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230 GEOLOGY OF NEW YORK CITY
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sumed
to have covered the portions owned by the Raritans and Hackinsacks,
respectively. The names in the deeds to De Vries and Capellen, however,
are but another orthography of those in the deed to Lovelace. Manacknong signifying
' good land/ in a general sense, may be accepted as the aboriginal
name. Governor's Island was called by the Dutch Nooten Island, '
because excellent nut trees grew there,' and possibly, also from
Pecanne, the Algonquin term for nut trees. Bed-loe's Island was called Minnisais, a pure Algonquin term for ' small island.' It does not appear to have possessed a qualifying character of any kind. Ellis Island was Kioshk, or
Gull Island, and that of BlackwelFs was Minnahonnonck, a phrase that is
not without poetic elements, but has none in this connexion, nanna being simply ' good.' In its vicinity is Hell Gate, to which Monatun has
been applied—' a word,' says an eminent authority, ' carrying in its
multiplied forms the various meanings of violent, dangerous, etc.,' in
which sense it may be accepted. The name of Long Island is sometimes
written Sewan-hacky, from sewan, its shell money, and acky, land ; but its aboriginal title appears to have been Matonnacky, —ma, large, excellent, acky or acke, land."
The
proximity of the ocean with its products attracted the aboriginal
inhabitants, and village sites doubtless occupied its more accessible
and inviting margins. Such have been found on Long Island by Mr. R.
Harrington, while very large collections of stone hammers, fleshers,
arrow points, adzes, etc., have been made, among which that of Mr.
William W. Tooker, of Sag Harbor, was perhaps pre-eminent. On Staten
Island Indian implements and Indian graves have been discovered, the
centers of occupancy being generally west and southwest ; at Mariners
Harbor on the north, and Tottenville on the south. William T. Davis,
George H. Pepper, and Allânson Skinner have contributed to the
archaeological exploration and knowledge of this region.
On Manhattan Island the better established areas of occupation seem to be around Inwood, though tradition affirms
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