Presumably it was generations prior to the incoming of Europeans and from the discovery of the fire-producing qualities of the flint, which was certainly known to them and to other Indian nations^ in pre-historic times. When the flint

^ Arent Van Curler, in 1635, in his "Journal of a Visit to the Seneca Country," wrote : "I was shown a parcel of flint-stones with which they make a fire when in the forest. These stones would do very well for flint-lock guns."

19° INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

and steel were introduced to them they added the latter to their emblem, generally delineated it on all papers of national importance, and called it Kannien, "batte-feu," as written by Bruyas, a verbal form of Kannia, "a flint," or fire-stone, the verb describing a new method of "striking fire out of a flint," or a new instrument for striking fire, and a new emblem of their own superiority springing from their ancient emblem. The Delawares called them Sankhikani,^ or "The fire-sitr iking people," from Del. Sank or San, "stone" (from Assin), and -hikan, "an implement," obviously a flint-stone implement for striking fire, or, as interpreted by Heckewelder, "A fire-lock," and by Zeisberger, "A fire-steel." The French called them Agnic and Agniers, presumably derived from Canienga (Huron, Yanyenge). The Dutch called tJhem Mahakuas, by contraction Maquaas, from Old Algonquian Magkwah (Stockbridge, Mquoh), Bear, "He devours, he eats." As a nation they were Bears, tearing, devouring, eating, enemies w*ho fell into their hands. Bruyas wrote in the Huron dialect, "Okivari, curse (that is Bear) ; Ganniagivari, grand ourse" (grand, glorious, superb, Bear), and in another connection, "It is the name of the