[FN-1] The field of the labors of the Moravian missionaries extended to Wechquadnach, Pachquadnach, Potatik, Westenhoek and Wehtak, on the Housatenuc. _Wechquadnach_ (Wechquetank, Loskiel) was at the end of what is now known as Indian Pond, lying partly in the town of North East, Duchess County, and partly in Sharon, Conn. It was the Gnadensee, or "Lake of Grace," of the missionaries. _Wequadn'ach_ means "At the end of the mountain" between which and the lake the Indian village stood. _Pachquadn'ach_ was on the opposite side of the pond; it means "Clear bare mountain land." _Wehtak_ means "Wigwam place." _Pishgachtigok_ (Pach-gat-gock, German notation), was about twenty miles south of Shekomeko, at the junction of Ten Mile River and the Housatonuc. It means, "Where the river divides," or branches. (See Schaghticoke.) _Westenhoek,_ noted above, is explained in another connection. _Housatonuc,_ in N. Y. Land Papers _Owassitanuc,_ stands for _A-wass-adene-uc,_ Abn.; in Delaware, _Awossi,_ "Over, over there, beyond," _-actenne,_ "hill or mountain," with locative _-uk,_ "place," "land"; literally, "A place beyond the hill." (Trumbull.) It is not the name of either the hill or the river, to which it was extended, but a verbal direction. An Indian village called Potatik by the Moravian missionaries, was also on the Housatonuc, and is written in one form, _Pateook._
[FN-2] A translation from the Delaware _Scha-gach-we-u,_ "straight," and _meek_ "fish"--an eel--eel place--has been widely quoted. The translation by Dr. Trumbull is no doubt correct.
[Illustration: The Highlands West From Little Stony Brook]
Shenandoah (Shenandoah Corners, East Fishkill) is an Iroquoian name of modern introduction here. It is met in place in Saratoga County and at Wyoming, Pa. (See Shannondhoi.)
Stissing, now the name of a hill and of a lake one mile west of the village of Pine Plains, Duchess County, is probably an apheresis of _Mistissing,_ a "Great rock," and belongs to the hill, which rises 400 or 500 feet above the valley and is crowned with a mass of naked rock, described by one writer as "resembling a huge boulder transported there."
Poughkeepsie, now so written, is of record in many forms of which Pooghkeepesingh, 1683; Pogkeepke, 1702; Pokeapsinck, 1703; Pacaksing, 1704; Poghkeepsie, 1766; Poughkeepsie, 1767, are the earlier. The locative of the name and the key to its explanation are clearly determined by the description in a gift deed to Peter Lansing and Jan Smedes, in 1683: "A waterfall near the bank of the river called Pooghkeepesingh;" [FN-1] in petition of Peter Lansing and Arnout Velie, in 1704: "Beginning at a creek called Pakaksing, by ye river side." [FN-2] There are other record applications, but are probably extensions, as Poghkeepke (1702), given as the name of a "muddy pond" in the vicinity. Schoolcraft's interpretation, "Safe harbor," from _Apokeepsing,_ is questioned by W. R. Gerard, who, from a personal acquaintance with the locative, "A water-fall," writes: "The name refers not to the fall, but to the basin of water worn out in the rocks at the foot of the fall. Zeisberger would have written the word _Āpuchkìpìsink,_ that is, 'At the rock-pool (or basin) of water.' _Ā-puchk-ìpìs-ink_ is a composition of _-puchk,_ 'rock'; _ipis,_ in composition, 'little water,' 'pool of water,' 'pond,' 'little lake,' etc." _Pooghk_ is no doubt from _ápughk_ (apuchk), "rock." The stream has long been known as the Fall Kill. Primarily there seems to have been three falls upon it, of which _Matapan_ will be referred to later.