" The Turtle

tribe,

among the Lenapes, claims^ a superiority

and ascendancy

over the others because of their relation to the great tortoise, a fabled monster, the Atlas of their mythology, who bears, according to their traditions, this great island, as they term the world, on his back} and also superior because he is fates and Moultons Hisamphibious." Politically the Turtle and Turkey tory. tribes were associated in the same government, while the Minsis had a distinct

their protection, watching the motions of

the Meng<we, and being at hand to afford their aid in case of rupture with

The Minsi were

considered

the

them. most

warlike and active branch of the Lenape. They extended their settlements from the Minisink, a place named after them,

where they had

their

council seat and

quite up to the Hudson 5 and to the west, or southwest, far^beyond the Susquefire,

hanna 5

They appear to have been in occupation

their northern boundaries were supposed originally to be the heads of the great rivers Susquehanna and Delaware, and their southern .boundaries that ridge of hills known in New Jersey by the name of Muskanecum, and in Pennsylvania, by those of Lehigh, Coghnewago,

in the vicinity of Albany.

etc."

organization.

"The Bear tribe was considered the

leading totem and entitled to the office Mahican Tradition, of chief sachem."

The location was about ten miles south of Maghackemek, in the present " The third state of New Jersey. tribe, the Wolf, commonly called the Minsi, which we have corrupted into Monscys, had chosen to live back of the two other and formed a kind of bulwark for