First, generall, belonging to all Natives, as Nínnuock, Ninnimissinûwock, Eniskeetompaûwog, which signifies Men, Folke or People.
Secondly, particular names, peculiar to severall Nations of them amongst themselves, as Nanhigganêuck, Massachusêuck, Cawasumséuck, Cowwesêuck, Quintikóock, Quinnipiéuck, Pequttóog, &c.
They have often asked mee, why wee call them Indians, Natives, &c. and understanding the reason, they will call themselves Indians in opposition to English &c.
For the second Head proposed, their Originall and Descent.
From Adam and Noah that they spring, it is granted on all hands.
But for their later Descent and whence they came into those parts, it seemes as hard to finde, as to finde the well head of some fresh Streame, which running many miles out of the Countrey to the salt Ocean, hath met with many mixing Streames by the way. They say themselves, that they have sprung and growne up in that very place, like the very trees of the wildernesse.
They say that their Great God Cowtantowwit created those parts, as I observed in the Chapter of their Religion. They have no Clothes, Bookes, nor Letters, and conceive their Fathers never had; and therefore they are easily perswaded that the God that made Englishmen is a greater God, because Hee hath so richly endowed the English above themselves: But when they heare that about sixteen hundred yeeres agoe, England and the Inhabitants thereof were like unto themselves, and since have received from God, Clothes, Bookes, &c. they are greatly affected with a secret hope concerning themselves.
Wise and judicious men with whom I have discoursed, maintaine their originall to be Northward from Tartaria: and at my now taking ship, at the Dutch Plantation, it pleased the Dutch Governour (in some discourse with mee about the natives) to draw their Line from Iceland, because the name Sackmakan (the name for an Indian Prince, about the Dutch) is the name for a Prince in Iceland.
Other opinions I could number up: under favour I shall present (not mine opinion, but) my observations to the judgement of the wise.
First, others (and myselfe) have conceived some of their words to hold affinitie with the Hebrew.