name of Megriesken,
sachem of the Wappinger Indians," and other Indians therein named as grantors, conveyed the tract beginning on the south side of the Matteawan creek and running along the Hudson north to a point five hundred rods beyond " the Great Wapping's kill,
five
by the Indians Mawenawasigh," thence east, keeping hundred rods north of said creek, " four hours' going into
called
the woods," thence south to the south side of Matteawan creek,
and thence west " four hours' going a district now embraced in the etc., in
"
to the place of beginning
towns of Fishkill, East Fishkill,
Dutchess county.
Although
it is
so stated
on Van der Donck's map of New
Netherland, and assumed by Gallatin as a fact, there is no evi dence that the Wappingers extended west of the Hudson, but,
on the contrary, the conclusion
is
certain that they did not.
The record of the Esopus wars and the sales of lands show what and who the latter were. The error of Van der Donck's informants was in confusing totemic emblems, and similarity of The totem of the Wappingers dialect, with tribal jurisdiction. as well as that of the
Esopus clans, was the Wolf, as already
stated, while below the Highlands
" Daniel
Nimham,
a native Indian
and acknowledged sachem or king of a certain tribe of Indians known and called by the name of Wappingtrs, represents that the tribe formerly were numerous, at present consists of about two hundred and twenty-seven persons j that they