USA > New York > A history of the state of New York, from the first discovery of the country to the present time: with a geographical account of the country, and a view of its original inhabitants > Part 5
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SEC. XII. The Musk-Rat is about 15 inches in length, and 1 foot in circumference. It is frequently found, is of a dark color, with short hair. It is furnished with glands which secrete a substance that has the smell of musk. In his manner of living, he is a distant imitator of the beaver.
The Mink is about 16 inches long, and in gen- eral form resembles the weasel. It is of a dark color, and burrows in the vicinity of water. It is still found in most parts of the state.
The Otter very much resembles the mink in form and habits. Its color is not so dark, but its size is much greater. It is now seldom met with.
Neither of these animals, though classed as amphibious, can live any considerable length of time under water.
Src. XIII. Of Fish, the waters of this state present a numerous list. They are, however,
* Morse.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
rapidly diminishing. The Salmon has long since ceased to visit the Hudson. Our western waters supply the salmon of the lakes in great abun- dance, while the northern abound with several varieties of Trout.
Shoals of Shad and Herring annually visit the Hudson, and the Sturgeon may be said to abound, and is nowhere better than in this river. In the southern part of this state, the variety of fish is very great, having the stores of the At- lantic. No fish-market in the world is better supplied than that of New York. The Oysters have a high reputation.
Bass, Pike, and a considerable variety of others, visit Albany, but neither the Hudson nor Mohawk can be called good for fish. The Oneida is the best fishing-ground of any of our small western lakes. The Muscanunge, Black-fish, the Pike, or Pick- erel of the western lakes, are much esteemed. The Cat-fish makes excellent eating when skilfully dressed. 1
Src. XIV. The number of Birds, that visit this widely-extended and diversified territory, or reside in it, is surprisingly great. Long Island alone presents a catalogue of more than 150 species, besides many others, that remain there but a small part of the season. The Virginia Nightingale, the most elegant songster of the American forest, and numerous other migratory birds, spend the summer in our western regions.
Of Insects there is a considerable number of varieties. During the warm season, the earth and atmosphere teem with these specimens of animated nature. They are, however, for the
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NATIVE ANIMALS.
most part, neither venomous, nor otherwise in- jurious.
Of Serpents and Reptiles the number is small. The Rattlesnake is the only one which is poison- ous, and its numbers, never great, are rapidly diminishing. The Black snake, Water snakes, small Striped snake and Green snake, with sever- al others, perfectly inoffensive, are occasionally found.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
CHAP. IV.
VIEW OF THE COUNTRY
AT THE TIME OF ITS DISCOVERY BY HUDSON. 1
State of the Country. Aborigines. Religion
and Superstitions. Iroquois. Their Confeder-
acy. Antiquities. Inference. Their Authors, and Origin of the Indian Race.
SEC. I. . At the period of Hudson's discovery, the country was mostly in an unimproved state. From its general appearance, and from the tra- ditions of its inhabitants, we infer, that it had previously continued in this situation for a long succession of ages.
No traces of recent civilization enlivened the dreary waste. A few scattered villages, compris- ing a limited number of habitations, of the most imperfect construction, and some feeble and ill- directed attempts at agriculture, announced the more frequented haunts of savage life ; but by far the greater part of this extensive territory was covered by an unbroken wilderness.
The several varieties of game, and the spon- tancous productions of the earth, were every- where numerous and abundant. The luxuriance of vegetation evinced the fertility of a soil, which required only the hand of art to render it in the highest degree subservient to the wants of man. But the country was inhabited by a race averso to improvement, rude and uncultivated as tho
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ORIGINAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c. 61
scenery around them. Over this wide-spread profusion of nature's gifts, the Savage held un- , controlled dominion, and found in the deep re- cesses of the forest a safe and welcome retreat.
SEC. II. The original inhabitants of this state were Indians. The Iroquois,* and the Delawares, a tribe of the Mohekaneews, were in possession of the territory at the time of Hudson's discovery. They belong to the great family, which has been denominated the Man of America. In the appear- ance and countenance of the Indians, there is an uncommon uniformity and resemblance. They all possess nearly the same distinguishing charac- teristics, and, together, constitute a distinct race.
Their persons were tall, straight and well- proportioned. Their skins were red or copper- brown; their eyes were small, black and very active ; their hair, long, black and coarse. Their features were regular, and well adjusted, but their countenance was expressive of wildness and ferocity. In constitution, they were firm and vigorous, capable of sustaining great fatigue and hardship.
As to general character, they were quick of ap . prehension, and not wanting in genius. At times, they were friendly, and even courteous. In coun- cil, they were distinguished for gravity and elo- quence ; in war, for bravery and address. When provoked to anger, they were sullen and retired ; and when determined upon revenge, no danger would deter them; neither absence nor time
* Iroquois, The Fire Nations. Afterwards, The Six Nations.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
could cool them. If captured by an enemy; they never asked life, nor would they betray emotions of fear, even in view of the tomahawk or the kindling fagot.
Hunting, fishing and war constituted the principal employ- ments of the men ; and, when not engaged in these pursuits, or their occasional amusements, they generally passed their time in a state of absolute inactivity. They were averse to agricul- ture, and considered it a most degrading avocation. The means of subsistence were mostly derived from the chase, and the spontaneous productions of the earth.
"The amusements of the men were principally leaping, shoot- ing at marks, dancing and gaming, in all of which they made the most violent exertions. Their dances were usually perform- ed round a large fire. In their war-dances, they sung the feats which they or their ancestors had achieved ; represented the manner in which they were performed, and wrought themselves up to an inexpressible degree of martial enthusiasm. The fe- males occasionally joined in some of these sports, but had none peculiar to themselves."
They dressed in the skins of wild beasts, and were fond of ornaments. They arranged the hair in many singular forms, and adorned it with feathers. They perforated the nose and cars, and had pieces of metal, shells or shining stones attached to thiem. They painted the face and body with different colors · and figures.
Their treatment of females was cruel and oppressive. They were considered by the men as slaves, and treated as such. To them were assigned the labors of the field and the services of domestic care. Doomed to incessant toil, they performed their perpetual tasks without pity and without compassion, and often, in return, received the most brutal treatment from their husbands.
They had no written literature except rude hieroglyphics, . and, consequently, no records or written laws. 'Their old men became the depositaries of past experience, and by them their debates were chiefly carried on. Their language was rude, but sonorous, metaphorical and energetic. It was well suited to
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ORIGINAL 'STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c.
the purposes of public speaking, and, when accompanied by the impassioned gestures, and uttered in the deep, guttural tones of the savage, had a singularly wild and impressive effect.
War was considered the most honorable employment, and was carried on chiefly by stratagem and ambuscade. When they fought in the open field, they rushed to the attack with incredible fury, and, at the same time, uttered their appalling war-whoop. Their weapons were bows and arrows, headed with flint or other hard stones, which they discharged with great precision and force.
SEc. III. Their religious notions consisted of traditions mingled with many superstitions. They believed in two gods, the" one good, who was the superior, and whom they styled the Great Spirit ; the other evil. They worshipped both. Besides these, they worshipped various other deities, such as fire, water, thunder, anything which they supposed to be superior to themselves, and capable of doing them injury. Their man- ner of worship was to sing and dance round large fires.
The Iroquois, in common with other savage nations, have a fabulous tradition of their origin. The following was formally delivered to Mr. Kirkland in a solemn assembly of the Oneida sachems, and some others of their principal people :-
" Before man existed, there were three great and good Spirits; of whom one was superior to the other two, and is emphatically called the Great Spirit and the Good Spirit. At a certain time, this exalted Being said to one of the others, 'Make a man.' He obeyed, and, taking chalk, formed a paste of it, and, mould- ing it into the human shape, infused into it the animating principle, and brought it to the Great Spirit. IIe, after survey- ing it, said, ' This is too white.'
" He then directed the other to make a trial of his skill. Accordingly, taking charcoal, he pursued the same process, and
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
brought the result to the Great Spirit; who, after surveying it, said, ' It is too black.'
" Then said the Great Spirit, 'I will now try myself;' and, taking red earth, he formed a human being in the same manner, surveying it, and said, 'This is a proper (or perfect) man.' These three were the original ancestors of all the white, black and red men of our race."*
The following account given by the Oneidas of their mythol- ogy to Mr. Deane, on another occasion, is widely different from the above. It is truly Indian, and may be considered charac- teristic in all its parts.
" An unlimited expanse of water once filled the space now occupied by the world which we inhabit. Here was the abode of total darkness, which no ray of light had ever penetrated. At this time the human family dwelt in a country situated in the upper regions of the air, abounding in every thing condu- cive to the comfort and convenience of life. The forests were full of game; the lakes and streams swarmed with fish and fowl ; while the grounds and fields spontaneously produced a constant profusion of vegetables for the use of man. An un- clouded sun enlivened their days; and storms and tempests were unknown in that happy region. The inhabitants were . strangers to death, and its harbingers, pain and disease; while their minds were free from the corroding passions of jealousy, hatred, malice and revenge ; so that their state was made per- fectly happy.
t;
" At length, however, an event occurred, which interrupted their tranquillity, and introduced care and anxiety, until then unknown. A certain youth was noticed to withdraw himself from the circle of their social amusements. The solitary re- cesses of the grove became his favorite walks; care and cha- grin were depicted in his countenance; and his body, from long abstinence, presented to the view of his friends the mere skele- ton of a inan. Anxious solicitude in vain explored the cause of his grief; until, at length, debilitated both in body and mind, he yielded to the importunity of his associates, and promised to disclose the cause of his trouble, on condition that they would dig up by the roots a certain white-pine-tree, lay him on his
* Dwight.
..
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ORIGINAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c.
blanket by the margin of the hole, and seat his wife by his side. In a moment all hands were ready. The fatal tree was taken up by the roots; in doing which the earth was perforated, and a passage opened into the abyss below. The blanket was spread by the hole, the youth laid thereon, and his wife, then in a state of pregnancy, took her seat by his side. The multitude, eager to learn the cause of such strange and unusual conduct, pressed around ; when, on a sudden, to their horror and aston- ishment, he seized upon the woman, and precipitated her head -. long into the regions of darkness below; then, rising from the ground, he informed the assembly that he had for some time suspected the chastity of his wife, and that, having now dispos- ed of the cause of his trouble, he should soon recover his usual health and vivacity.
" All those amphibious animals, which now inhabit this world, then roamed through the watery waste, to which this woman'in her fall was hastening. The loon first discovered her coming, and called a council in haste to prepare for her reception ; ob- serving that the animal which approached was a human being, and that carth was indispensably necessary for its accommoda- tion. The first subject of deliberation was, who should support the burden. The sea-bear first presented himself for a trial of his strength. Instantly, the other animals gathered round, and scrambled up upon his back ; while the bear, unable to support the weiglit, sunk beneath the surface of the water, and was, by the whole assembly, judged unequal to the task of supporting the earth. Several others, in succession, presented themselves as candidates for the honor, with similar success. Last of all, the turtle modestly advanced, tendering his broad shell as the basis of the earth, now about to be formed. The beasts then made trial of his strength to bear, heaping themselves upon his back ; and, finding their united pressure unable to sink him below the surface, adjudged to him the honor of supporting the world.
" A foundation being thus provided, the next subject of de- liberation was, how to procure earth. It was concluded that it must be obtained from the bottom of the sea. Several of the most expert divers went in quest of it, and uniformly floated up dead to the surface of the water. The mink at length under- took the dangerous plunge; and, after a long absence, arose 6
*
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
dead On a critical examination, a small quantity of earth was discovered in one of his claws, which he had scratched from the bottom. This, being carefully preserved, was placed on the back of the turtle.
" In the mean time the woman continued falling, and at length alighted on the turtle. The earth had already grown to the size of a man's foot, where she stood with one foot cover- ing the other. Shortly she had room for both feet, and was soon able to sit down. The earth continued to expand, and soon formed a small island, skirted with willow and other aquatic shrubbery ; and at length stretched out into a widely extended plain, interspersed with rivers and smaller streams, which, with gentle currents, moved forward their tributary wa- ters to the ocean. She repaired to the sea shore, erected a habitation, and settled in her new abode.
"Not long after, she had a daughter, and was supported by the spontaneous productions of the earth until the child ar- rived to adult years. She was then addressed by several animals changed into the forms of young men; but they were rejected successively by the mother, until the turtle offer- ed himself as a suitor, and was received. After she had lain herself down to sleep, the turtle placed two- arrows on her body in the form of a cross; one headed with flint, the other with the rough bark of a tree. In due time she had two sons, but died in child-birthi.
" The grandmother, enraged at her daughter's death, resolv- ed to destroy them, and, taking them both in her arms, threw them into the sea. Scarcely had she reached her weekwam, when the children overtook her at the door. The experiment was several times repeated, but in vain. Discouraged by this ill success, she concluded to let them live. Then, dividing the corpse of her daughter into two parts, she threw them up to- wards the heavens ; where one became the moon, and the other the sun: Then began the succession of day and night in our world.
" The children speedily became men, and expert archers. The elder, whose name was Thauwiskalau, had the arrow of the turtle which was pointed with flint, and killed with it the largest beasts of the forest. The younger, whose name was
ORIGINAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c. 67
Taulonghyauwaugoon, had the arrow headed with bark. The former was, by his malignant disposition, and his skill and suc- cess in hunting, a favorite with his grandmother. They lived in the midst of plenty, but would not permit the younger brother, whose arrow was insufficient to destroy any thing larger than birds, to share in their abundance.
" As this young man was wandering one day along the shore, he saw a bird perched upon a bough, projecting over the water. He attempted to kill it; but his arrow, till that time unerring, flew wide of the mark, and sunk in the sea. He determined to recover it ; and, swimming to the spot where it fell, plunged to the bottom. Here, to his astonishment, he found himself in a small cottage. A venerable old man, who was sitting in it, received him with a smile of paternal complacency, and thus addressed him ; ' My son, I welcome you to the habitation of your father. To obtain this interview, I directed all the cir- cumstances which have conspired to bring you hither. Here is your arrow, and here is an ear of corn, which you will find pleasant and wholesome food. I have watched the unkindness of both your grandmother and your brother. His disposition . is malignant and cruel. While he lives, the world can never be peopled. . You must therefore take his life. When you re- turn home, you must traverse the whole earth, collect all the flints which you find into heaps, and hang up all the buckshorns. These are the only things of which your brother is afraid, or which can make any impression on his body, which is made of flint. They will furnish you with weapons always at hand, wherever he may direct his course.'
" Having received these and other instructions from his father, the young inan took his leave, and, returning again to the world, began immediately to obey his father's directions. After a series of adventures, which it is unnecessary here to repeat, the two brothers began a quarrel, in which the elder endeavored to destroy the younger, but, failing of his purpose, was attacked in his turn. As he fled, the earth trembled. A verdant plain, bounded by the distant ocean, lay before him. Behind him the ground sunk in deep valleys and frightful chasms, or rose into lofty mountains and stupendous precipices The streams ceased to roll in silence, and, bursting their
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
barriers, poured down the cliffs in cataracts, or foamed through their rocky channels towards the ocean.
"The younger brother followed the fugitive with a vigorous step, and wounded him continually with his weapons. At length, in a far distant region, beyond the savannahs in the south- west, he breathed his last, and loaded the earth with his flinty form .* The great enemy to the race of the turtle being de- stroyed, they came up out of the ground in the human form, and for some time multiplied in peace, and spread extensively over its surface.
" The grandmother, roused to furious resentment for the loss of her darling son, resolved to be avenged. For many days successively, she caused the rain to descend from the clouds in torrents, until the whole surface of the earth, and even the highest mountains, were covered. The inhabitants fled to their canoes, and escaped the impending destruction. The disap- pointed grandmother then caused the rains to cease, and the . waters to subside. 'The inhabitants returned to their former dwellings. She then determined to effect her purpose in anoth- er manner, and covered the earth with a deluge of snow. To escape this new evil, they betook themselves to their snow-shoes, and thus eluded her vengeance. Chagrined, at length, by these disappointments, she gave up the hope of destroying the whole human race at once, and determined to wreak her revenge upon them in a manner, which, though less violent, should be more efficacious. Accordingly, she has ever since been em- ployed in gratifying her malignant disposition, by inflicting upou mankind the various evils which are suffered in the present world. Taulenghyauraugoon,t on the other hand, displays the infinite benevolence of his nature by bestowing on the human race the blessings which they enjoy, all of which flow from his bountiful providence.
.
"The Iroquois, and probably all the other Indians, attributed in their superstition not only intelligence, but sanctity, to at
* Supposed to intend the lofty range now called the Rocky moun- tains.
! Taulonghyauwaugoon, literally translated. is the ‘ Holder or Supporter of the heavens.' This is the Being, who, in Indian speeches, by a cor rupt translation, is called the Great Spirit, or Good Spirit.
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ORIGINAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c.
least many kinds of animals; probably to all. This, also, was the general apprehension of the Hindoos, and, if I mis- take not, of many other Asiatic nations ; as it was, also, of . the Egyptians. The sanctity of serpents-a doctrine remark- ably prevalent among the North American Indians-was a favorite scheme throughout the whole polytheistical world ; and images of these animals were formed in great numbers, both within and without the temples dedicated to idol worship.
" The Iroquois professed to be descended from the turtle, the bear and the wolf. This descent, however, was not reck- oned from these beings as mere animals, but as intelligences endued with a portion of the divine, or, at least, a superior nature. The divinity ascribed by the Hindoos to the cow, they attributed to the turtle preeminently, to the bear, the wolf, the snake, and many other animals. Nor is there any thing more absurd in this than in Jupiter's adventure with Europa ; the birth of Alexander the Great, as announced by himself; or a multitude of other recitals presented to us in the Greek and Roman fable.
" It is not a mere effort of the imagination to find, even in this monstrous mixture, some remains of real history. The story of the chaos, and the darkness by which it was covered- of paradise, and the happiness with which it was replenished- is not ill told at the beginning of this narrative, if we suppose an Indian to be the narrator. The existence of the deluge is distinctly marked, and the deliverance of the human race from its devastation. A few other facts may also be dis- tinctly discerned by a critical examiner."#
SEc. IV. The Iroquois constituted a confed- crated republic, and were among the most ro- markable of the American race. They occupied the greater part of this state, and had made considerable advances in the art of government. By their civil combinations and military talents, they acquired the supremacy over the numerous
* Dwight.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
and warlike nations by whom they were sur- rounded.
They* had been in possession of the country for a long time previous to Hudson's discovery, but were not the orig- inal inhabitants of this part of North America. The Mohe- kancews universally considered themselves as the original inhabitants, and styled the Iroquois interlopers. The Iroquois are said to have admitted the fact, and gloried in it ; asserting that they had fought their way to their present .possessions, and acquired their country by conquering all who had resisted them.
That this united declaration is just, is amply supported by facts. The Mohekaneews were spread from the neighborhood , of the Pacific ocean to the eastern shore of New England ; and remains of this nation are now to be found in small tribes, dispersed over a large part of North America. This is prov- ed unanswerably by their language.
The Iroquois were planted in the midst of this widely- extended nation ; and appear to have had no other connexion with them than what is involved in wars, conquests and treaties, and nothing in common with them, besides the sav- age character, and its universal appendages.
At the same time, they were almost invariably at war with some or other of the Mohekaneew tribes. With this spirit, and its necessary consequences, it is impossible that they should have made their way through the western branches of the Mohekaneews, or, in other words, through enemies dis- persed over a territory of near 3000 miles in extent, in any other manner than by conquest.
SEC. V. The confederacyt of the Iroquois con- sisted, originally, of five nations-the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, and the Senecas. The Mohawks had four towns and one small village, situated on or near the fertile banks of the river of that name. The
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* Dwight. t Clinton.
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ORIGINAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY, &c.
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