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Footprints of the Red Men: Indian Geographical Names — Passage 16

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[Edward Manning Ruttenber (1906)] designated certain peaks by specific names. "Among these aboriginal people," wrote Heckewelder, "every tree was not the tree, and every mountain the mountain; but, on the contrary, everything is distinguished by its specific name." Kittatinny was and is the most conspicuous or greatest hill of the particular group of hills in its proximity and was spoken of as such in designating the boundmark. Sacrahung, or Mill River, "takes its name from _Sacra,_ 'rain.' Its liability to freshets after heavy rains, may have given origin to the name." (O'Callaghan.) Evidently, however, the name is a corruption of _Sakwihung_ (Zeish.), "At the mouth of the river." The record reads, "A small brook or run called Wigwam brook, but by some falsely called Sackwrahung." (Deed of 1740.) Quinnehung, a neck of land at the mouth and west side of Bronx River, is presumed to have been the name of Hunter's Point. The adjectival _Quinneh,_ is very plainly an equivalent of _Quinnih_ (Eliot), "long," and _-ung_ or _-ongh_ may stand for place--"A long place, or neck of land." (See Aquchung.) Sackonck and Matightekonck, record names of places petitioned for by Van Cortlandt in 1697, are located in general terms, in the petition, in the neighborhood of John Peak's Creek and Anthony's Nose. (Cal. N. Y. Land Papers, 49.) The first probably referred to the mouth of Peak's Creek (Peekskill). _Sakunk_ (Heck.), "At the mouth or outlet of a creek or river." _Saukunk_ (Donck) is another form.