BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

OF THE

INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA.

BOOK V.

BOOK V.

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE IROQUOIS OR FIVE NATIONS, AND OTHER NEIGHBORING TRIBES OF THE WEST.

Nurslings of nature, I mark your bold bearing,
Pride in each aspect and strength in each form,
Hearts of warm impulse, and souls of high daring,
Born in the battle and reared in the storm.

The red levin flash and the thunder's dread rattle,
The rock-riven wave and the war trumpet's breath,

The din of the tempest, the yell of the battle,

Nerve your steeled bosoms to danger and death.-J. R. DRAKE.

CHAPTER I.

Particulars in the history of the IROQUOIS or FIVE NATIONS-Extent of their dominions-Antiquities and traditions-Destroy the ERIES-War with the ADERONDAKS -Specimen of their language-Account of the chiefs-GRANGUELE-BLACKKETTLE-His bloody wars with the French-ADARIO-His singular stratagem to unite his countrymen against the French-Destroys Montreal and near a thousand inhabitants-Dies in peace with the French-DEKANISORA a renowned orator— PEISKARET—The miraculous stories concerning him. History of the journey of Five Iroquois chiefs to England.

THE great western confederacy of Indian nations has generally been styled by the French, Iroquois, but generally by the English, the Five Nations + and sometimes the Six Nations; but either of the two latter appellations must be considered only as such, because we shall show, as we proceed, that they are not numerically true now, if they ever were. Five may have been the number which originally leagued together, but when that happened, if indeed it ever did, can never be known. It is a tradition that these people came from beyond the lakes, a great while ago, and subdued or exterminated the inhabitants of the country on this side. Even if this were the case, it

* "Le nom d'Iroquois est purement François, et a été formé du terme Hiro, qui signifie, Fai 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 plupart des autres sauvages." Charlevoix, i. 270—1, (sub anno 1646,) also Loskiel, i. 2.-Heckewelder-and Forster's Northern Voyages.

"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 Tsonontoians, les Goyogoans, les Onnotagues, les Onoyouts, et les Agniés" (Lahontan, i. 35.) By the Agnies we are to understand Mohawks.