The orthography usually quoted for interpretation appears first in South Hampton Records in an Indian deed of 1640, "Manatacut, his X mark," the grantor being given the name of the place which he represented, as appears from the same records (1662), "Wyandanch, Meantacut sadhem," or sachem of Meantac. The Indian deed reads : "The neck of land commonly known by the name of Meantacquit," * * " Unto the east side of Napeak, next unto Meantacut high lands." In other words the high lands bounded the place called Meantacqu, the suffix -it or -ut meaning "at" that place. The precise place referred to was then and is now a marsh on which is a growrth of shrub pines, and cedars. Obviously, therefore, Meantac or Mean-

76 INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

tacqu, is an equivalent of Mass. Manantac, "Spruce swamp," and of Del. Mendntac, "Spruce, cedar or pine swamp." (Zeisb.) The Abn. word Mamia"dakod, "cedar" (Mass. -u^tugh; Nar. dwtuck), seems to establish conclusively that -dntak was the general generic suffix for all kinds of coniferous trees, and with the prefix Men, Man, Me, etc., described small or dwarf coniferous trees usually found growing in swamps, and from w'hich swamps took the name.* There is nothing in the name or in its corruptions that means "point," "high lands," "place of observation," "fort," "fence," or "confluence" ; it simply describes dwarf coniferous trees and the place which they marked. The swamp still exists, and the dwarf trees also at the specific east bound of the lands conveyed. (See Napeak. ) Napeak, East Hampton deed of 1648, generally written Napeaka Neppeage and Napeague, and applied by Mather (Geological Survey) to a beach and a marsh, and in local records to the neck connecting Montauk Point wi'th the main island, means "Water land," or "Land overflowed by water." The beach extends some five miles on the southeast coast of Long Island.