to

carefully ascertained, although from frequent ploughing, its form had become almost destroyed. It is situated in the Township of Kingston, upon a level plain on the north side of Toby's Creek about one hundred and fifty feet from its bank, and about half a mile from its confluence with the Susquehanna. It is of an oval or elliptical form, having its longest diameter from the N. W. to the S. E. at right angles to the Creek, three hundred and thirty seven feet, and its shortest diameter from the N. E. to the S. W. two hundred and seventy two feet. On the S. W. side appears have been a gate way about twelve feet wide, opening towards the great Eddy of the River into which the Creek falls. From present appearances it consisted probably of only one mound or rampart, which, in height and thickness, appears to have been the same on all sides, and was constructed of earth, the plain on which it stands not abounding in stone. On the outside of the rampart is an entrenchment or ditch, formed probably by removing the earth of which it is composed, and which appears never to have been walled. The Creek on which it stands is bounded by a high steep bank on that side, and at ordinary times is suffi. ciently deep to admit canoes to ascend from the Ri, ver to the Fortification. When the first settlers came to Wyoming, this plain was covered with its native forest, consisting principally of Oak and Yellow Pine; and the trees which grew in the rampart and in the entrenchment, are said to have been as large as those in any other part of the Val

ley; one large oak particularly, upon being cut down, was ascertained to be seven hundred years old. The Indians had no tradition concerning these fortifications, neither did they appear to have any knowledge of the purposes for which they were constructed. They were perhaps, erected about the same time with those upon the waters of the Ohio, and probably by a similar people and for similar purposes.

The

WYOMING is a corruption of the name given to the place by a nation of Indians called the Delawares, who called it Maughwauwame. word is a compound; Maughwau, meaning large or extensive, and wame, signifying plains or meadows; so that it may be translated "The Large Plains." The name in the language of the Six Nations, is SGAHONTOWANO, "The Large Flats;" 'Gahonto, meaning, in their language, a large piece of ground without trees*, by which it appears that some part of these plains, probably the lower flats, contained no woods. The Delawares pronounced the first syllable short, and the German Missionaries, in order to give the sound as near as possible to the Indian pronunciation, wrote the word M'chweuwami. The early settlers, finding it difficult to pronounce the word

*These particulars, the writer obtained from the Rev. John Heckaweldar of Bethlehem, who was a Missionary among the Indians as early as 1765, and to whose politeness he is much indebted. See Note I. at the end of the Volume.

correctly, spoke it Wauwaumie-then Wiwaumie then Wiomic, and lastly Wyoming.

The information which can at present be obtained relative to the Indian Tribes who formerly inhabited the Valley of Wyoming, is necessarily very limited, from the imperfect nature of Indian tradition, which forms at present the only memorial of its ancient history. There was a tradition among the oldest and most learned of the Delawares, that their Nation originally came from the western shores of North America, and having proceeded eastward in quest of a better country, they came to the great River Mississippi, where they found a powerful Nation of Indians in possession of the country, who had strong fortifications and other means of defence unknown to the Delawares.

That this people refused them permission to pass through their territories, upon which the Delawares made war upon them, and cut them to pieces in many sanguinary battles; after which the remainder went down the river, and have not since been heard of. At what period of time these important events transpired, does not appear from the accounts transmitted to such of their posterity as remained upon the Susquehanna; and whether the tradition is founded in fact may be considered as doubtful. The Delawares, like all other tribes, were proud of the prowess of their ancestors, and without doubt would consider it as an honor to be thought the conquerors of a nation who had constructed such extensive works as are indicated by those ruins so common in the western

country. The question may naturally occur, what became of that people who descended the Mississippi after their dispersion by the Delawares, and who were acquainted with the art of fortification? It is not probable that they could have been the same with the Mexicans or Peruvians, since their traditions will not induce a belief of such an origin; and it may also be considered a little surprising that the Delawares, during a long course of bloody wars, should not have learned from their enemies some knowledge of an art so beneficial in a system of national defence. The tradition proceeds to relate that after the Delawares had dispersed these people, called the Alligewe or Alligeni, and taken possession of the country, a great portion of their Nation concluded to remain in the conquered country, and another part removed towards the Atlantic, and took possession of the country extending from the Hudson River to the Potomac.The Nation was divided into several distinct tribes, each of which had an appropriate name. One took possession of the country between the sea coast and the mountains. Another tribe called the Monceys, occupied the country extending from the Kittatinnunk or principal mountain, now called the Blue Mountain, to the heads of the Delaware and Susquehanna. This tribe had their principal settlement or council fire at a place called the Minisink on a River called by the Mingoes the Makerisk-kiskon, being the same afterwards called De -la-ware, or Delaware; and a part of the same tribe nearly at the same time, settled at Wyoming,

About the same period, (for tradition does not sufficiently determine the precise time,) the Shawanese Indians inhabited the country now composing Georgia and the Floridas, and were a very powerful and warlike nation; but the surrounding tribes having confederated against them, they were subdued and driven from that territory. In this unfortunate condition they sent messengers to the Mohegans, a nation who resided on the east side of the Hudson River, requesting their influence in procuring from the Delawares, permission for them to come and reside under their protection.

At this time the Delawares were not upon the most friendly terms with the Mingoes or Six Nations, who inhabited the country in the neighborhood of the Lakes, and who, by virtue of their confederated power, exercised a dictatorial spirit over the surrounding tribes. The Delawares were therefore anxious to accumulate a force against these powerful neighbors, and very willingly accepted the proposition of the Shawanese. While these negociations were progressing the Shawanese had found a resting place near the mouth of the river Wabasch where they were building a Town, when their messengers returned, accompanied by a deputation from the Mohegans, who informed them of the success of their application to the Delawares, and that a territory was already alloted for their reception. Upon receiving this intelligence, a National Council was held to deliberate on the propriety of removing to the country of the Delaware. The assembly however were divi

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