At the mouth of this beautiful stream the powerful tribe of the Wichquaesqueecks, 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 Wickquaskek, 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.''^ "Above Weckquaskeck says Schoolcraft, was the village of Alipkonck, that is " a place of elms."<i

On the mnp 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 manufactured his light canoe.e This tree is also celebrated for the elegance of its foliage.

As early as 1644 there were three entrenched castles belonging to the Weckqaaskecks.f One of these strong-holds was

* O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N. p. 240.

i> 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.

""■ Schoolcraft's Ethnology. Oneota.

d Proceedings of N. Y. Hist. Soc. 1844.

e 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.