William Wallace Tooker

“ The years are now rapidly fleeting, and Cockenoe is advancing in years with the settlements. The power of the Montauks is a thing of the past; they exercise no control over the rest of the Long Island Indians, who convey land without the assent of the Montauk Sachem. As most of the younger generation of the natives can speak English, probably as well as he, there is no necessity for him to interpret. ”

“ It is thought that Eliot began his study of the Indian language about 1643, but it is possible that he began much earlier. In a letter dated February 12, 1649 (2-12-'48) , he wrote:
"There is an Indian living with Mr. Richard Calicott of Dorchester, who was taken in the Pequott warres, though belonging to Long Island. This Indian is ingenious, can read, and I taught him to write, which he quickly learnt, though I know not what use he now maketh of it. He was the first that I made use of to teach me words, and to be my interpreter." ”

“ The settlements are rapidly spreading and land is in demand by incoming colonists. On June 10 he laid out the beach to the westward of the Southampton settlement, giving Lion Gardiner the right to all whales cast up by the sea, and he witnesses the grant by his Sachem. [41]
On August 17 [42] he marked out, by blazing trees, three necks of meadow for the inhabitants of Huntington, on the south side, in the western part of the present town of Babylon, which necks were afterward in controversy. The village of Amityville now occupies part of the upland bordered by the meadow. ”

“ That the name was bestowed in his time is proven by the record "that it was agreed (in 1672) that the said Island called Cockenoe is to [Pg 25] lie common for the use of the town as all the other Islands are." [22] This island is one of the largest and most easterly of the group known as the "Norwalk Islands," or as they were designated by the early Dutch navigators, the Archipelago. [23] The fact that his name is displayed on this deed for Norwalk, and as the name for this island, has been a puzzle to many historians ”

“ His next attempt was made among the Indians of another place, "those of Dorchester mill not regarding any such thing." On the 28th of October he delivered a sermon before a large number assembled in the principal wigwam of a chief named Waban, situated four or five miles from Roxbury, on the south side of the Charles river, near Watertown mill, now in the township of Newton. The services were commenced with prayer, which, as Mr. Shepard relates, "now was in English, being not so farre acquainted with the Indian language as to expresse our hearts herein before God or them." ”

“ We must sit still and look for Miracles; up, and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee. [Pg 14] Prayer and pains through Faith in Christ Jesus, will do anything."
In 1646 Mr. Eliot began to preach to the Indians in their own tongue. About the middle of September he addressed a company of the natives in the wigwam of Cutshamoquin, the Sachem of Neponset, within the limits of Dorchester. ”

“ The same year, with his associates, Cockenoe [71] gave a certificate that many years before they heard the old Sachem Wyandanch declare, in a meeting of the Indians, that he gave to Lion Gardiner and Thomas James all the whales which should come ashore, at any time, on Montauk. [72]
On December 1, 1670, [73] together with Poniuts, alias Mousup, grandson of Wyandanch, and other chief men of the tribe, "Chekonnow" [Pg 53] joined in the Indian deed for the land between the ponds, to John Mulford, Thomas James, and Jeremiah Conkling. ”

“ When wee came to the south to our meadows wee went ovar too neckes to our naybours who had called massapeege Indians, About the number of twentie, whoe opoased us About the space of an ower and would not [Pg 49] suffer the Indian [Cockenoe] to goe and shew us the marked tree, then we show the Sachem [Tackapousha] the writing to which hee had set his hand which was our acquitance, and yet hee would not suffer the Indian to goe, when wee see nothing would prevaile, wee took our leave of them and said wee would carry backe this anser to them that sent us ”

“ The tramping of cattle has obliterated all traces of mounds, and the stones are generally on a level with the surface. On the outside, in close proximity to the others, are ten more, while on the slope of the hill to the northwest—the hill not being so abrupt in its descent at this point—are eighty-six more graves ”

“ East Hampton Records, vol. i. p. 31: "It is ordered noe Indian shall Come to the Towne unles it be upon special occasion and none to come armed because that the Dutch hath hired Indians agst the English and we not knowing Indians by face and because the Indians hath cast of their sachem, and if any of the Indians or other by night will come in to the towne in despit of eyther watch or ward upon the third stand to shoote him or if thay rune away to shoote him" (April 26, 1653) . ”

“ West India trade. Through his partners, or otherwise, he became well acquainted with our friend Cockenoe, and employed him as an interpreter in buying some land from the Indians in Westchester County, N. Y. We find that Cockenoe was with him at Manussing Island, at the head of the Long Island sound, where he gave Revell a deed, witnessed by John Budd and others, dated October 27, 1661, which reads: "I Cockoo Sagamore by vertue of a full and absolute power and order unto him and intrusted by Mahamequeet Sagamore & Meamekett Sagamore & Mamamettchoack & Capt. ”

“ Gardiner, but from time to time have reseived much kindness of him and from him, not onely by counsell and advise in our prosperitie, but in our great extremytie, when wee wee were almost swallowed upp of our enemies, then wee say he apeared to us not onely as a friend, but as a father, in giveinge us his monie and goods, wherby wee defended ourselves, and ransomd my daughter and friends, and wee say and know that by his meanes we had great comfort and reliefe from the most honarable of the English nation heare about us ”

“ On November 3, 1669, at East Hampton, before the Rev. Thomas James and others, [70] "Checkannoo," with other chief men of the [Pg 52] Montauk tribe, made an acknowledgment in "utterly disclayming any such vassalage as Ninecraft did declare to the Governor at Rhoad Island & doe protest against it in our owne names & in the name of ye rest of ye Indians at Montaukett & doe further declare that he shall have no more wampom of us without approbation of ye Governour of this place & that we acknowledge ye Governour at New Yorke as our chiefest Sachem." ”

“ The Commissioners finding much Difficulty to bring theire thoughts to a certaine Determination on Satisfying grounds yett concidering how Proudly Ninnigrett and how peaceably the Montackett Sachem hath carryed it towards the English ordered that a message the contents whereof heerafter followeth bee by Tho Stanton delivered to Ninnigrett and that for the cecuritie of the English plantations on long Island and for an Incurragement to the Montackett Sachem the two first particulars of the order to hinder Ninnigretts attempts on long Island; made last year att New Haven bee continued ”

“ Trumbull's Names in Connecticut, p. 58; Konkhonganik "at the boundary place," Kuhkunhunkganash, "bounds" (Eliot) , Acts xvii. 26. The agreement, Book of Deeds, vol. ii. p. 123, office of Secretary of State, Albany, N. Y., dated October 4, 1665, says: "That the bounds of East Hampton to the East shall be ffort Pond, the North ffence from the pond to the sea shall be kept by the Towne. The South ffence to the sea by the Indyans." Askikotantup, daughter of the Sachem Wyandanch, was Sachem Squaw of Montauk at the date of this agreement. ”

“ Necom was asked why himselfe from Ninnegrett haveing layed such charges upon the long Island Sachem before the Massachusetts Court hee had not brought his Proffe; hee answared that Wampeage was absent but some other Indians were present whoe Could speak to the case; wherupon an Indian afeirmed that hee had heard the said Wampeage confesse that being hiered as above hee had murthered the said Englishmen ”