The evening is the most propitious season to enjoy the scene, when the valley and neighboring hills are richly illuminated by the setting sun, imparting an effect that surpasses description. To those who have read Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, it will bear strong resemblance to the " Delectable Mountains," mentioned in that beautiful similitude.

«^ The Close family have long been seated here and descend from Thomas Close of Greenwich, Connecticut, who emigrated from England in 166G. For a further account of this family, see pedigree.

488 HISTORY OF THE

O S S I N - I N G.

This township is bounded on the east and south by Mount Pleasant, (of which it once formed a part, a) on the west by "the Hudson river, and on the north by New Castle and the Croton river. Like the neighboring townships it was originally included within the honour and fee of Philipsburgh.

Ossi?i-iTig, the proper Indian orthography of the word variously written Sin-sing, Sing Sing, Sin Sinck and Sink Sink, is derived from ossin (a stone) and ing (a place) or " stone upon stone :"b -- a name exceedingly characteristic of this beautiful town, whose coast is guarded by a vast munition of rocks and ancient boulders. At a very early period Ossin-ing constituted a part of the possessions of a powerful Mohegan clan called the Sint Sings.

April the 22d, 1643, appeared before the Dutch Director General Kieft in Fort Amsterdam, Oratatrim, sachem of Ack-kin-kashacky. who declared he was deputed by those of Tappan, Reekgawanck, Kicktawanc and Sint Sinck, to conclude a peace with the Dutch in the following manner, viz. : that all the injustices committed by the said nations again.st the Netherlanders, or by the Netherlanders against said nations, shall be forgiven and forgotten for ever; reciprocally promising one another to cause no trouble the one to the other; but whenever the savages understand that any nation not mentioned in this treaty might be plotting mischief against the Christians, then they will give to them timely warning, and not admit such a nation within their own limits.