Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-25
Nomenclature Of the Environs Of Lake Cham
plain.

Nomenclature Of the Env!rons Of Lake Cham
plain.
To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times:
The various names which have been AT
tachod TO the prominent landmarks oil Lake
Champlain are curious and interesting and
worthy of perpetuation. More than In any
other section of the country, they singularly
minglc the dialects of three distinct nation
alitics and forcibly illus rate the genius and
taste of each. The aborigines, the French
and the English successfully impressed their
distinct names upon the territory, and in
stances of each still exist. The Indians
were peculiarly happy and impressive In
these designations Their rolling, sonorous
terms were embellished by rich native
fancy that impaired a happy significance to
every name they applied. 1t is deeply to be
regretted that scarcely any of tho Indian
names have been preserved. 1t cannot be
doubted that when they occupied the shores of
the lake their atiiuent vocabulary and warm
Imagination supplied appropriate names to
the physical objects, which have always been
so marked and attractive. But the popula-
ton, which it is evident from their vestiges
once thronged these shores, had been driven
from the lake into the interior by the per-
petual and reciprocal ravages of hostile
hoI les. When Champlaiu entered upon
tho scene, silence and desolation brooded
over the entire region. In his course he saw
no Indian hamlet, not solitary wigwam.
Ruthless, savage war, had expelled the pop
ulation from their beautiful aud attractive
abodes
The French domination succeeded and the
nomenclature they conferred in their charac
terstic fervid and poetic spirit, was almost
equal to the force and euphony of the In
dian and alike significant and descriptive.
The English translated some of these terms;
some they expunged and happily adopted
others That the English titles were cold,
prosaic and uuspiritual will appear by the
brief comparisons | propose to present.
Two maps exist which largely explain the
French and English classification. One was
arranged by NJ. Anger. the Royal Surveyor,
in 1872, ''from various memoirs" and pub
lished at Quebec in 1743. This map delineates
the French seiguories on both sides of the
lake and indicates the names OF many OF
the prominent localities The other is the
well known map of the Province of New
York, prepared by Souther, under the au-
thority of Governor Tryon, and dedicated to
him. This map was published in London
in 1879.
The magnificent sheet of water which is
known to us rs Lake Champlaln, has been
designated by various names, both by the
ahoIisnes and their civilized successors
1t received dlstinc. sppellations in the differ
ent dialects of the tribes that habitually
tiaversed its wateis, either in friendly inter-
course or in the!; predatory expeditions.
Among these have tcen preserved Cdi.id-
dsre guarante. The lake that is the gate of
the country" No name could be applied,
more appropriate and descriptive. Another
was ''Patdoa5ough," doubtless in reference
to its connection with Lake George, mean
ing "a lake branching out into two"
Thompson's history states that the name of
Lake Champlain in the Abenaqui tongue
was Petana- 5ouQue, signifying land and
water in alluslcn to the numerous islands
and projecting points of land that marked
it. Lydius. the owner of the vast Dellius
patent, writes in 1850, that the lake was
Gale "Regio" by III. Mohawks, in venera-
ton of the memory Of the chief, whose
death gave 10 the remarkable rock known TO
us as Rock Dunder, in their tongue, the
name of the Great Rock R.ggis or Rooeo."
Champlain, looking forth from the field of
his ignoble victory, called the placid waters
by his own name The French in after
years named it La; des Loquois. Posterity
with more justice, has immortalized the
name of its great discoverer, by calling the
lake. Champlain. Near the close of the
sixteenth century, Arant Corlear, the noble
Dutch burghcr of Schenectady. whose cour-
ago and benetcence had preserved u French
army from the exterminating vengeance Of
the Mohawks, while on his way to Canada, a
missionary OF peace and mediation, was
drowned at the mouth OF Willsboro Bay. In
commemoration of that sad catastrophe the
lake Tor term was designated among tno
English and Dutch Us 'Corlears Lake"
Lake George seems ut every period, from
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