princess with Director 

 Kieft, which was lost at sea." a 



The deep waters of Lake Waccabuck afford vast quantities of fish, as 

 pickerel, large perch, eels, &c. The two former are said to have been 

 introduced here within a few years. The favorite haunts of the pickerel 

 are the Cove and Raven's rock. 



Upon the south ridge of Long Pond mountain (which rises abruptly 

 from the northern shore of the lake,) is situated the cave of Sarah Bishop, 

 the hermitess. 



The Sarah Bishop Cave, Long Pond Mountain. 



Amidst the savage landscape, bleak and bare, 



Stands the chill hermitage, in mountain rock, and air, 



Its haunts forsaken, and its feasts forgot, 



A leaf strown, lonely, desolated cot ! — White's Selborne. 



The hermitess is reported to have been a resident of Long Island at 

 the period of the Revolution, where she saw the destruction of her pa- 

 ternal mansion, and suffered great cruelty at the hands of a British 

 officer, which finally induced her to abandon society altogether, and 

 seek an abode in the present cave. The following account of a visit to 



a Van der Donck's Hist. New Netherlands. 



