Matteawan, now so written, has retained that orthography since its first appearance in 1685 in the Rombout Patent, which reads: "Beginning on the south side of a creek called Matteawan," the exact boundmark being the north side or foot of the hill known as Breakneck (_Matomps'k_). It has been interpreted in various ways, that most frequently quoted appearing in Spofford's Gazetteer: "From _Matai,_ a magician, and _Wian,_ a skin; freely rendered, 'Place of good furs,'" which never could have been the meaning; nor does the name refer to mountains to which it has been extended. Wm. R. Gerard writes: "_Matáwan,_ an impersonal Algonquian verb, meaning, 'It debouches into,' _i. e._ 'a creek or river into another body of water,' substantially, 'a confluence.'" This rendering is confirmed by Albert S. Gatschet, of the Bureau of Ethnology, who writes: "Mr. Gerard is certainly right when he explains the radix _mat--mata_--by confluence, junction, debouching, and forming verbs as well as roots and nouns." _-A'wan, -wan -uan,_ etc., is an impersonal verb termination; it appears only in connection with impersonal verbs. (See Waronawanka.) Matteawan is met in several forms--Matawa and Mattawan, Ontario, Canada; Mattawan, Maine; Matawan, Monmouth County, N. J.; Mattawanna, Pa.; Mattawoman, Maryland. Fishkill, the English name of the stream of which Matteawan is the estuary, is from Dutch _Vischer's Kil._ It was probably applied by the Dutch to the estuary from _Vischer's Rak_ which the Dutch applied to a reach or sailing course on the Hudson at this point. De Laet wrote: "A place which our country-men call Vischer's Rack, [FN] that is Fisherman's Bend." (See Woranecks.) On the earlier maps the stream, or its estuary, is named _Vresch Kil,_ or "Fresh-water Kil," to distinguish it from the brackish water of the Hudson. From the estuary extended to the entire stream. * * * * * [FN] Rack is obsolete; the present word is _Recht._ It describes an almost straight part of the river.