USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 2 > Part 19
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Vineyard, and the adjoining parts of the continent in 1602, remarks, uat the males and females were attired in skins ; the men had col- lurs, cups, and chains of copper. See Smith's Voyages.
The Susquehannocks, when visited by Captain_Smith in 1606, vere attired with the skins of wild beasts. Smith observes, some lave their cassocks, or close garments, made of bears heads and kins. .
The Agoneaseah shaved the hair on the sides of their head, but dlowed the rest to grow long, which they tied in a kind of cue on the crown. They made holes in their ears and noses, in which bey wore rings, and other baubles. , Some had their faces, breasts, irms, hands, and legs, embroidered with the figures of animals, im- printed in their skin by punctures, very much in the same manner hat our sailors have devices imprinted on their arms, &c. of an- thors, &c. Their bodies were smeared with grease, and their leads, faces, breasts, and arms, were painted with the juice of cer- ain plants. They used red, green, blue, yellow, and black paints. These they laid in square, rhomboidal, round, and other patches. They ornamented their heads with feathers, the wings of birds, the tails of quadrupeds, and rattles taken from the tail of the rattle-snake.
- The dress of the women differed very little from that of the men, only they wore fewer ornaments. Their hair they plaited, and tied up behind in a small bag.
The Agoneaseah, after they became acquainted with the Dutch, and other civilized nations, laid aside the mantle, and substituted the blanket. The historian Smith describes their dress in his time, as follows : "As to clothes, they use a blanket, girt at the waist, and thrown loosely over their shoulders. Some of the women have be- sides this, a sort of petticoat, and some of their men wear shirts ; but the greater part of the men are generally naked. In winter their legs are covered with stockings, or leggins, made of blankets, and their feet with socks, or moccasins, of deer skins. They are extremely fond of ornament. They have rings affixed to their ears and noses, and bracelets of silver and brass around their wrists."
The men shaved the hair of the head, except that upon the crown and towards the forehead, which they suffered to grow long, and tied up and passed through a short tube. Many of those living
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among us retain this custom to this day. They use a silver or til tube, four or five inches long, and about five-eights of an inch it diameter .. They stain those parts of the head which are shaved red. The custom of cutting their hair, except on the crown of the head, and tying the residue, is very ancient. . The Tartars have the like custom.
Warlike Instruments, &c .- These consisted of bows, arrows hatchets, clubs, spears, swords, knives, and targets, or shields. The bow was five or six feet long ; their arrows were made of wood and pointed with bones, or flints, two or three inches long. They used the bow with great dexterity, and could hit an object with an arrow at a considerable distance. They had two kinds of hatchets, or axes, the one was of stone, and the other of deer's horn. Both were fastened to handles of wood. The former was in most gene- ral use. It was seven or eight inches in length, and about four in breadth, of an oval form, flattened and brought to an edge at one end. Near the other end there were two'grooves, the one on the one side, and the other on the other in which the handle was fast- ened. Mr. Belknap, in his history of New Hampshire, Vol. 3, mentions the method of fastening the handle used by the Indians of New Hampshire, which was this : "When the stone was prepared they chose a very young sapling, and splitting it near the ground, they forced the hatchet into it as far as the groove, and left nature to complete the work by the growth of the wood, so as to fill the groove, and adhere firmly. to the stone. . They then cut off the sapling above and below, and the hatchet was fit for use." Their swords and knives were made of wood, tempered in the fire. With the knife they could flay a deer, or other beast, joint it, cut out mantles, aprons, leggins, and moccasins. They had also knives made of flint or of hornstone. Their clubs and spears were of wood. The latter were hardened in the fire Their targets, or shields, were round, or slightly oval, and were made of skins stretched over wood. The Agoneaseah, after they became acquainted with the Europeans, laid aside their own weapons, and purchased guns, to- mahawks, knives, &c. In the travels and voyages of M. de la Salle we find these words : "Their knives are sharp stones ; a bone or tooth, or sharp stone, is inserted in the end of their arrow. They .
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have heavy war clubs, or sharp sticks. They also use wooden corslets against arrows and bucklers, made of several skins stitched together ; the corslet corresponded with the shield. The shield, or corslet, they held in the left hand in front of their body ; with it they warded off arrows, stones, thrusts. and blows. They had stone chi- sels and gouges. The former was five or six inches long, and about two inches wide, flatted and brought to an edge ; the latter was like the chisel, only it was hollow between the edges.
Fishing Implements .- These were hooks, spears, arrows, wires, and nets. The hooks were made of bones, or the splinters of bones, and were fastened to lines. The spears were long staves, pointed with bones, or flints, serrated. They used hooks and spears very much the same as our people now use them. The arrows were barbed, and had a small cord tied to them. These they discharged from bows. Their nets were fabricated, either of the sinews or skins of animals, cut into strips, or of bark taken from trees in the early part of summer. They were very dexterous in fishing. , The rivers, creeks, and lakes of their country, were well stored with divers kinds of fish.
Canoes .- The Agoneaseah in the construction of canoes dis- played considerable ingenuity. They had two kinds of these ve- hicles; the one was of wood, and the other of bark. The former was made of the trunk of a large tree, hollowed mostly with fire. The process of hollowing and shaping the canoe was very slow and te- dious, in consequence of their not having iron tools, and was as fol- lows : They commenced by building fires on the upper side of the tree, and, after having burned some parts, extinquished them. They then scraped away the coals, and charred wood, with stone chisels ard gouges. . This being done they built other fires, and quenched them, and renewed the scrapings. Thus they continued the building and extinguishing of fires, and the scrapings, till they had hollowed it out. The same process they followed in round- ing the stern, prow, and sides, in order to give a proper form to the external parts. These canoes were usually from twenty to forty feet long, . and would carry from five to twenty men. The canoes in use among our people are made in the same forın. The latter was made of the bark of the birch, or elm
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, tree, commonly of the former, stripped entire from the trunk. . The trees in the latter, as well as the former, they felled by building .`fires around their bodies, at or near the ground. The bark taken from the trunk they formed into the shape of a boat ; and to give it more strength and solidity, they placed ribs in the inside, and sowed them ·to the sides and bottom with thongs. The whole was made water tight. . In these structures, apparently so frail, four or five persons could navigate rivers and lakes. They impelled the canoe with pad- dles; their dexterity in the management of these vessels was very remarkable. The bark canoes of the Agoneaseah were so light that two persons could carry one of them. Hence they used to transport them from the navigable waters of one stream to those of another. The carrying places they called Teugh-waugh-quat- hogh. The aborigines of other parts of North America had, and still have, their portages or carrying places.
The Tartars make bark canoes. To these they give solidity by means of ribs, or thin pieces of wood, placed in the inside, which · * are bent and stitched to the bark with strips of leather or bark. The bark canoes of the Tartars and North American Indians are made on the same plan, and have a perfect resemblance. . Here, then, we have an instance of portions of the people of both hemis- pberes, living under similar circumstances, constructing boats alike.
The Agoneaseah taught the Dutch how to dress deer skins. In the process of tanning they use the brains and fat of the animal. The leather thus dressed is soft and pliable, and very beautiful. The Moheakanneews had the same art. Moccasins made of deer's skins dressed by the Agoneaseah were very handsome. They com- mand a high price at present.
The Agoneaseah, in their winter excursions, wore on their feet snow shoes. With these they could travel over the deepest snow . without sinking. Our hunters have adopted these shoes. With these they can travel through the northern forest, between the Mc- hawk and St. Lawrence rivers, in the depth of winter.
'The Agoneaseah were unacquainted with the use of iron. Des- titute of this important metal, all their warlike implements and tools were rude, and of small use. No nation can make any considera- ble progress in civilization and the arts, without an acquaintance
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with the use of this most important of all metals. It is iron that has enabled civilized man to vanquish the wilds of nature, and attain that distinguished rank which he now holds.
Roads .- The Agoneaseah had paths which led from one settle- ment to another, and from one canton to:another. The main one ex- tended from the Hudson, in the vicinity of Albany, westwardly to Buffalo. It passed through Schenectady, Icanderago, Canajoharie, Nawadaga, Germanflats, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Genesce, . Tonnawanta, and thence to Buffalo. This was the first in impor- tance. The second led from Icanderago to Schoharie, and thence to Catskill. The third led from Schenectady to Schoharie, and inter- sected that from Icanderago ; the fourth led from the city of Alba- ny, westwardly, over the Helderberg, to Schoharie, where it ended. The Germans who first settled Schoharie, travelled on foot along this path. The fifth led from Canajoharie to Schoharie. It united with the path leading from Icanderago to Schoharie, on or near the boundary between the counties of Montgomery and Schoharie. The Germans who settled Stone Arabia, and Germanflats, travelled on it. The Germans of Schoharie, Stone Arabia, and Germanflats, continued to use this road in their intercourse until 1762, or 1763, when roads, to facilitate intercourse between these settlements, were made. The sixth led from Schoharie to Oquago, in the county of Broome. The seventh led from Albany, northwardly, to Saratoga. The eighth led across the counties of Saratoga and Schenectady, to the Mohawk. The ninth led from the Mohawk to the Sacondaga river, striking the latter stream at or near the Fish House. The tenth led from Canajoharie, or rather Fort Plain, in Minden, to Otsego lake. The eleventh led from Nowadaga to the latter lake. The twelfth, from Germanflats, led to Schuyler's lake. It forked in War- ren, the left fork leading to Otsego lake. Parties of the Mohawks used to go every year and encamp on the shores of these lakes for the purpose of hunting. The thirteenth led from Oneida to the river Chenango, and thence down that stream to Chenango point. The fourteenth led from Onondaga to the Tioughnioga, &c. The fif- teenth led from the same place to Oswego. The sixteenth led from Cayuga Castle to the Susquehanna. The seventeenth led from the Genesee to the Conhocton, and thence to Tioga, and other places. VOL. II. 28
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There were many other paths. Along the valley of the Mohawk there were two, the one being on the one side and the other on the other side of that river. These paths connected the several villages ", and hamlets on that river. The paths, or roads, were in the great- est numbers in the Mohawk and Seneca cantons, owing to their being more populous than the others.
These paths were narrow and winding, but in the main very d -- rect. Whoever has seen the 'paths of our people through mes- dows, fields, and woods, leading from one house to another, on which only footmen, women, and children travel, may form a very correct idea of Indian roads. The trail beaten was seldom over fifteen inches broad, and always passed by trees, leaving them on the right and left, and usually around swamps. Small streams they crossed on logs, and rivers and lakes in canoes. On these paths the Agoneaseah travelled in single file. The Dutch who first set- tled at Schenectady, and the Germans who first settled at Schoha- rie, Stone Arabia, and Germanflats, travelled on these paths in the same manner. The Germans of Schoharie, in the early period of the settlement, went to Schenectady to mill, on the path leading from one place to the other, carrying their grists on their backs. These paths were, for the most part, on dry ground. Many of our roads at this day run on and near where these paths were. War parties during the contest between the Agoneaseah and Lenni Le- nape used to march on some of these paths, especially on those leading from Icanderago and Canajoharie to Schoharie, and on that leading from the last place to Catskill. Parties also marched from the Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca cantons, to the boatable wa- ters of the Susquehanna, on the paths leading from those cantons to those waters, where they embarked in canoes, and descended that river as far as the head of Chesapeake bay. In this context the invaders descended these streams in the largest numbers.
Captain Smith, in 1607, while exploring the head of Chesapeake bay, fell in with several Agoneasean canoes loaded with warriors. These had descended the Susquehanna from Tioga, or some other point on that river. 1
In winter the Agoneasean paths were usually obstructed with snow, except those between villages in the vicinity of one another.
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This happened in 1690, when Schenectady was burnt by the French. The Mohawk messengers despatched by Major Schuyler to Ican- derago, (Fort Hunter,) to apprise the Mohawks residing there, were two days on their way, although the distance is only twenty miles. The snow was very deep .- See Smith's history of New-York. The Agoneaseab usually travelled on the snow with snow shoes.
The Agoneaseah never cut down trees in order to make roads, nor did they ever remove those that fell across their paths. They had no bridges. Their roads were simply trails beaten by foot- men. These trails were universally shaded by forest trees. A sombre silence, now and then interrupted by the notes of birds, or tbe howling of beasts, reigned along these paths.
The Agoneaseah used to halt at certain stations along these paths, in order to take refreshments, or encamp over night. These sta- tions were by springs or streams of water, and usually on dry ground. Arrow heads, spear heads, and axes, are occasionally found at these stations.
Hunting .- The Agoneaseah spent much of their time in hunting. In this avocation they exhibited great adroitness. Most of their subsistence was derived from this source. Every year they formed hunting parties, and marched to places situated at a distance from their habitations. There they constructed temporary erections and encamped. In these hunting excursions their wives and children usually accompanied them. The women carried the baggage. Every day they went from their encampments in pursuit of game. These hunting parties commonly consisted of from twenty to one hundred men. The season chosen for hunting was the latter part of autumn and the fore part of winter. The game at those times was good, and they laid in their winter provision. Sometimes when they found the deer in considerable herds, they formed a circle and built fires ; between these fires the men were mostly placed at equal distances, while a few went within and roused the decr. The timorous animals directed their course to the circle, where they were met by the huntsmen and fires, and soon killed. When the party was numerous they advanced from the circle to the centre, and completely surrounded the deer. In both modes they imita- ted the Tartars.
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Cough-sagh-rage, the beaver hunting country, or the Dismal Wilderness, was the region where they hunted the beaver, and or. casionally the deer and moose. This region embraced the greater part of the country between lakes Champlain and Ontario, and the Mohawk and St. Lawrence rivers. Here the beavers were found in very large numbers. In the unsettled parts of this region nume- rous vestiges of beaver dams are to be seen at this day. The bes- vers are now mostly destroyed. Before the Europeans made set- tlements in this state and Canada, the Agoneasealı, and other hunt- ing nations, never killed game beyond their immediate wants. Hence the game was ordinarily plenty. But since these settlements were made they have destroyed the game barely for the skins, which they have sold to the traders for rum, blankets, toy's, arms, . and ammunition. This deviation from the ancient practice caused a diminution in the game, which sensibly affected the tribes. Still, however, no very serious evils resulted until our people became numerous; then the game was swept away in a few years, and the Agoneaseah found it impossible to subsist by hunting. This has been exemplified in a remarkable manner in our western and nor- thern countries since the revolution
Small parties, not unfrequently, remained out all winter. The weapons used in hunting were bows and arrows, stone axes, clubs, and spears. Bears, panthers, wolves, and deer, were dispatched with clubs and spears, after being wounded with arrows. They caught martins, beavers, and some other animals, in log traps. Pits for the taking of game were not unknown to them. The Moheak- anneews called the log trap Culheag.
The Agoneaseah had a practice of burning the woods in the spring, in certain places frequented by the deer. The fire con- sumed the leaves, brush, and much of the fallen timber, and killed more or less of the living trees. Grass and small bushes sprang up and afforded nutritious food, and induced the deer to repair to those places to graze.
War .- The Agoneaseah were frequently engaged in wars and bloody contests with their neighbors. These arose from real or supposed encroachments on their hunting grounds, disputes between individuals, and various other causes. The manner in which they
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carried on their wars was very different from that of civilized na- tions: Before they set out the warriors assembled and beld a war dance. Their bodies and faces were painted with red and various other colors, which rendered their appearance both whimsical and frightful. The weapons with which they were armed were bows and arrows, stone axes, spears, swords, clubs, knives, and shields. The shield was used to cover their bodies when missile weapons were thrown at them, and to ward off blows and thrusts. Thus armed they marched, every one having provided himself with a small bag of parched corn, or meal tempered with fat, and some jerked venison. . The number that marched varied according to circumstances. None were compelled to go. All were volunteers. . In their march they separated into small parties, that they might the more readily supply themselves by hunting. When they approach- ed near the country of the enemy their parties were more collected. All was then caution, stratagem, secrecy, and ambuscade. Their employment as hunters bad taught them great address and vigilance. They waited with patience and perseverance till they found a fa- vorable moment for attack. They then on a signal rushed from their coverts upon their enemies with horrid shouts, and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter. All was then a scene of fury and ven- geance. They paid no attention to discipline, order, or subordina- tion. Their only aim was the destruction of their foes. , If they prevailed, they scalped and stripped the slain. They then retired, and carried along with them the spoils, scalps, and prisoners. Upon their arrival near their own habitations, they dispatched a messen- ger to announce their return and success. The tribe or town col- lected, and the warriors made their entry with the spoils, scalps, and prisoners. The scalps, stretched upon a bow, and elevated upon a pole, were carried before them as tokens of their valor and success, and as monuments of the vengeance they had inflicted up- on the enemies of their country.
The prisoners made an important part of their triumph. These they treated while on their way home with some humanity and kind- ness ; but they took the greatest care to prevent their escape. When they had arrived at the place of their destination, the old men, the women, and children, formed themselves into two lines, through
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which the prisoners had to run the gauntlet to the town. If the prisoner was young, active, and a good runner, he made his way through without much injury ; but if he was weak, old, and infirin, , he received much damage by the blows and bruises given him. When this scene was finished, the prisoners were bound and con- ducted to a place of security, and treated with apparent good hu- mour. The head warrior then related the particulars of the expe- dition. When he mentioned their losses, a bitter grief and sorrow was manifested by the whole assembly. When he pronounced the names of the dead, their wives, their relations, and friends, put
. forth the most bitter shrieks and lamentations ; but no one interrup- ted the speaker, or asked any question. The last ceremony was . to proclaim the victory. Then every individual apparently forgot his own loss and misfortune, and joined in the triumph. Their tears ceased, and with one of the most unaccountable transitions in hu- man nature, they passed at once from the bitterness of sorrow to all the extravagance of joy. The whole was then concluded with feasting, singing, and dancing.
The fate of the prisoners was next decided. The elders and chiefs assembled and deliberated concerning their destiny. The women and children were disposed off according to the pleasure of the captors. But they were seldom or never put to death. Of the men, some were appointed to supply the places of such as had fallen in battle. These were then delivered to the friends and re- lations of the deceased, and if they received them, they were adopted into the family, and succeeded to all the privileges of the deceased, and were esteemed as friends, brothers, and relations. But if they were not received and admitted into the family, or if they were destined to be put to death, a most distressing and horrid scene ensued. A stake was fixed firmly in the ground. At the distance of eight or ten feet, dry wood, faggots and leaves were placed in a circle round the stake. The warriors, and the whole population of the town, were assembled to bear their part in the cruel tragedy. The prisoner was led to the stake, and tied to it by his hands, in such a manner, that he might move freely around it. Fire was then set to the circle of wood, faggots and leaves, that as it run round, the unhappy victim might be forced to run the same
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way. As the sufferings of the prisoner began to become severe, the acclamations of the spectators began. The men, women and children, strove to exceed each other in finding new and more ex- cruciating methods of torment. Some applied red hot stones; others stabbed with their knives and spears, and others mangled and tore off the flesh ; others again bit off the nails, or twisted and tore the sinews. Every species of cruelty that savage rancor and re- venge could invent and apply, was tried upon the wretched sufferer. But great care was taken that the vital parts might not be so injured as to bring the torments of the victim to a speedy end. In this horrid situation, the sufferer was undaunted and intrepid. He re- viled and insulted his tormentors, and accused them of cowardice, meanness, and want of spirit; as ignorant, unskilful, and destitute of ingenuity and invention in the art of tormenting. Not a groan ; not a sigh; not a tear or even a 'sorrowful look was suffered to escape him. To scoff his tormentors, to display undaunted cour- age in this dreadful situation, was the most noble of all the triumphs of the warrior. With an undaunted countenance, and with the decisive tone of dignity and superior importance, the prisoner pro- ceeded with them to sing the song of his death. "Intrepid and brave, I feel no pain, and I fear no torture, I have slain, I have con- quered, I have burnt mine enemies, and iny countryinen will avenge my blood ; ye are a nation of dogs, of cowards and women ; ye know not how to conquer, to suffer, and to torture. Prolong and increase my torments, that ye may learn from my example how to suffer, and behave like men."
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