# Beads for Manhattan Island

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beads-for-manhattan-island/109418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beads-for-manhattan-island/109418 "2002-05-16T18:17:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beads-for-manhattan-island/109418/41 "2012-09-06T16:35:57Z")

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> [@silenus](#):
>
> IIRC, the deal was a total scam because the tribe that “sold” Manhattan didn’t “own” it. They only wintered there or some such. It was part of another bands regular stomping grounds. Never mind the whole concept of ownership being unheard of by the natives.

> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#):
>
> Siam Sam, yes, it’s been mentioned in this thread. silenus wrote in one post, ‘IIRC, the deal was a total scam because the tribe that “sold” Manhattan didn’t “own” it. They only wintered there or some such. It was part of another bands regular stomping grounds.’

Ah yes, I see that now. Thanks. Missed that completely. But I’m glad I’m not the only one to have heard of it.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beads-for-manhattan-island/109418/42 "2012-09-06T17:32:08Z")

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> [@Skammer](#):
>
> Is it true, per a (much) earlier post, that there is no fresh water on the island? I thought there was a river in the Bronx at one time. And of course the Hudson is fresh water as well, come to think of it.

The Hudson is salty near Manhattan; Henry Hudson went all the way up to Albany before he realized it was fresh water.

There were, however, freshwater streams across Manhattan Island when the Dutch arrived there. No one is sure where they were, since they’ve all been built over. However, [Maiden Lane](https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=maiden+lane+manhattan&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89c25a17c493a7b3:0xaf7f85d4c00b3fe1,Maiden+Ln,+New+York,+NY&gl=us&ei=-NxIUM70GOKBywHQz4CQCQ&ved=0CC8Q8gEwAg) is believed to be along an old stream. There was also the[Sawkill](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawkill), further up the island.

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