The belts which they made were in universal use among the nations as an offering, the white belts denoting good, as peace, friendship, etc., the black, the reverse. The ruling sachem, or peace-chief, was the keeper and interpreter of the belts of his nation, and his place sornetimes took its name from that fact. That several of the sachems did sign their names, or that their names were signed by some one for them, " Sachem of Pammananuck," to the island. proves nothing in regard to the application of that name

74 INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

the entrance of this bay are situated several islands, or broken land, on which a nation of savages have their abode, who are called Matouwacks ; they obtain a livelihood by fishing within the bay, whence the most easterly point of the land received the name of Fisher's Hook and also Cape de Bay." Van der Donck entered on his map, "t' Lange Eyland, alias, Matouwacks." "Situate on the island called by the Indians Sewanhacky." (Deed of 1636.) "Called in ye Indian tongue Suanhackey." (Deed of 1639.) Than these entries there is no claim that the island ever had a specific name, and that those quoted were from shells and their uses is clear. Generically the island was probably known to the Minsi and neighboring tribes as Menatey, "The island," as stated by Dr. Trumbull ; smaller islands being known as Menatan, from which Manathan and Manhatan. The occupants of the island were a distinct group of Algonquian stock, speaking on the east a dialect more or less of the Massachusetts type, and on the west that known as Monsey-Lenape, both types, however, being largely controlled by the Dutch and the English orthographies in which local notings appear. They were almost constantly at war with the Pequods and Narragansetts, but there is no evidence that they were ever conquered, and mucii less that they were conquered by the Iroquoi, to whom they paid tribute for protection in later years, as they had to the Pequods and to the English ; nor is there evidence that their intercourse with the river tribes immediately around them was other than friendly.