New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
Between the Hamels-Hoofden the width is about a cannon's shot of 2,000
[yards]; the depth 10, 11, 12 fathoms. They are tolerably high points,
and well wooded. The west point is an island, inhabited by from 80 to
90 savages, who support themselves by planting maize. The east point
is a very large island, full 24-leagues long, stretching east by south
and east-southeast along the sea-coast, from the river to the east end
of the Fisher's Hook. In some places it is from three to four leagues
broad, and it has several creeks and bays, where many savages dwell,
who support themselves by planting maize and making sewan, and who are
called Souwenos and Sinnecox. It is also full of oaks, elms, walnut
and fir trees, also wild cedar and chestnut trees. The tribes are held
in subjection by, and are tributary to, the Pyquans, hereafter named.
The land is in many places good, and fit for ploughing and sowing. It
has many fine valleys, where there is good grass. Their form of
government is like that of their neighbors, which is described
hereafter.
The Hamels-Hoofden being passed, there is about a league width in the
river, and also on the west side there is an inlet, where another river
runs up about twenty leagues, to the north-northeast, emptying into the
Mauritse River in the highlands, thus making the northwest land
opposite to the Manhatas an island eighteen leagues long. It is
inhabited by the old Manhatans [Manhatesen]; they are about 200 to 300
strong, women and men, under different chiefs, whom they call Sackimas.
This island is more mountainous than the other land on the southeast
side of the river, which opposite to the Manhatas is about a league and
half in breadth. At the side of the before-mentioned little river,
which we call "Achter Col," there is a great deal of waste reedy land;
the rest is full of trees, and in some places there is good soil, where
the savages plant their maize, upon which they live, as well as by
hunting. The other side of the same small river, according to
conjecture, is about 20 to 23 leagues broad to the South River, in the
neighborhood of the Sancicans, in so far as I have been able to make it
out from the mouths of the savages; but as they live in a state of
constant enmity with those tribes, the paths across are but little
used, wherefore I have not been able to learn the exact distance; so
that when we wish to send letters overland, they (the natives) take
their way across the bay, and have the letters carried forward by
others, unless one amongst them may happen to be on friendly terms, and
who might venture to go there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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