peared to be yet the kindest hospitality, from the purest motives, was always most readily extended to their foreign guests. And perhaps would forever have remained unbroken the golden cord of friendship, had the red man been the first to try his strength upon it. "Welcome, Englishmen; welcome, Englishmen," are words intimately associated with early American history. These were the first accents our Pilgrim Fathers heard on the American strand, and ever have the same grateful sounds greeted the ears of the whites, upon their first interview with the rude sons of the forest. Had the disposition of the aborigines been any other than friendly, the feeble colonies first planted on American soil would have been speedily annihilated.

At the time of the settlement of New-York by the Dutch, in 1610, there were in their immediate vicinity, numerous tribes of Indians denominated from their weakness and inferiority "the Bushes," by their more powerful neighbors the Five Nations. As many as thirteen different tribes, all of whom are now extinct, are supposed to have had their allotted territories on Long Island, and exercised exclusive jurisdiction and control over their several portions of domain. They were known by the name of Canarsees, Rockaways, Merricks, Massapequas, Mantinecocks, Nassaquakes, Setaukets, Corchaugs, Manhassets, Secatogues, Patchogues, Shinecocks and Montauks. In 1786, the remnants of the two last named tribes took up their abode among the Oneidas, whither they had been invited. The Manhattoes occupied the Island of New-York. The Nyacks inhabited in the vicinity of the Narrows below New-York, and about Westchester county. The Moheakenunks inhabited a large portion of country, from the Nyacks up the Hudson near to Albany. The Scaghtakooks, occupied a large tract of country north of Albany; one of their principal villages was near where the city of Troy now stands. Other tribes of obscure origin and inferior note, undoubtedly occupied other localities within the state of NewYork, some of which will be noted in their proper place. Many of these Indian tribes, during the years immediately suc

ceeding the arrival of the first colonists among them, evinced a hostile disposition towards their new neighbors, and were continual sources of alarm to the white inhabitants; nevertheless, they were all tributary, and otherwise subject to the powerful confederacy of the "Five Nations."

These distinguished nations, firmly bound and concentrated in one, held the ascendency over all the North American tribes. Their territory proper extended from Hudson's river on the east, to the Niagara on the west; from lake Ontario. on the north, to the Alleghanies on the south. At one time their actual domain extended from the Sorel, south by the great lakes to the Mississippi west, thence east to the Santee, and coastwise back to the Hudson. They occupied a widespread country, comprising a greater body of more fertile land, combined with a temperate and healthy climate, greater facilities for water communication, not only within their own territory, but extending from it in all directions, with more extensive hunting grounds and fisheries, than any other tract of the same extent in the world. They were called by the French "Iroquois," by the English "The Confederates," or "Five Nations," by the Dutch " Maquas," and by themselves "Mingoes," meaning by all, "United People." "United People." The English retained the name Maquas for the Mohawks, for a long time after the Dutch had relinquished the country. The name Iroquois, according to Charlevoix, is purely French,* and is derived from" Hiro," signifying I have said it-answering to the Latin dixit-according to the words most frequently made

**Le nom d'Iroquois est purement François, et aété formé du terme Hiro, ou Hero, qui signifie, l'ai dit: et par quel ces sauvages finissent tous leurs discours, comme les Latins faisoient autrefois par leur Dixi; et de Koué, qui est un cri, tantôt de tristesse, lorsqu'on le prononce en traînant, et tantôt de joye, quand on le prononce plus court. Leur nom propre est Agonnonsionni, qui veut dire Faiseurs de Cabannes; parce qu'ils les batissent beaucoup plus solides, que la plûpart des autres sauvages."-Charlevoix, I. 270-1.

"Ces barbares ne sont qu'une seule nation; et qu'un seul intérêt public. On pourroit les nommer pour la distribution du terrain, les Suisses de ce continent. Les Iroquois sont partager en cinq cantons, sçavoir les Tsonontoüans, les Goyogoans, les Onnotagues, les Onoyouts et les Agniés."-Lahontan; I. 35.

use of at the close of all Indian speeches, and "Koue," a term denoting sadness when spoken slowly, and joy when spoken rapidly.

The term Aquinuschioni, according to the same author, is translated "Faiseurs de Cabannes," or Makers of Cabins or Wigwams, which they supposed they themselves built stronger than any other people. Another name by which they always boastfully termed themselves, was Ongwe Honwe, signifying a people surpassing all others. As the term Acquinuschioni is usually accepted, it means the people of the long cabin or long house, but when used in a national sense it means a United People. The limits of this imaginary house, was of the same area as their territory proper, and may be considered the broadest, longest and highest cabin as yet erected by human hands.

At what period or for what purpose this league was originally formed, is a matter wholly speculative, as the records of history and Indian tradition are alike uncertain, and throw but feeble light upon the subject. It is supposed, however, that anciently, they were separate and independent nations; and probably warred with an equal relish upon each other as upon their neighbors, and perhaps finally united themselves for purposes of greater strength and security, thereby enlarging their power and importance at home, enabling them to prosecute more vigorously their conquests abroad. Common danger or a desire for conquest were the motives, rather than a far-seeing policy, which must have actuated these people to form a league of consolidation.

By some authors the time of the formation of the great league of confederation, was about the life of one man before the Dutch landed at New-York. By others, about an hundred years before that period. Webster, the Onondaga interpreter, and good authority, states it at about two generations before the white people came to trade with the Indians. But from the permanency of their institutions, the peculiar structure of their government, the intricacy of their civil affairs, the stability of their religious beliefs and the uniformity of

their pagan ceremonies, differing from other Indian nations in important particulars, we are inclined to the opinion that their federative existence must have had a much longer duration. And from the following tradition, we are inclined to the opinion, that the period is unknown, and the time lost, in the clouded uncertainties of the past.

Hundreds of years ago, Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, the Deity who presides over fisheries and streams, came down from his dwelling place in the clouds to visit the inhabitants of the earth. He had been deputed by the Great and Good Spirit Na-wah-ne-u, to visit the streams and clear the channels from all obstructions, to seek out the good things of the country through which he intended to pass, that they might be more generally disseminated among all the good people of the earth, especial- . ly to point out to them the most excellent fishing grounds, and to bestow upon them other acceptable gifts. About this time. two young men of the Onondaga Nation were listlessly gazing over the calm blue waters of the "Lake of a Thousand Isles." During their revery, they espied, as they thought, far in the distance, a single white speck, beautifully dancing over the bright blue waters-and while they watched the object with the most intense anxiety, it seemed to increase in magnitude, and moved as if approaching the place where they were concealed, most anxiously awaiting the event of the visitation of so singular an object, for at this time no canoes had ever made their appearance in the direction from whence this was approaching. As the object neared the shore, it proved in semblance to be a venerable looking man, calmly seated in a canoe of pure white, very curiously constructed, and much more ingeniously wrought than those in use among the tribes of the country. Like a cygnet upon the wide blue sea, so sat the canoe of Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha upon the "Lake of a Thousand Isles." As the frail branch drifts towards the rushing cataract, so coursed the white canoe over the rippling waters, propelled by the strong arm of the god of the river. Deep thought sat upon the brow of the grey-haired mariner; penetration marked his eye, and deep, dank mystery pervaded his

countenance. With a single oar he silently paddled his lighttrimmed bark along the shore, as if seeking a commodious haven for rest. He soon turned the prow of his fragile vessel into the estuary of the "double river," and made fast to the western shore. He majestically ascended the steep bank, nor stopped till he had gained the loftiest summit of the western hill. Then silently gazing around as if to examine the country, he became enchanted with the view; when, drawing his stately form to its utmost height, he exclaimed in accents of the wildest enthusiasm, Osh-wah-kee!! Osh-wah-kee!! *

During the observations of the spirit man, (for so he was afterwards called,) the two men who had lain concealed, cautiously watching all his movements, discovered themselves. Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha very civilly approached them, and after the greetings usual at the first meeting of strangers, very gravely made inquiries of them respecting their country and its advantages, of their fisheries and hunting grounds, and of the impediments in the way of the prosperity of the nations round about. To all of which the hunters, (for so they were,) could give no very favorable answers, but briefly stated to him the disadvantages they had ever been doomed to labor under, and the sufferings they had borne in consequence.

A degree of familiarity and mutual confidence had by this time become awakened in the bosoms of the parties, and the greatest freedom of conversation proceeded without restraint. The hunters provided for their venerable guest a repast of roast venison, who received it in thankfulness; they smoked the calumet together and were refreshed.

Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha disclosed to the hunters the spirituality of his character and the object of his mission, after which, he invited them to proceed with him up the river, as he had

It is known, perhaps, to comparatively few, that Lake Ontario and the outlet of Oswego river was anciently, and is now known to most Indian nations, especially the remnant of the Five Nations, as the Osh-wah-kee, which being interpreted literally, signifies from the circumstance here related—“ I see everywhere and see nothing." From this our English name for the river Oswego is derived.