The following legend of the Raritan Indians and Chimney Rock is condensed from an article written by Rev. Abr. Messier, D.D., in 1841:

History informs us that the 1200 Indians of the Raritan were presided over by two king,, and that they were the deadly enemies of the Manhattans. The two Raritan chiefs were named Canackamack and Thingorawis, according to the signatures affixed to the deeds of Indian title. Tradition gives the origin of the feud between the two tribes, who had long dwelt in amity. Long prior to the time of the kings above named a son of the king of the Manhatae, with a hunting-party, fell in with a similar party of the Raritan. After several days of friendly companionship, during which the young Manhatae chief was a guest in the wigwam of the king of the Raritan, the latter promised him the hand of his only daughter, the beautiful Chinqueka ("Goldfinch") as his bride. The youth and maiden learned to love, and happily passed the summer. But Manssamitt, an Interior chief of the Raritan, who also loved the maiden and had long designed winning her for himself, grew jealous of the lovers, and determined to avenge his loss upon the favored suitor. An opportunity soon presented. Returning one evening from the hunt he discovered the lovers sitting, as was often their wont, upon the ledge of rocks, gazing upon the limpid waters far below. The maiden fled, and then, alone with his rival, he buried his hatchet in his brain and rolled the body down the precipice. Great was the grief of Chinqueka; she refused to be comforted, and sought the spot where last she and her lover sat together, and where he met his fate. There she fancied she heard him calling her to come to him; she plunged into the dark chasm and disappeared forever. When the king of the Manhatae heard of his son's tragic death at the hands of a Raritan brave, his rage was great. He resolved to wage war against that tribe until the spirit of his mull dered son was appeased. "The warriors of the tribe were collected and sent forward to meet their foes, and then it was that the pleasant voice of the Raritan were made to echo continually with the war-whoop, and Its waters were often dyed with the blood of these who had fallen in the fierce and deadly strife. From year to year the revenge of the bloody Manhatae was pursued, and all the fierce passion of their savage souls excited until they raged and burned. Many were stain on both sides, but no decisive victory gained; and when the white men came the feud was still continued, and gave occasion to the remark which we have quoted from the historan of those early day., that 'the Manhatae were the deadly enemies of the Raritan.'"