The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20


generally yell iimbsd. slender around tbe
waist and broad sbcnidsssd. inst thsy
And black hair and eyes end snow-white
teeth. and resembied the Brasilisns in color.
We are told that not only wore they Q people
Of taste and iadustsy. but tAekih morals thcy
wore the superiors OF their Dutch neighbors.
CHASTITY wns an established principle among
them. and foul or impropef language vas
desplsed. 10 them most Of the diseases fnct-
dent 10 females OF the present day we're up-
known. SO highly. In nas. were che women
estesmed thsk the Duteh made wives Of them
and refused TO leave them for females OF their
own country. Mr.. RuttAnber asserts that In
stances couid DO named where the blood Of
boasted ancient Knickerbockers was enriched
By that OF the Manhattans. That they were
skllfl people was proved BY their unnnufac-
turs Of wampum and Of implements Of war. and
Of pipes: they knew how 70 prepare beauti-
full scarlet coloring. A. well As blue. green. yell
low. brown. white. and black dyes. They
could cure wounds and hurts and treated aim
pie diseases successfully. The use OF certain
herbs and plants, which they employed a.
remedies. ~. tor example. butternut bark.
from which they made q oathartic. be-
came familiar to the European settlers. The
oil which thsy obtained from beavers was the
cslomsl Of Indian aiopathio practice, and the
Dutch attached great value 10 II. Their
form Of Government WAS an absolute democ-
racy II which unsninity was the only recog-
niEed expression Of The popular will The
punishment OF crimes against the person
Was relegated to The family OF the injured one.
but the rights Of property wore understood
and respected. Their religion recognized the
existence Of God who dwelt bsyond the stsrs.
and they believed in . life immortal during
which they expected to renew the associations
Of Garth But In their view God had less to do
with mundane affairs than che devil. who was
tho chief object Of their fears and the main
source Of their hopes. No expeditions for
hunting. fishing. or war wero undertaken IN
loss the devil was flrst consulted. aud to him
they offered the first fruits Of victory.
Such were the people who were grouped I'M
der Hudson's compound geographical torn
Manna-hsts % the Manhattan. Mr. Ruttenber
shows Ne that It was an erroneous cfassifca'
tion. founded on similarity Of dialect The
fne.looking indiana met BY yerraEnno were
the Montauks Of Long Island: those encopn.
tered BY Hudson In Newark Bay wsre Rari-
tans. These wore both sub-tribes OF the
Unami or Turtle tribe Of the Lent Lenapes or
original people," whose national council
Gro was lighted ut Philadelphia. but who were
divided into numerous family groups or clans.
Tho indians dwelling from Montauk to tho
highlands Of the Hudson ware peaceful peo-
pie. although they suffered much from the
wnrs Of others They finally succumbed under
the pressure Of the conditions involved In the
contact Of themselves and their Kindred with
civilization which they could not assimilate.
Tho wappingcrs or watsnsehi. With whom
Hudson came In conflict were Of the sub
tribe subsequently, known IS the Rock
Rnwswancs. The point OF land from which
their attacks were made was on the north
shore Of Spuyten Duyvil Greek. Their terri
torial jurisdiction extended on the Gust to tho
Bronx and East rivers, and on the kouth in
cluded Manhattan Island. which. however.
was only temporarily occupied during the sea-
sons OF planting and Of fishing. In Mr. Rut-
tenber's opinion It may be affirmed with
close approach to certainty that 1t was the
Reckgawawancs who sold Manhattan Island
to Director Minuit In 1926 and that they were
the Manhsttas or Manatthanes. 90 called by
De Lset in l633-40
In aword. Manhattan Island Is without any
other Indian name than that which was given
to 1t by tho Dutch. That the Dutch and not
the Indians flrst called II Manhattan Is the I'M
questioned testimony Of history. Tho
aboriginal names OF the islands In the harbor
have been preserved more or loss distinctly.
Staten Island Is called In the deed to De vries
A<ONC-
lace in 1870 Aauehonsa- Manseknong. titles
which presumably covered the portions owned
by the Raritans and the Hackentacks respec-
lively Aanaeknong siRnined good land. Bed
lows Island was called Minnlsais. q pure
Algonquin term for small island: Ellls Island
WAS Kiosh. sisnifying gull island: and Black.
wells Island was Minnahonhonck. signifying
good island In ity vicinity IL He'll Gate. to
which has been applied the Indian word
Monatun,. In the sense OF violent or dangerous.
Tho term Bewsn-hacky. sometimes given to
Long Island. cams from Ss,osu. It's shell
money. and aeky. man; but the aboriginal
title OF tho island seems to have been Matou-
waeky. that 10 to say. q large or excellent land
The colony OF New Netherland was the ward
OF tho Dutch West India Company. and accord
insly In one OF the preliminary chapters tho
Rev. Daniel Van Pelt has sketohsd the history
OF that commercial corporation. As early as
1907 two Dutch merchants, Gerard Hikker OF
Amsterdam and John Leyen Of Enkhuyson. had
been each separately granted the privilege OF
forming q company for purposes Of tsafdo with
the West Indies Subsequently hose two men
combined their companies into one and built
In Amsterdam substantial warehouse which
on the formation Of the Wost India Com ma n