The pond had other points of access, notably a sandy beach at the promontory near Avenue T, so that the inclusion of the Strome beach, or beaches, in the conveyance of 1664, indicates that the sellers were describing its characteristic features. The name Shanscomacocke appears to be that which is intended to describe this enclosed pond area, and as such was probably the name of the village on its margin. The marshes "anyway belonging thereto" would have been the extensive tract of
INDIAN NOTES
BOLTON-- INDIAN' PATHS
OLD GRAVESEND NECK ROAD TO THE STROME BEACH, AT ITS TURN SOUTH TOWARD HUGH GERRITSEN'S MILL AND HOUSE. (STATION 50, MAP VIII, D) The left foreground when plowed disturbed Indian burials, part of the native settlement of Shanscomacocke Photograph by D. B. Austin, 1900.
THE CANARSEE
THE CANARSEE 163
wagon path." This was the ancient trail, Mechawanienck, by that time expanded to the width of a wagon. Along this path the measurement proceeded "soe running to another white oak tree standing by Utrecht wagon path," which was the western extension of the same old line of travel. This tree stood close to Avenue 0, at West 10th street. A line drawn from the first point on the beach, through this tree, made the western boundary of Gravesend, "soe on a direct line to the Flatbush fence," which was struck at Foster avenue near Ocean parkway, meeting a similar line drawn on the east side from the head of Gerritsen creek through the white-oak tree first mentioned. The old path on the line of the King's highway led farther west to Gravesend (105), where there were settlements of natives which have not been precisely located. In a deed of 1650 the region was known as Massabarkem. 31 This name applied to the west part of Gravesend neck, lying between Gravesend creek and the inlet which extends north from Sheepshead