New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-20
THE SHINNECOCK REGION
AMONG THE HILLS AND INDIANS.

| rrRoM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE.
| CANOE PLACE. Long Island. Oct. 16.-Among the
| many odd things about Long Island and its people
| not the least singular s the nomenclature glance
over the map of " fsh-shapc Paumanok," az wait
Whitman calls it. shows such names as Patchogue
| Cutchogue. Mattituck. Quogue. Quiogue, ron
| Quogue. Napeague. Speonk. Mecox. Sagg and zap
hank Most, if not all of these names are OF Indian
origin, and presumably have some specific meaning
| Quogue. am told, means clam; while fogue
Quogue--now written Pom Quogue-is supposed 10
mean hardshcll clam. Beside these there are,
toward the eastern end, nearly many Hamptons
rs there are Haddams along the Connecticut River;
| of which a venerable clergyman travelling on the
! Hartford boat from New-York is reported 10 have
said-after being awakened repeatedly in the early
morning hours by hearing Haddam East Haddam.
| West IIaddam, Haddam Haddam, etc, called out
that " he hoped the Lord would forgive him. but
for his part he wished the Old Harry had em"
One of the names that is sure to arrest attention
is shnnecock. There the Shnnecock Hills. the
Shinnecock Indians and the Shnnecock Bay. The
old settlers hereabout contract the name into shin
nick Everybody who summers at Qucgue or
southampton intervening points visits both the
Hills and the Indians At any rate those who fail
to do miss delightful trip full of interest in
many ways.
The Shnnecock Hills elevations that now here
rise to the dignity of mountains; yet they are gen
orally spoken of by Long Islanders with respect.
for they are probably a. high any land between
Brooklyn and Montauk Point. The highest hill,
however. is only $50 feet above the water-the
same height the Quogue Lighthouse. when |
described in former letter. The hills sandy,
brown and barren. being practically destitute OF
vegetation. except for grass. pricky pears
that look like cacti and here and there huckeberry
and other bushes They extend east and west about
half Il dozen miles and are bounded on the moth |
and south by the Great Peconic and ShinnecOck |
Bays. They were recently purchased by the Long |
Island Improvement Company; but it looks rs If |
good deal of money and labor would have 10 be ex-
pended before they could be made available for any
purpose
The highest hill, already mentioned. is known as
SugarlOsf and from Shnnecock Bay its |
rounded top indicates that 1t is not insptly named
1t is easily approached from the bay by small sail |
boats although there is wharf T. land at. and the
ascent is not at all difficult Ii Is only steep hill:
if tie soil was productive there would be no reason
Why Sugarloaf and all the other hills might not be
cultivated to the top. Ia spite Of the comparatively |
small height the view from the summit j. surprls |
ngly good. Southwark the larger part of SHINE
cock Bay stretches out. separated from the blue
ocean by narrow sandbar. In the opposite direc-
ton Is the beautifully clear Peconic Bay. eight miles
wide. with Robbinls Island in the middle distance
At the right and almost at feet lie, the pleasant
cove known as Canoe Place This puts IN from
Shinnecock Bay and at one point the neck Of land
between this body Of water ana Peconic Bay IS only
about half mile vide
4 CANAL BrrwEEN TWO BAYS
At this place a canal j. ~ Dee cut 20 connect the
two bays The only connection that Nlirnecock
Bay has with the ocean is narrow inlet which is
continually growing smaller and not bcaut fully
less In fact this inlet is the work of human
hands having been dug by farmers and fishermen
mostly 10y farmers whose livelihood is dependent
upon the BAY TO a greater or less e-te1t. The
former inlet was filled with sand during heavy
storm few years ag,. and the present one. which
required 1900 days work to dig * likely to share
the same fate Because of the mragreuesi of IFS
connection with the the rise and fell of the
tide in Shinuecock Bay are scarcely perccptible.
aud the fishing and claiming Industries have beer
seriously injured Pecouic Pay. on the other hand.
has ample connection with the ocean through
Gardeners Bay. iuto which n emltes. and the tide
rises five or si- feet II - Thought thlt hy con
Meeting the two bays rs means ol the canal have
mentioned the Shiuuecock will bccone again
abundanty product We of n+h an elaine.
The surveys for the canal have already been made
the Leg .lltute having appropriated ~JuOOu for
the entire work The actual amount of digging viii
mot be- great. There IS No hugh ntound 10 hc eat
through anal fortunately thoio g. poud extending
nhoni thirl of Che d tnlcr ou the line ault"trd
' .'i '''.i '''"' '''' ''l.'.'' ~ |
lHs diam tvu trtfa On account ul the force With
Winch thr NUtet Will ush tliouth the cnunl when
thr tide tiH,f aud lA"ltt1nir BAY lrruH itn iu.
luru,o ao much mote than t1 nriglboi u Re pfn
pD rd 90 hltr % lock hoo ihr canal tu regulate tie
How and in order to prevent mnd FROM hnhE .
wished 400 from thr northern end brrhkwHtet viii ,
be- built la lccouc hhy. When thiH canal IT,
luisl,d vessels can run from lo,Onc Niy. through
-h unrOrk Inst and Great South laYs and around /,
l{ickuWay aud tonry l.lnud to New ! York | hrur y
iu INLAND freight route over th, our 81 kcd OF
Canoe Place IA so called because ut thr punt
eIltrt IR fol In "a
carry their canoes from one hay To- the other There
Is SOME evidence that they made an attempt to dig
channel hci wcen the two babies oi water, ior IN
ancient partly dug trench Is visible for part of the
distance Canon Place IA not yil agc. II consists
IF one hotel Ihcrr mas been a hotel ~ thi. point
'incc iiiurwheu the memory ~ livngnen runncih ,
lot to the contrary Il was fixed upon a. u good u
situation tor su nn, iol aloug thia road everyone
gong from my point westward toward Muntauk s
Iuiat had 90 travel a
rur INDIAN Rr,tWyAtIoN.
Leaving sugt tloaf aud tho manor hills. pursue
,ur way eastward 60 tho Shnnccock Indian
,s,crvation. There Ia nothing romantic or warlke
bout the rrmuautso of this tribe of red mon Neither IL
here any thing particularly savage Tho Shunrcocks
nave fallen II IN their high estAtc-if they ever had
me and have become ~ mixcd with negroes that
hey seem more Ike Africans than Indians. They
IRE not red. but black t,mahawks =
cal -Fniyes or paint. Indeed | was told !
hat there are only three full-blooded Indians q
mong the $50 who dwell on the reservation. 4
OhHlleIAhIc number OF tle best ilcu IN the trlle
we're lost lew years "A vessel wrecked on the W
cast near here, while trying to the cargo. II,
Ormerly the tribe lived OH the SEinnecO, Hills -
proper; but now their reservation consists of u -
critic peninsula that runs out into Shnnecock Bay q
hree OF four milcs west of Southampton. They do la
lot live in wigwams. but IN fairly comfortable
ouses, and they cultivate the land to a consider III
bic extent. The general impression that a casual
is tor gets II tiat they are ratl er shifte,s They
rave two churches. congregational and a Second
.dvent. between which there is considerable
lvalry; and a handsome scLoolhouse has been
them bv lie (,overrrte,,t go