THE

HISTORY

OF THE

FIVE INDIAN NATIONS,

DEPENDING

On the PROVINCE of NEW-YORK.

PART I.

The Hiftory of the Five Nations, from the Time the Chriftians firft knew any Thing of them, to that of the Revolution in Great-Britain.

CHA P. I.

Of the Wars of the Five Nations with the Adirondacks and Quatoghies.

T

HE firft Settlers of New-York having been little curious in inquiring into the Indian Affairs, further than what related to Trade; or, at leaft, having neglected to transmit their Difcoveries to Pofterity, it is much more difficult to give a juft Hiftory of these Nations before, than fince the Time of their being under the Crown of England.

C 3

I.

CHA P. England. What we can learn of Certainty, however, is this. The French fettled at Canada in the Year 1603, fix Years before the Dutch poffeffed themfelves of New-Netherlands, now called New-York, and found the Five Nations at War with the Adirondacks, which, they tell us, was occafioned in the following Manner.

The Adirondacks formerly lived three-hundred Miles above Trois Rivieres, where now the Utawawas are fituated; at that Time they employ'd themfelves wholly in Hunting, and the Five Nations made planting of Corn their Bufinefs. By this Means they became ufeful to each other, by exchanging Corn for Venifon, The Adirondacks, however, valued themselves, as delighting in a more manly Employment, and defpifed the Five Nations, in following Bufinefs, which they thought only fit for Women. But it once happened, that the Game failed the Adirondacks, which made them defire fome of the young Men of the Five Nations to affift them in Hunting. These young Men foon became much more expert in Hunting, and able to endure Fa tigues, than the Adirondacks expected or defired fhort, they became jealous of them, and, one Night, murdered all the young Men they had with them. The Five Nations complained to the Chiefs of the Adirondacks, of the Inhumanity of this Action; but they contented themselves with blaming the Murderers, and ordered them to make fome fmall + Presents to the Relations of the murdered Perfons, without being apprehenfive of the Refentment of the Five Nations; for they looked upon them, as Men not capable of taking any great Revenge.

in

This, however provoked the Five Nations to that Degree, that they foon refolved, by fome Means, to be revenged; and the Adirondacks being informed

+ It is ftill a Cuftom among the Indians, to expiate Murder by Prefents to the Relations of the Perfon killed.

of

of their Defigns, thought to prevent them, by re-CHA P. ducing them with Force to their Obedience.

The Five Nations then lived near where Mont Real now ftands; they defended themselves at first but faintly against the vigorous Attacks of the Adirondacks, and were forced to leave their own Country, and fly to the Banks of the Lakes where they live now. As they were hitherto Lofers by the War, it obliged them to apply themselves to the Exercise of Arms, in which they became daily more and more expert. Their Sachems, in order to raise their People's Spirits, turned them againft the * Satanas, a lefs warlike Nation, who then lived on the Banks of the Lakes; for they found it was difficult to remove the Dread their People had of the Valour of the Adirondacks. The Five Nations foon fubdued the Satanas, and drove them out of their Country; and their People's Courage being thus elevated, they, from this Time, not only defended themfelves bravely against the whole Force of the Adirondacks, but often carried the War into the Heart of the Adirondacks's Country, and, at laft, forced them to leave it, and to fly into that Part of the Country, where Quebeck is now built.

There are more Inftances than one in History, of poor difpirited Nations, that by fome fignal Affront or Abufe have had their Spirits fo raised, that they have not only performed notable Things on a fudden, but, if they happened, at the fame Time, to be led and governed by wife Men, have so far kept up, and improved that Spirit, that they have become, in a Manner, a different People. Let us examine Hiftory, and we shall find, that the different Figure every Country has made in the World, has been ever principally owing to the Principles which were inculcated into, and carefully cultivated in the People.

*They are called Shaouonons, by the French, and live now on one of the Banks of the Mififipi.

C 4

In

I.

I.

CHA P. In this chiefly confifts the Art of making a Nation glorious, or the Crime of debafing them into Servitude or Slavery. It was from the Notions of Liberty, Honour, and Glory, and fuch wife and generous Principles, which the meanest Citizen among the old Romans entertained, that they became fo great and powerful, and a Terror to all Nations; as the fordid, timorous, cunning Artifices, and the Love of Wealth and fenfual Pleafures, cultivated among the present Romans, has debased them now into the meaneft and leaft feared Nation on the Earth. The Hiftory of the Five Nations will readily fhew, how far the ancient Roman Principles have been cultivated among them.

Soon after this Change of the People of these Nations, the French arrived at Canada, and fettled at Quebeck; and they thinking it adviseable to gain the Efteem and Friendship of the Adirondacks, in whofe Country they fettled, Monfieur Champlain, the first Governor of Canada, joined the Adirondacks in an Expedition against the Five Nations. They met a Party of two-hundred Men of the Five Na tions in Corlar's Lake, which the French, on this Occafion called by Monfieur Champlain's Name, and both Sides went afhore to prepare for Battle, which proved to the Disadvantage of the Five Nations. The French, in fhort, kept themselves undiscover'd, till the Moment they began to join Battle; and their Fire-arms furprised the Five Nations fo much, that they were immediately put into Confufion; for, before that Time, they had never feen fuch Weapons. The Trade with the French, foon after this, drew moft of the neighbouring Nations to Quebeck, and they all joined in the War against the Five Nations.

The Adirondacks having their Numbers thus increased, and their Fire-arms giving them newConfidence, propofed nothing lefs to themselves, than the intire Deftruction of the Five Nations. Upon