during the early period of european contact, the population of the nochpeem has been estimated at approximately 600. they are said to have occupied the highlands north of anthony's nose to matteawan creek (today's fishkill creek). adriaen van der donck, one of the earliest writers of this portion of the country, assigns them three villages on the hudson; keskistkonck, pasquasheck and nochpeems; but their principal village was canopus, which was situated in a valley in putnam county, and known as canopus hollow. to the dutch and english they were known as the "river indians" and the "highland indians".