Wouter van Twiller purchased the tract, in 1629, for the use of the Dutch government and established thereon a tobacco plantation, with buildings enclosed in palisade, which subsequently became known as " the litJtle village of Sapokanican -- Sappokanican, Van der Donck -- and later (1721) as Greenwich Village. It occupied very nearly the site of the present Gansevort market. The " Strand road " is now Greenwich Street. It was primarily, an Indian path along the shore of the river north, with branches to Harlem and other points, the main path continuing the trunk-path through Raritan Valley, but locally beginning at the " crossing-place," or, as the

i8 INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

record reads, " Where the Indians cross [the Hudson] to bring their pelteries." ' " South of Van Twiller's plantation was a marsh much affected by wild-fowl, and a bright, quick brook, called by the Dutch ' Bestavar's Kil,' and by the English ' Manetta Water.' " ' (Half-Moon Series.) Saponickan was in place here when Van Twiller made his purchase (1629), as the record shows, and was adopted by him as the name of his settlement. To what feature it referred cannot be positively stated, but apparently to the Reed Valley or marsh. It has had several interpretations, but none that are satisfactory. The syllable pon may denote a bulbous root which was found there. (See Passapenoc.) The same name is probably met in Saphorakain, or Saphonakan, given as the name of a tract described as " Marsh and canebrake," lying near or on the shore of Gowanus Bay, Brooklyn. (See Kanonnewage, in connection with Manhattan.) Nahtonk, Recktauck, forms of the name, or of two different names, of Corlear's Hook, may signify, abstractively, " Sandy Point," as has been interpreted; but apparently, Nahtonk^ is from Na-i, "a point or corner," and Recktauck from Lekau (Requa),