Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-07-21

Brinton, who is considered an au-
thcrity on the Indian dialect, says,
this word Nuswattocks. means N
st. san between two streams. This
baud also was small one. aud a
branch of the Gingaskins undoubted-
| ly. Crossing the line northwards. we
meet Andiaman, the King OF the De-
cohannocks and Currattocks, whose
villages were near the extremities of
Scarburgh's and Cradock Necks.
Until recently / have believed that
| Cradock Neck was 30 called In honor
of Lieut.. Cradock, at Old Plantation,
but within the past II months !
have seen an item In our court rec
ords, the original of which was evil
IDENTIFY written by Parson Teackle-
Ia which he mentioned his plantation
on Currattock-showing that the
name is really the Indian word. Our
next village is that OF Debedeavon,
we Laughing King, we Emperor Of ye
Eastern Shore and King of we Great
Nuswattocks, as Nandua WAS called
by the Indians, situated OH Nandua
Creek. The Laughing King, once
sent deputation OF Indians from
Nandua to Accomack, with two In
dams ia place of white man and a
boy who had been killed by some
Indians up tue bay-they brought
also quantities OF Roanoke and
beaver skins as "A peace Offering.
When the Interpreter delivered their
message to the commander, Col.
Obedience Robins, he said, "God for
bid that | should take an Indian for
a white man." and Gid order theiD
all to reembarque in their canoes,
and return to their King. The In
dians, however, hesitated about re-
turning without their mission having
been accomplished as their King had
directed, and they did not depart for
several days, whereupon Dan1. Cug.
lev, at whose house they had landed
put them to work, and took charge
OF the Roanoke aud Beaver for mis-
own use, which conduct reaching the
ears of Col. Robins, he caused Cug-
leys arrest, and hurried the Indians
away in their boats with their pres
ent as they had brought IL. This
closed the affair. From Nandua We
next reach Ekeeks, King of the
Oanancocks, on the Oanancock river,
now called Onancock. Next to that OF
Debedeavon and Okiawampe his
name appears oftener in our court
records than that OF any other Indian.
Nowthetrawen ruled the Chescones-
seY, on ChesconesseX creek, Poca
hokes WAS King of the ChiucOteagues,
OH Chincoteague bay, Awascecencas
was King OF the Kic6tanks, Conan
tisminoc, King of the Matchateagues
and Nation, King of the Matomkins.
These were all small bands of Indians
but the Matehapun goes were a large
tribe and had several villages, one at
or near Wachapreague, another low
er down the neck and yet anotheron
the Woodlands and Brownsville farms
In Northampton. DR.. Brinton says,
the word Matchapungo means fine
duet, or flies, and as the name be-
longed to Hog Island, as we'll as to
the river and to the Indian tribe, We
may reasonably infer in the absence
of anything to the contrary, that
the sand or mosquitoes on Hog
Island gave rise to the name.
Their money was Roanoke or Raw
renoke, which was made Of shells, or
pieces OF shells, with holes bored
through them, and strung Oh buck
skin thongs-they paid it out by the
arms length, and their chief article
OF traffic with the whites was beaver
skins. They were very poor, their
wealth was all ia natures storehouse5,
they bull t none for themselves, aud
had they possessed any, they had not
the energy, the industry, and provi-
dence to have laid by anything In
these They lived mainly on fish,
oysters and CLAIMS as piles OF shells
near villages attest Yet deer, bears,
wolves, wild cats, beaver and small
z lme, were plentiful-and in one place
have seen that an Indian sold their
mooseskiDs. Game rapidly diminished
after the arrival of the whites. When
their powder, shot and fowling pieces
broke the stiffness of the forest, and
seut echoes reverberatins from shore
to shore, away fled the game, and
away went one half of the Indians
means Of subsistence with it.
The plantation OF Acsomae grew in
strength until in 1884 when there were
1896 persons here.
On the I'd of March, 1642, the name
OF the plantation of Accomack was
changed to Northampton Co. 1t is
said that it was changed thus, in
honor OF Col Obedience Robins, who
was from Lon gbuckbie in Northamp
tonshire, England. AS at that time
farm after farm was being settled
upon and improved, tobacco and corn
were the main crops, and tobacco and
beaverskins were the commodities