[Edward Manning Ruttenber (1872)] number. As they were coming from the west they found many great waters, but none of them flowing and ebbing like Muh heakunnuk until they came to Hudson's river; then they said one to another, this is like Muhheakunnuk our nativity. And when they found grain was very plenty in that country, they agreed to kindle a fire there and hang a kettle, whereof they and their children after them might dip out their daily refresh ment. That before they began to decay, our forefathers in formed us that the Muhheakunnuk nation could then raise about one thousand warriors who could turn out at any emergency."1 The government of the Mahicans was a democracy. They had a chief sachem, chosen by the nation, upon whom they looked as conductor and promoter of the general welfare. This office was hereditary by the lineage of the wife of the sachem; that is, the selection of a successor, on the death of a 1 Massachusetts Historical Society Collec-tradition bears the impress of the theories tionsy ix, 101. In some of its parts this entertained by the early missionaries. OF HUDSON'S RWER. 43 sachem, was confined to the female branch of the family. The sachem was assisted by counselors, and also by one hero, one owl, and one runner; the rest of the nation were called young men or warriors.