The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

ITS SOURCE AND ITS TPIBUTAlIES.
were absorbed by the Pennacooks. The names of the tribes so
merged were the Agawams, located in what is now Essex County,
]Iassachusetts, Wamesits, Nashua, Souhegan, Namoskea(g, and
WVinnipesaukee. Besides these, the following tribes, not on the Merrimack, acknowledged fealty, were tributary to, and confederates of
the Pennacooks: the WAVachusetts, Coosucks, Pequakuakes, Ossipee,
Squarnascotts, WAVinnecowetts, Piscataquaukes, Newicheiannockls,
Sacos, Amariscogg,ins. As it is interesting to know the derivation
and significance of the names by which these aboriginal communities
were known and distinguished, some of them are here given.
The ANinnipesaukees occupied the lands in the vicinity of the
lake of that name, one of their noted fishing-places being at the outlet
of the WAVinnipesaukee, now known as the weirs, - having remained at
that place longr after the advent of the whites. Winnipesaukee is
derived from winne (beautiful),nipe (water), kees (highl), and auke
(a place), meaning literally the beautiful water of the high place.
W'achusetts from wadchu (a mountain), and auke (a place), near
Wachusetts Mountain in Massachusetts; the Coosucks, from cooash
(pines), upon the sources of the Connecticut River; the Pequaquaukes
from pequaquis (crooked), and auke (a place), upon the sources of
the Saco, in Carroll County, in New IIampshire, and Oxford County,
in Maine; the Ossipees from cooash (pines), and nipe (a river), upon
the Ossipee Lake, and river in Carroll County, New IIlampshire,
ancOYork County in Maine; the Squamscotts, from winne (beautiful),
asquam (water), and auke (a place), upon Exeter River, in
Exeter, and Stratham in Rockingham County; the WAVinnecowvetts,
from winne (beautiful), cooash (pines), and auke (a place), in the
same county; the Piscataquaukes, from pos (great), attuck (a deer),
and auke (a place), upon the Piscataqua River, the boundary
between New Hlampshire and Maine; the Newichewannoclks, from
me (my), week (a contraction of weekwam, a house), and ouannlocks
(come) upon one of the upper branches of the same river; the
Sacos, from sawa (burnt), coo (pine), and aukle (a place), upon the
Saco River in York County, Maine; and the Amarisco,ggins, firom
namaos (fish), kees (high), and auke (a place), upon the Amariscoggin River, having its source in New Hampshire, and emptying its
waters into the Kennebec." *
* Potter.
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