Gesmesseeck, a tract of land so called, otherwise entered of record "Nawanemit's particular land called Semesseerse, lying on the east bank, opposite Castle Island, off unto Fort Orange." "Item -- from Petanoc, the mill stream, away north to Negagonse." In addition Van Rensselaer then purchased lands held in common by several owners, "extending up the river, south and north^* from Fort Orange, "unto a little south of Moeneminnes castle," "being about twelve miles, large measure." Moeneminne's castle was on Haver Island at Kahoes. Semesseerse is the form of the name in deed as printed in Col. Hist. N. Y., vol. i, p. 44, and Gesmesseecks p. i, v. iv. Kesmesick is another form and perhaps also Taescameasick. (See Patuckquapaen.) The several forms of the name illustrate the effort on the part of the early Dutch, who were then limitedly acquainted with the Indian tongue, to give orthographies to the names which they heard spoken. Passapenoc, Pahpapaenpenock and Sapanakock, forms of the name of Beeren Island, lying opposite Coe>'mans, is from an

62 INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

edible tuber which was indigenous on it/ The Dutch name Beeren or Beerin, means, Hterally, "She bear," usually called Bear's Island. De Laet wrote "Beeren" in 1640. Patuckquapaen and Tuscumcatick are noted in French's Gazetteer as names of record in what is now the town of Greenfeush, Rensselaer County, without particular location. The first is in part Algonquian and in part Dutch. The original was, no doubt, Patuck qua pang, as in Greenwich, Ct., meaning "Round pond." The Dutch changed paug to paen destriptive of the land -- low land -- so we have, as it stands, "Round land," "elevated hassocks of earth, roots," etc. (See Patuckquapaug. ) The second name is written in several forms -- Taescameatuck, Taescameesick, and Gessmesseecks. Greenhush is an anglicism of Grcsn Bosch, Dutch, meaning, literally, "Green forest." The river bank was fringed by a long stretch of spruce-pine woods.