BRINTON'S LIBRARY OF ABORIGINAL AMERICAN LITERATURE. 

NUMBER II. 

THE IROQUOIS BOOK OF RITES. 

EDITED BY HORATIO HALE; M. A. , AUTHOR OF "THE ETHNOGRAPHY AND PHILOLOGYOF THE U. S. EXPLORING EXPEDITION, " ETC. 

PREFACE. 

The aboriginal composition now presented to the public has some peculiarclaims on the attention of scholars. As a record, if we accept thechronology of its custodians, --which there is no reason to question, --itcarries back the authentic history of Northern America to a dateanterior by fifty years to the arrival of Columbus. Further than this, the plain and credible tradition of the Iroquois, confirmed by muchother evidence, links them with the still earlier Alligewi, or"Moundbuilders, " as conquerors with the conquered. Thus the annals ofthis portion of the continent need no longer begin with the landing ofthe first colonists, but can go back, like those of Mexico, Yucatan andPeru, to a storied past of singular interest. 

The chief value of the Book of Rites, however, is ethnological, and isfound in the light which it casts on the political and social life, aswell as on the character and capacity of the people to whom itbelongs. We see in them many of the traits which Tacitus discerned inour ancestors of the German forests, along with some qualities of ahigher cast than any that he has delineated. The love of peace, thesentiment of human brotherhood, the strong social and domesticaffections, the respect for law, and the reverence for ancestralgreatness, which are apparent in this Indian record and in thehistorical events which illustrate it, will strike most readers as newand unexpected developments. 

The circumstances attending the composition of this record and itsrecent discovery are fully detailed in the introductory chapters. Therealso, and in the Notes and Appendix, such further explanations are givenas the various allusions and occasional obscurities of the Indian workhave seemed to require. It is proper to state that the particularscomprised in the following pages respecting the traditions, the usages, and the language of the Iroquois (except such as are expressly stated tohave been derived from books), have been gathered by the writer in thecourse of many visits made, during several years past, to theirReservations in Canada and New York. As a matter of justice, and also asan evidence of the authenticity of these particulars, the names of theinformants to whom he has been principally indebted are given in theproper places, with suitable acknowledgment of the assistance receivedfrom each. He ventures to hope that in the information thus obtained, aswell as in the Book of Rite's itself, the students of history and of thescience of man will find some new material of permanent interest andvalue. 

CONTENTS. 

MAP

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I. THE HURON-IROQUOIS NATIONS

CHAPTER II. THE LEAGUE AND ITS FOUNDERS

CHAPTER III. THE BOOK OF RITES

CHAPTER IV. THE CONDOLING COUNCIL. --CLANS AND CLASSES

CHAPTER V. THE CONDOLENCE AND THE INSTALLATION

CHAPTER VI. THE LAWS OF THE LEAGUE

CHAPTER VII. HISTORICAL TRADITIONS

CHAPTER VIII. THE IROQUOIS CHARACTER

CHAPTER IX. THE IROQUOIS POLICY

CHAPTER X. THE IROQUOIS LANGUAGE

THE BOOK OF RITES

THE CANIENGA BOOK

THE ONONDAGA BOOK

NOTES ON THE CANIENGA BOOK

NOTES ON THE ONONDAGA BOOK

APPENDIX

NOTE A. --Names of the Huron-Iroquois Nations

NOTE B. --Meaning of _Ohio, Ontario, Onontio, Rawennito_

NOTE C. --The Era of the Confederacy

NOTE D. --The Hiawatha Myths

NOTE E. --The Iroquois Towns

NOTE F. --The Pre-Aryan Race in Europe and America

GLOSSARY

INDEX

[Illustration: THE HURON-IROQUOIS NATIONS AND THE SURROUNDING TRIBES. A. D. 1535 TO 1780. ]

INTRODUCTION. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE HURON-IROQUOIS NATIONS. 

At the outset of the sixteenth century, when the five tribes or"nations" of the Iroquois confederacy first became known to Europeanexplorers, they were found occupying the valleys and uplands of northernNew York, in that picturesque and fruitful region which stretcheswestward from the head-waters of the Hudson to the Genesee. The Mohawks, or Caniengas--as they should properly be called--possessed the MohawkRiver, and covered Lake George and Lake Champlain with their flotillasof large canoes, managed with the boldness and skill which, hereditaryin their descendants, make them still the best boatmen of the NorthAmerican rivers. West of the Caniengas the Oneidas held the small riverand lake which bear their name, the first in that series of beautifullakes, united by interlacing streams, which seemed to prefigure in thefeatures of nature the political constitution of the tribes whopossessed them. West of the Oneidas, the imperious Onondagas, thecentral and, in some respects, the ruling nation of the League, possessed the two lakes of Onondaga and Skeneateles, together with thecommon outlet of this inland lake system, the Oswego River, to its issueinto Lake Ontario. Still proceeding westward, the lines of trail andriver led to the long and winding stretch of Lake Cayuga, about whichwere clustered the towns of the people who gave their name to the lake;and beyond them, over the wide expanse of hills and dales surroundingLakes Seneca and Canandaigua, were scattered the populous villages ofthe Senecas, more correctly styled Sonontowanas or Mountaineers. Suchwere the names and abodes of the allied nations, members of thefar-famed Kanonsionni, or League of United Households, who were destinedto become for a time the most notable and powerful community among thenative tribes of North America. [Footnote: See Appendix, note A, for theorigin and meaning of the names commonly given to the Iroquois nations. ]

The region which has been described was not, however, the original seatof those nations. They belonged to that linguistic family which is knownto ethnologists as the Huron-Iroquois stock. This stock comprised theHurons or Wyandots, the Attiwandaronks or Neutral Nation, the Iroquois, the Eries, the Andastes or Conestogas, the Tuscaroras, and some smallerbands. The tribes of this family occupied a long, irregular area ofinland territory, stretching from Canada to North Carolina. The northernnations were all clustered about the great lakes; the southern bandsheld the fertile valleys bordering the head-waters of the rivers whichflowed from the Allegheny mountains. The languages of all these tribesshowed a close affinity. There can be no doubt that their ancestorsformed one body, and, indeed, dwelt at one time (as has been well saidof the ancestors of the Indo-European populations), under one roof. Therewas a Huron-Iroquois "family-pair, " from which all these tribes weredescended. In what part of the world this ancestral household resided isa question which admits of no reply, except from the merestconjecture. But the evidence of language, so far as it has yet beenexamined, seems to show that the Huron clans were the older members ofthe group; and the clear and positive traditions of all the survivingtribes, Hurons, Iroquois and Tuscaroras, point to the lower St. Lawrenceas the earliest known abode of their stock. [Footnote: See Cusick, _History of the Six Nations_, p. 16; Colden, _Hist, of the FiveNations_, p. 23; Morgan, _League of the Iroquois_, p. 5;J. V. H. Clark, _Onondaga_, vol. I, p. 34; Peter D. Clarke, _Hist. Of the Wyandots_. P. I. ]

Here the first explorer, Cartier, found Indians of this stock atHochelaga and Stadaconé, now the sites of Montreal and Quebec. Centuries before his time, according to the native tradition, theancestors of the Huron-Iroquois family had dwelt in this locality, orstill further east and nearer to the river's mouth. As their numbersincreased, dissensions arose. The hive swarmed, and band after bandmoved off to the west and south. 

As they spread, they encountered people of other stocks, with whom theyhad frequent wars. Their most constant and most dreaded enemies were thetribes of the Algonkin family, a fierce and restless people, of northernorigin, who everywhere surrounded them. At one period, however, if theconcurrent traditions of both Iroquois and Algonkins can be believed, these contending races for a time stayed their strife, and united theirforces in an alliance against a common and formidable foe. This foe wasthe nation, or perhaps the confederacy, of the Alligewi or Talligewi, the semi-civilized "Mound-builders" of the Ohio Valley, who have lefttheir name to the Allegheny river and mountains, and whose vastearthworks are still, after half-a-century of study, the perplexity ofarchaeologists. A desperate warfare ensued, which lasted about a hundredyears, and ended in the complete overthrow and destruction, orexpulsion, of the Alligewi. The survivors of the conquered people fledsouthward, and are supposed to have mingled with the tribes whichoccupied the region extending from the Gulf of Mexico northward to theTennessee river and the southern spurs of the Alleghenies. Among thesetribes, the Choctaws retained, to recent times, the custom of raisinghuge mounds of earth for religious purposes and for the sites of theirhabitations, a custom which they perhaps learned from the Alligewi; andthe Cherokees are supposed by some to have preserved in their name(Tsalaki) and in their language indications of an origin derived in partfrom the same people. Their language, which shows, in its grammar andmany of its words, clear evidence of affinity with the Iroquois, hasdrawn the greater portion of its vocabulary from some foreignsource. This source is conjectured to have been the speech of theAlligewi. As the Cherokee tongue is evidently a mixed language, it isreasonable to suppose that the Cherokees are a mixed people, andprobably, like the English, an amalgamation of conquering and conqueredraces. [Footnote: This question has been discussed by the writer in apaper on "Indian Migrations as evidenced by Language, " read before theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science, at their MontrealMeeting, in August, 1882, and published in the American Antiquarian forJanuary and April, 1883. ]

The time which has elapsed since the overthrow of the Alligewi isvariously estimated. The most probable conjecture places it at a periodabout a thousand years before the present day. It was apparently soonafter their expulsion that the tribes of the Huron-Iroquois and theAlgonkin stocks scattered themselves over the wide region south of theGreat Lakes, thus left open to their occupancy. Our concern at presentis only with the first-named family. The native tradition of theirmigrations has been briefly related by a Tuscarora Indian, David Cusick, who had acquired a sufficient education to become a Baptist preacher, and has left us, in his "Sketches of Ancient History of the SixNations, " [Footnote: Published at Lewiston, N. Y. , in 1825, andreprinted at Lockport, in 1848. ] a record of singular value. Hisconfused and imperfect style, the English of a half-educated foreigner, his simple faith in the wildest legends, and his absurd chronology, havecaused the real worth of his book, as a chronicle of native traditions, to be overlooked. Wherever the test of linguistic evidence, the best ofall proofs in ethnological questions, can be applied to his statementsrelative to the origin and connection of the tribes, they are invariablyconfirmed. From his account, from the evidence of language, and fromvarious corroborating indications, the course of the migrations may, itis believed, be traced with tolerable accuracy. Their first station orstarting point, on the south side of the Lakes, was at the mouth of theOswego river. Advancing to the southeast the emigrants struck the Hudsonriver, and, according to Cusick's story, followed its course southwardto the ocean. Here a separation took place. A portion remained, and kepton their way toward the south; but the "main company, " repelled by theuninviting soil and the turbulent waste of waves, and remembering theattractive region of valleys, lakes, and streams through which they hadpassed, retraced their steps northward till they reached the Mohawkriver. Along this stream and the upper waters of the Hudson they madetheir first abode; and here they remained until, as their historianquaintly and truly records, "their language was altered. " The Huronspeech became the Iroquois tongue, in the form in which it is spoken bythe Caniengas, or Mohawks. In Iroquois tradition, and in theconstitution of their league, the Canienga nation ranks as the "eldestbrother" of the family. A comparison of the dialects proves thetradition to be well founded. The Canienga language approaches nearestto the Huron, and is undoubtedly the source from which all the otherIroquois dialects are derived. Cusick states positively that the other"families, " as he styles them, of the Iroquois household, leaving theMohawks in their original abode, proceeded step by step to the westward. The Oneidas halted at their creek, the Onondagas at their mountain, theCayugas at their lake, and the Senecas or Sonontowans, the Great Hillpeople, at a lofty eminence which rises south of the Canandaigualake. In due time, as he is careful to record, the same result happenedas had occurred with the Caniengas. The language of each canton "wasaltered;" yet not so much, he might have added, but that all the tribescould still hold intercourse, and comprehend one another's speech. 

A wider isolation and, consequently, a somewhat greater change oflanguage, befell the "sixth family. " Pursuing their course to the westthey touched Lake Erie, and thence, turning to the southeast, came tothe Allegheny river. Cusick, however, does not know it by this name. Hecalls it the Ohio, --in his uncouth orthography and with a locativeparticle added, the Ouau-we-yo-ka, --which, he says, means "a principalstream, now Mississippi. " This statement, unintelligible as at the firstglance it seems, is strictly accurate. The word Ohio undoubtedlysignified, in the ancient Iroquois speech, as it still means in themodern Tuscarora, not "beautiful river", but "great river. " [Footnote:See Appendix, note B. ] It was so called as being the main stream whichreceives the affluents of the Ohio valley. In the view of the Iroquois, this "main stream" commences with what we call the Allegheny river, continues in what we term the Ohio, and then flows on in what we stylethe Mississippi, --of which, in their view, the upper Mississippi ismerely an affluent. In Iroquois hydrography, the Ohio--the great riverof the ancient Alligewi domain--is the central stream to which all therivers of the mighty West converge. 

This stream the emigrants now attempted to cross. They found, accordingto the native annalist, a rude bridge in a huge grape-vine which trailedits length across the stream. Over this a part of the company passed, and then, unfortunately, the vine broke. The residue, unable to cross, remained on the hither side, and became afterwards the enemies of thosewho had passed over. Cusick anticipates that his story of the grape-vinemay seem to some incredible; but he asks, with amusing simplicity, "whymore so than that the Israelites should cross the Red Sea on dry land?"That the precise incident, thus frankly admitted to be of a miraculouscharacter, really took place, we are not required to believe. But thatemigrants of the Huron-Iroquois stock penetrated southward along theAllegheny range, and that some of them remained near the river of thatname, is undoubted fact. Those who thus remained were known by variousnames, mostly derived from one root--Andastes, Andastogues, Conestogas, and the like--and bore a somewhat memorable part in Iroquois andPennsylvanian history. Those who continued their course beyond the riverfound no place sufficiently inviting to arrest their march until theyarrived at the fertile vales which spread, intersected by many lucidstreams, between the Roanoke and the Neuse rivers. Here they fixed theirabode, and became the ancestors of the powerful Tuscarora nation. In theearly part of the eighteenth century, just before its disastrous warwith the colonies, this nation, according to the Carolina surveyor, Lawson, numbered fifteen towns, and could set in the field a force oftwelve hundred warriors. 

The Eries, who dwelt west of the Senecas, along the southern shore ofthe lake which now retains their name, were according to Cusick, anoffshoot of the Seneca tribe; and there is no reason for doubting thecorrectness of his statement. After their overthrow by the Iroquois, in1656, many of the Eries were incorporated with the ancestral nation, andcontributed, with other accessions from the Hurons and theAttiwandaronks, to swell its numbers far beyond those of the othernations of the confederacy. 

To conclude this review of the Huron-Iroquois group, something furthershould be said about the fortunes of the parent tribe, or rathercongeries of tribes, --for the Huron household, like the Iroquois, hadbecome divided into several septs. Like the Iroquois, also, they havenot lacked an annalist of their own race. A Wyandot Indian, PeterDoyentate Clarke, who emigrated with the main body of his people to theIndian Territory, and afterwards returned for a time to the remnant ofhis tribe dwelling near Amherstburg, in Canada, published in 1870 asmall volume entitled "Origin and Traditional History of the Wyandots. "[Footnote: Printed by Hunter, Rose & Co. , of Toronto. ] The Englisheducation of the writer, like that of the Tuscarora historian, wasdefective; and it is evident that his people, in their many wanderings, had lost much of their legendary lore. But the fact that they residedin ancient times near the present site of Montreal, in close vicinity tothe Iroquois (whom he styles, after their largest tribe, the Senecas), is recorded as a well-remembered portion of their history. The flight ofthe Wyandots to the northwest is declared to have been caused by a warwhich broke out between them and the Iroquois. This statement isopposed to the common opinion, which ascribes the expulsion of theHurons from their eastern abode to the hostility of the Algonkins. Itis, however, probably correct; for the Hurons retreated into the midstof the Algonkin tribes, with whom they were found by Champlain to be onterms of amity and even of alliance, while they were engaged in a deadlywar with the Iroquois. The place to which they withdrew was a nook inthe Georgian Bay, where their strongly palisaded towns andwell-cultivated fields excited the admiration of the great Frenchexplorer. Their object evidently was to place as wide a space aspossible between themselves and their inveterate enemies. Unfortunately, as is well known, this precaution, and even the aid of their Algonkinand French allies, proved inadequate to save them. The story of theirdisastrous overthrow, traced by the masterly hand of Parkman, is one ofthe most dismal passages of aboriginal history. 

The only people of this stock remaining to be noticed are theAttiwandaronks, or Neutral Nation. They dwelt south of the Hurons, onthe northern borders of Lakes Erie and Ontario. They had, indeed, a fewtowns beyond those lakes, situated east of the Niagara river, betweenthe Iroquois and the Eries. They received their name of Neutrals fromthe fact that in the war between the Iroquois and the Hurons theyremained at peace with both parties. This policy, however, did not savethem from the fate which overtook their Huron friends. In the year 1650the Iroquois set upon them, destroyed their towns, and dispersed theinhabitants, carrying off great numbers of them, as was their custom, tobe incorporated with their own population. Of their language we onlyknow that it differed but slightly from the Huron. [Footnote: "OurHurons call the Neutral Nation Attiwandaronk, meaning thereby 'People ofa speech a little different. '"--_Relation_ of 1641, p. 72. Bruyas, in his "_Iroquois Root-words_" gives _gawenda_ (or_gawenna_), speech, and _gaRONKwestare_, confusion ofvoices. ] Whether they were an offshoot from the Hurons or from theIroquois is uncertain. It is not unlikely that their separation from theparent stock took place earlier than that of the Iroquois, and that theywere thus enabled for a time to avoid becoming embroiled in the quarrelbetween the two great divisions of their race. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE LEAGUE AND ITS FOUNDERS. 

How long the five kindred but independent tribes who were afterwards tocompose the Iroquois confederacy remained isolated and apart from oneanother, is uncertain. That this condition endured for severalcenturies is a fact which cannot be questioned. Tradition here isconfirmed by the evidence of language. We have good dictionaries of twoof their dialects, the Canienga (or Mohawk) and the Onondaga, compiledtwo centuries ago by the Jesuit missionaries; and by comparing them withvocabularies of the same dialects, as spoken at the present day, we canascertain the rate of change which prevails in their languages. Judgingby this test, the difference which existed between these two dialects in1680 (when the Jesuit dictionaries were written) could hardly havearisen in less than four hundred years; and that which exists betweenthem and the Tuscarora would demand a still longer time. Theirtraditions all affirm--what we should be prepared to believe--that thisperiod was one of perpetual troubles. The tribes were constantly at war, either among themselves, or with the neighboring nations of their ownand other stocks, Hurons, Andastes, Algonkins, Tuteloes, and even withthe distant Cherokees. 

There are reasons for believing that attempts were made during thisperiod to combine the tribes, or some of them, in a federalalliance. But if such connections were formed, they proved onlytemporary leagues, which were dissolved when the dangers that had calledthem into being had passed away. A leader of peculiar qualities, aidedby favoring circumstances, was able at last to bring about a morepermanent union. There is no exact chronology by which the date of thisimportant event can be ascertained; but the weight of evidence fixes itat about the middle of the fifteenth century. [Footnote: The evidence onthis point is given in the Appendix, note C. It should be mentioned thatsome portion of the following narrative formed part of a paper entitled"A Lawgiver of the Stone Age, " which was read at the Cincinnati meetingof the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in August, 1882, and was published in the Proceedings of the meeting. Theparticulars comprised in it were drawn chiefly from notes gatheredduring many visits to the Reserve of the Six Nations, on the GrandRiver, in Ontario, supplemented by information obtained in two visits tothe Onondaga Reservation, in the State of New York, near Syracuse. Myinformants were the most experienced councillors, and especially the"wampum-keepers, " the official annalists of their people. Their names, and some account of them, will be given in a subsequent chapter. Itshould be mentioned that while the histories received at the twolocalities were generally in close accord, thus furnishing a strongproof of the correctness with which they have been handed down, therewere circumstances remembered at each place which had not been preservedat the other. The Onondagas, as was natural, retained a fullerrecollection of the events which took place before the flight ofHiawatha to the Caniengas; while the annalists of the latter tribe werebetter versed in the subsequent occurrences attending the formation ofthe League. These facts should be borne in mind by any inquirer who mayundertake to repeat or continue these investigations. When thenarratives varied, as they sometimes did in minor particulars, I havefollowed that which seemed most in accordance with the general tenor ofthe history and with the evidence furnished by the Book of Rites. ]

At this time two great dangers, the one from without, the other fromwithin, pressed upon these tribes. The Mohegans, or Mohicans, a powerfulAlgonkin people, whose settlements stretched along the Hudson river, south of the Mohawk, and extended thence eastward into New England, waged a desperate war against them. In this war the most easterly of theIroquois, the Caniengas and Oneidas, bore the brunt and were thegreatest sufferers. On the other hand, the two western nations, theSenecas and Cayugas, had a peril of their own to encounter. The centralnation, the Onondagas, were then under the control of a dreaded chief, whose name is variously given, Atotarho (or, with a prefixed particle, Thatotarho), Watatotahro, Tadodaho, according to the dialect of thespeaker and the orthography of the writer. He was a man of great forceof character and of formidable qualities--haughty, ambitious, crafty andbold--a determined and successful warrior, and at home, so far as theconstitution of an Indian tribe would allow, a stern and remorselesstyrant. He tolerated no equal. The chiefs who ventured to oppose himwere taken off one after another by secret means, or were compelled toflee for safety to other tribes. His subtlety and artifices had acquiredfor him the reputation of a wizard. He knew, they say, what was going onat a distance as well as if he were present; and he could destroy hisenemies by some magical art, while he himself was far away. In spite ofthe fear which he inspired, his domination would probably not have beenendured by an Indian community, but for his success in war. He had madehimself and his people a terror to the Cayugas and the Senecas. According to one account, he had subdued both of those tribes; but therecord-keepers of the present day do not confirm this statement, whichindeed is not consistent with the subsequent history of theconfederation. 

The name Atotarho signifies "entangled. " The usual process by whichmythology, after a few generations, makes fables out of names, has notbeen wanting here. In the legends which the Indian story-fellers recountin winter, about their cabin fires, Atotarho figures as a being ofpreterhuman nature, whose head, in lieu of hair, is adorned with livingsnakes. A rude pictorial representation shows him seated and givingaudience, in horrible state, with the upper part of his person envelopedby these writhing and entangled reptiles. [Footnote: This picture andsome other equally grotesque illustrations, produced in a primitivestyle of wood engraving, are prefixed to David Cusick's History of theSix Nations. The artist to whom we owe them was probably the historianhimself. My accomplished friend, Mrs. E. A. Smith, whose studies havethrown much light upon the mythology and language of the Iroquoisnations, and especially of the Tuscaroras, was fortunate enough toobtain either the originals or early copies of these extraordinaryefforts of native art. ] But the grave Councillors of the CanadianReservation, who recite his history as they have heard it from theirfathers at every installation of a high chief, do not repeat theseinventions of marvel-loving gossips, and only smile with good-humoredderision when they are referred to. 

There was at this time among the Onondagas a chief of high rank, whosename, variously written--Hiawatha, Hayenwatha, Ayonhwahtha, Taoungwatha--is rendered, "he who seeks the wampum belt. " He had madehimself greatly esteemed by his wisdom and his benevolence. He was nowpast middle age. Though many of his friends and relatives had perishedby the machinations of Atotarho, he himself had been spared. Thequalities which gained him general respect had, perhaps, not beenwithout influence even on that redoubtable chief. Hiawatha had longbeheld with grief the evils which afflicted not only his own nation, butall the other tribes about them, through the continual wars in whichthey were engaged, and the misgovernment and miseries at home whichthese wars produced. With much meditation he had elaborated in his mindthe scheme of a vast confederation which would ensure universalpeace. In the mere plan of a confederation there was nothing new. Thereare probably few, if any, Indian tribes which have not, at one time oranother, been members of a league or confederacy. It may almost be saidto be their normal condition. But the plan which Hiawatha had evolveddiffered from all others in two particulars. The system which he devisedwas to be not a loose and transitory league, but a permanent government. While each nation was to retain its own council and its management oflocal affairs, the general control was to be lodged in a federal senate, composed of representatives elected by each nation, holding officeduring good behavior, and acknowledged as ruling chiefs throughout thewhole confederacy. Still further, and more remarkably, theconfederation was not to be a limited one. It was to be indefinitelyexpansible. The avowed design of its proposer was to abolish waraltogether. He wished the federation to extend until all the tribes ofmen should be included in it, and peace should everywhere reign. Such isthe positive testimony of the Iroquois themselves; and their statement, as will be seen, is supported by historical evidence. 

Hiawatha's first endeavor was to enlist his own nation in the cause. Hesummoned a meeting of the chiefs and people of the Onondaga towns. Thesummons, proceeding from a chief of his rank and reputation, attracted alarge concourse. "They came together, " said the narrator, "along thecreeks, from all parts, to the general council-fire. " [Footnote: Thenarrator here referred to was the Onondaga chief, Philip Jones, known inthe council as Hanesehen (in Canienga, Enneserarenh), who, in October, 1875, with two other chiefs of high rank, and the interpreter, Daniel LaFort, spent an evening in explaining to me the wampum records preservedat "Onondaga Castle, " and repeating the history of the formation of theconfederacy. The later portions of the narrative were obtainedprincipally from the chiefs of the Canadian Iroquois, as will behereafter explained. ] But what effect the grand projects of the chief, enforced by the eloquence for which he was noted, might have had uponhis auditors, could not be known. For there appeared among them awell-known figure, grim, silent and forbidding, whose terrible aspectoverawed the assemblage. The unspoken displeasure of Atotarho wassufficient to stifle all debate, and the meeting dispersed. Thisresult, which seems a singular conclusion of an Indian council--the mostindependent and free-spoken of all gatherings--is sufficiently explainedby the fact that Atotarho had organized, among the more recklesswarriors of his tribe, a band of unscrupulous partisans, who did hisbidding without question, and took off by secret murder all personsagainst whom he bore a grudge. The knowledge that his followers werescattered through the assembly, prepared to mark for destruction thosewho should offend him, might make the boldest orator chary ofspeech. Hiawatha alone was undaunted. He summoned a second meeting, which was attended by a smaller number, and broke up as before, inconfusion, on Atotarho's appearance. The unwearied reformer sent forthhis runners a third time; but the people were disheartened. When theday of the council arrived, no one attended. Then, continued thenarrator, Hiawatha seated himself on the ground in sorrow. He envelopedhis head in his mantle of skins, and remained for a long time bowed downin grief and thought. At length he arose and left the town, taking hiscourse toward the southeast. He had formed a bold design. As thecouncils of his own nation were closed to him, he would have recourse tothose of other tribes. At a short distance from the town (so minutelyare the circumstances recounted) he passed his great antagonist, seatednear a well-known spring, stern and silent as usual. No word passedbetween the determined representatives of war and peace; but it wasdoubtless not without a sensation of triumphant pleasure that theferocious war-chief saw his only rival and opponent in council goinginto what seemed to be voluntary exile. Hiawatha plunged into theforest; he climbed mountains; he crossed a lake; he floated down theMohawk river in a canoe. Many incidents of his journey are told, and inthis part of the narrative alone some occurrences of a marvelous castare related, even by the official historians. Indeed, the flight ofHiawatha from Onondaga to the country of the Caniengas is to the FiveNations what the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina is to thevotaries of Islam. It is the turning point of their history. Inembellishing the narrative at this point, their imagination has beenallowed a free course. Leaving aside these marvels, however, we needonly refer here to a single incident, which may well enough have been ofactual occurrence. A lake which Hiawatha crossed had shores abounding insmall white shells. These he gathered and strung upon strings, which hedisposed upon his breast, as a token to all whom he should meet that hecame as a messenger of peace. And this, according to one authority, wasthe origin of wampum, of which Hiawatha was the inventor. That honor, however, is one which must be denied to him. The evidence of sepulchralrelics shows that wampum was known to the mysterious Mound-builders, aswell as in all succeeding ages. Moreover, if the significance of whitewampum-strings as a token of peace had not been well known in his day, Hiawatha would not have relied upon them as a means of proclaiming hispacific purpose. 

Early one morning he arrived at a Canienga town, the residence of thenoted chief Dekanawidah, whose name, in point of celebrity, ranks inIroquois tradition with those of Hiawatha and Atotarho. It is probablethat he was known by reputation to Hiawatha, and not unlikely that theywere related. According to one account Dekanawidah was an Onondaga, adopted among the Caniengas. Another narrative makes him a Canienga bybirth. The probability seems to be that he was the son of an Onondagafather, who had been adopted by the Caniengas, and of a Caniengamother. That he was not of pure Canienga blood is shown by the fact, which is remembered, that his father had had successively three wives, one belonging to each of the three clans, Bear, Wolf, and Tortoise, which composed the Canienga nation. If the father had been of thatnation (Canienga), he would have belonged to one of the Canienga clans, and could not then (according to the Indian law) have married into it. He had seven sons, including Dekanawidah, who, with their families, dwelt together in one of the "long houses" common in that day among theIroquois. These ties of kindred, together with this fraternal strength, and his reputation as a sagacious councillor, gave Dekanawidah greatinfluence among his people. But, in the Indian sense, he was not theleading chief. This position belonged to Tekarihoken (better known inbooks as Tecarihoga), whose primacy as the first chief of the eldestamong the Iroquois nations was then, and is still, universallyadmitted. Each nation has always had a head-chief, to whom belonged thehereditary right and duty of lighting the council fire and taking thefirst place in public meetings. But among the Indians, as in othercommunities, hereditary rank and personal influence do not always, orindeed, ordinarily, go together. If Hiawatha could gain over Dekanawidahto his views, he would have done much toward the accomplishment of hispurposes. 

In the early dawn he seated himself on a fallen trunk, near the springfrom which the inhabitants of the long house drew their water. Presentlythe wife of one of the brothers came out with a vessel of elm-bark, andapproached the spring. Hiawatha sat silent and motionless. Something inhis aspect awed the woman, who feared to address him. She returned tothe house, and said to Dekanawidah, "A man, or a figure like a man, isseated by the spring, having his breast covered with strings of whiteshells. " "It is a guest, " said the chief to one of his brothers; "go andbring him in. We will make him welcome. " Thus Hiawatha andDekanawidah--first met. They found in each other kindred spirits. Thesagacity of the Canienga chief grasped at once the advantages of theproposed plan, and the two worked together in perfecting it, and incommending it to the people. After much discussion in council, theadhesion of the Canienga nation was secured. Dekanawidah then dispatchedtwo of his brothers as ambassadors to the nearest tribe, the Oneidas, tolay the project before them. The Oneida nation is deemed to be acomparatively recent offshoot from the Caniengas. The difference oflanguage is slight, showing that their separation was much later thanthat of the Onondagas. In the figurative speech of the Iroquois, theOneida is the son, and the Onondaga is the brother, of theCanienga. Dekanawidah had good reason to expect that it would not provedifficult to win the consent of the Oneidas to the proposed scheme. Butdelay and deliberation mark all public acts of the Indians. Theambassadors found the leading chief, Odatsehte, at his town on theOneida creek. He received their message in a friendly way, but--requiredtime for his people to consider it in council. "Come back in anotherday, " he said to the messengers. In the political speech of the Indians, a day is understood to mean a year. The envoys carried back the reply toDekanawidah and Hiawatha, who knew that they could do nothing but waitthe prescribed time. After the lapse of a year, they repaired to theplace of meeting. The treaty which initiated the great league was thenand there ratified by the representatives of the Canienga and Oneidanations. The name of Odatsehte means "the quiver-bearer;" and asAtotarho, "the entangled, " is fabled to have had his head wreathed withsnaky locks, and as Hiawatha, "the wampum-seeker, " is represented tohave wrought shells into wampum, so the Oneida chief is reputed to haveappeared at this treaty bearing at his shoulder a quiver full of arrows. 

The Onondagas lay next to the Oneidas. To them, or rather to theirterrible chief, the next application was made. The first meeting ofAtotarho and Dekanawidah is a notable event in Iroquois history. At alater day, a native artist sought to represent it in an historicalpicture, which has been already referred to. Atotarho is seated insolitary and surly dignity, smoking a long pipe, his head and bodyencircled with contorted and angry serpents. Standing before him are twofigures which cannot be mistaken. The foremost, a plumed and cincturedwarrior, depicted as addressing the Onondaga chief, holds in his righthand, as a staff, his flint-headed spear, the ensign, it may besupposed, which marks him as the representative of the Caniengas, or"People of the Flint. " Behind him another plumed figure bears in hishand a bow with arrows, and at his shoulder a quiver. Divested of itsmythological embellishments, the picture rudely represents the interviewwhich actually took place. The immediate result was unpromising. TheOnondaga chief coldly refused to entertain the project, which he hadalready rejected when proposed by Hiawatha. The ambassadors were notdiscouraged. Beyond the Onondagas were scattered the villages of theCayugas, a people described by the Jesuit missionaries, at a later day, as the most mild and tractable of the Iroquois. They were considered anoffshoot of the Onondagas, to whom they bore the same filial relationwhich the Oneidas bore to the Caniengas. The journey of the advocates ofpeace through the forest to the Cayuga capital, and their reception, areminutely detailed in the traditionary narrative. The Cayugas, who hadsuffered from the prowess and cruelty of the Onondaga chief, neededlittle persuasion. They readily consented to come into the league, andtheir chief, Akahenyonk ("The Wary Spy"), joined the Canienga and Oneidarepresentatives in a new embassy to the Onondagas. Acting probably uponthe advice of Hiawatha, who knew better than any other the character ofthe community and the chief with whom they had to deal, they madeproposals highly flattering to the self-esteem which was the mostnotable trait of both ruler and people. The Onondagas should be theleading nation of the confederacy. Their chief town should be thefederal capital, where the great councils of the league should be held, and where its records should be preserved. The nation should berepresented in the council by fourteen senators, while no other nationshould have more than ten. And as the Onondagas should be the leadingtribe, so Atotarho should be the leading chief. He alone should have theright of summoning the federal council, and no act of the council towhich he objected should be valid. In other words, an absolute veto wasgiven to him. To enhance his personal dignity, two high chiefs wereappointed as his special aids and counselors, his "Secretaries ofState, " so to speak. Other insignia of preeminence were to be possessedby him; and, in view of all these distinctions, it is not surprisingthat his successor, who two centuries later retained the sameprerogatives, should have been occasionally styled by the Englishcolonists "the Emperor of the Five Nations. " It might seem, indeed, atfirst thought, that the founders of the confederacy had voluntarilyplaced themselves and their tribes in a position of almost abjectsubserviency to Atotarho and his followers. But they knew too well thequalities of their people to fear for them any political subjection. Itwas certain that when once the league was established, and itsrepresentatives had met in council, character and intelligence wouldassume their natural sway, and mere artificial rank and dignity would belittle regarded. Atotarho and his people, however, yielded either tothese specious offers, or to the pressure which the combined urgency ofthe three allied nations now brought to bear upon them. They finallyaccepted the league; and the great chief, who had originally opposed it, now naturally became eager to see it as widely extended as possible. Headvised its representatives to go on at once to the westward, and enlistthe populous Seneca towns, pointing out how this might best be done. This advice was followed, and the adhesion of the Senecas was secured bygiving to their two leading chiefs, Kanya-dariyo ("Beautiful Lake") andShadekaronyes ("The Equal Skies"), the offices of military commanders ofthe confederacy, with the title of doorkeepers of the "Long-house, " thatbeing the figure by which the league was known. 

The six national leaders who have been mentioned--Dekanawidah for theCaniengas, Odatsehte for the Oneidas, Atotarho for the Onondagas, Akahenyonk for the Cayugas, Kanyadariyo and Shadekaronyes for the twogreat divisions of the Senecas--met in convention near the OnondagaLake, with Hiawatha for their adviser, and a vast concourse of theirfollowers, to settle the terms and rules of their confederacy, and tonominate its first council. Of this council, nine members (or ten, ifDekanawidah be included) were assigned to the Caniengas, a like numberto the Oneidas, fourteen to the lordly Onondagas, ten to the Cayugas, and eight to the Senecas. Except in the way of compliment, the numberassigned to each nation was really of little consequence; inasmuch as, by the rule of the league, unanimity was exacted in all theirdecisions. This unanimity, however, did not require the suffrage ofevery member of the council. The representatives of each nation firstdeliberated apart upon the question proposed. In this separate councilthe majority decided; and the leading chief then expressed in the greatcouncil the voice of his nation. Thus the veto of Atotarho ceased atonce to be peculiar to him, and became a right exercised by each of theallied nations. This requirement of unanimity, embarrassing as it mightseem, did not prove to be so in practice. Whenever a question arose onwhich opinions were divided, its decision was either postponed, or somecompromise was reached which left all parties contented. 

The first members of the council were appointed by the convention--underwhat precise rule is unknown; but their successors came in by a methodin which the hereditary and the elective systems were singularlycombined, and in which female suffrage had an important place. When achief died or (as sometimes happened) was deposed for incapacity ormisconduct, some member of the same family succeeded him. Rank followedthe female line; and this successor might be any descendant of the latechief's mother or grandmother--his brother, his cousin or hisnephew--but never his son. Among many persons who might thus beeligible, the selection was made in the first instance by a familycouncil. In this council the "chief matron" of the family, a noble damewhose position and right were well defined, had the deciding voice. Thisremarkable fact is affirmed by the Jesuit mission-ary Lafitau, and theusage remains in full vigor among the Canadian Iroquois to thisday. [Footnote: "La dignité de chef est perpetuelle et héréditaire danssa Cabane, passant toujours aux enfans de ses tantes, de ses soeurs, onde ses nièces du côté maternel. Dès que l'arbre est tombé, il fault, disent ils, le relever. La matrone, qui a la principale autorité, aprèsen avoir conferé avec ceux de sa Cabane, en confère de nouveau avec ceuxde sa Tribu [clan], à qui elle fait agréer oelui qu'elle a choisi poursucceder, ce qui lui est assez libre. Elle n'a pas toujours égard audroit d'ainesse, et d'ordinaire, elle prend celui qui paroit le pluspropre à soûtenir ce rang par ses bonnes qualités. "--_Lafitau: Maursdes Savages Ameriquains_, p. 471. ] If there are two or more membersof the family who seem to have equal claims, the nominating matronsometimes declines to decide between them, and names them both or all, leaving the ultimate choice to the nation or the federal council. Thecouncil of the nation next considers the nomination, and, ifdissatisfied, refers it back to the family for a new designation. Ifcontent, the national council reports the name of the candidate to thefederal senate, in which resides the power of ratifying or rejecting thechoice of the nation; but the power of rejection is rarely exercised, though that of expulsion for good cause is not unfrequently exerted. Thenew chief inherits the name of his predecessor. In this respect, as insome others, the resemblance of the Great Council to the English Houseof Peers is striking. As Norfolk succeeds to Norfolk, so Tekarihokensucceeds Tekarihoken. The great names of Hiawatha and Atotarho are stillborne by plain farmer-councillors on the Canadian Reservation. 

When the League was established, Hiawatha had been adopted by theCanienga nation as one of their chiefs. The honor in which he was heldby them is shown by his position on the roll of councillors, as it hasbeen handed down from the earliest times. As the Canienga nation is the"elder brother, " the names of its chiefs are first recited. At the headof the list is the leading Canienga chief, Tekarihoken, who representsthe noblest lineage of the Iroquois stock. Next to him, and second onthe roll, is the name of Hiawatha. That of his great colleague, Dekanawidah, nowhere appears. He was a member of the first council; buthe forbade his people to appoint a successor to him. "Let the othershave successors, " he said proudly, "for others can advise you likethem. But I am the founder of your league, and no one else can do what Ihave done. " [Footnote: In Mr. Morgan's admirable work, "_The League ofthe Iroquois_, " the list of Councillors (whom he styles_sachems_), comprises the name of Dekanawidah--in his orthography, Daganoweda. During my last visit to my lamented friend (in September, 1880), when we examined together my copy of the then newly discoveredBook of Rites, in which he was greatly interested, this point wasconsidered. The original notes which he made for his work wereexamined. It appeared that in the list as it was first written by him, from the dictation of a well-informed Seneca chief, the name ofDekanawidah was not comprised. A later, but erroneous suggestion, fromanother source, led him to believe that his first informant wasmistaken, or that he had misunderstood him, and to substitute the nameof Dekanawidah for the somewhat similar name of Shatekariwate (in SenecaSadekeiwadeh), which stands third on the roll, immediately followingthat of Hiawatha. The term _sachem_, it may be added, is anAlgonkin word, and one which Iroquois speakers have a difficulty inpronouncing. Their own name for a member of their Senate is_Royaner_, derived from the root _yaner_, noble, and preciselyequivalent in meaning to the English "nobleman" or "lord, " as applied toa member of the House of Peers. It is the word by which the missionarieshave rendered the title "Lord" in the New Testament. ]

The boast was not unwarranted. Though planned by another, the structurehad been reared mainly by his labors. But the Five Nations, whileyielding abundant honor to the memory of Dekanawidah, have neverregarded him with the same affectionate reverence which has always clungto the name of Hiawatha. His tender and lofty wisdom, his wide-reachingbenevolence, and his fervent appeals to their better sentiments, enforced by the eloquence of which he was master, touched chords in thepopular heart which have continued to respond until this day. Fragmentsof the speeches in which he addressed the council and the people of theleague are still remembered and repeated. The fact that the league onlycarried out a part of the grand design which he had in view isconstantly affirmed. Yet the failure was not due to lack of effort. Inpursuance of his original purpose, when the league was firmlyestablished, envoys were sent to other tribes to urge them to join it, or at least to become allies. One of these embassies penetrated to thedistant Cherokees, the hereditary enemies of the Iroquois nations. Forsome reason with which we are not acquainted, perhaps the naturalsuspicion or vindictive pride of that powerful community, this missionwas a failure. Another, dispatched to the western Algonkins, had bettersuccess. A strict alliance was formed with the far-spread Ojibwaytribes, and was maintained inviolate for at least two hundred years, until at length the influence of the French, with the sympathy of theOjibways for the conquered Hurons, undid to some extent, though notentirely, this portion of Hiawatha's work. 

His conceptions were beyond his time, and beyond ours; but their effect, within a limited sphere, was very great. For more than three centuriesthe bond which he devised held together the Iroquois nations in perfectamity. It proved, moreover, as he intended, elastic. --The territory ofthe Iroquois, constantly extending as their united strength made itselffelt, became the "Great Asylum" of the Indian tribes. Of the conqueredEries and Hurons, many hundreds were received and adopted among theirconquerors. The Tuscaroras, expelled by the English from North Carolina, took refuge with the Iroquois, and became the sixth nation of theLeague. From still further south, the Tuteloes and Saponies, of Dakotastock, after many wars with the Iroquois, fled to them from their otherenemies, and found a cordial welcome. A chief still sits in the councilas a representative of the Tuteloes, though the tribe itself has beenswept away by disease, or absorbed in the larger nations. Manyfragments of tribes of Algonkin lineage--Delawares, Nanticokes, Mohegans, Mississagas--sought the same hospitable protection, whichnever failed them. Their descendants still reside on the CanadianReservation, which may well be styled an aboriginal "refuge of nations, "affording a striking evidence in our own day of the persistent force ofa great idea, when embodied in practical shape by the energy of a mastermind. 

The name by which their constitution or organic law is known among themis _kayánerenh_, to which the epitaph _kowa_, "great, " isfrequently added. This word, _kayánerenh_, is sometimes rendered"law, " or "league, " but its proper meaning seems to be "peace. " It isused in this sense by the missionaries, in their translations of thescriptures and the prayer-book. In such expressions as the "Prince ofPeace, " "the author of peace, " "give peace in our time, " we find_kayánerenh_ employed with this meaning. Its root is _yaner_, signifying "noble, " or "excellent, " which yields, among manyderivatives, _kayánere_, "goodness, " and _kayánerenh_, "peace, " or "peacefulness. " The national hymn of the confederacy, sungwhenever their "Condoling Council" meets, commences with a versereferring to their league, which is literally rendered, "We come togreet and thank the PEACE" (_kayánerenh_). When the list of theirancient chiefs, the fifty original councillors, is chanted in theclosing litany of the meeting, there is heard from time to time, as theleaders of each clan are named, an outburst of praise, in the words--

 "This was the roll of you-- You that combined in the work, You that completed the work, The GREAT PEACE. " (_Kayánerenh-kowa_. )

The regard of Englishmen for their Magna Charta and Bill of Rights, andthat of Americans for their national Constitution, seem weak incomparison with the intense gratitude and reverence of the Five Nationsfor the "Great Peace, " which Hiawatha and his colleagues established forthem. Of the subsequent life of Hiawatha, and of his death, we have nosure information. The records of the Iroquois are historical, and notbiographical. As Hiawatha had been made a chief among the Caniengas, hedoubtless continued to reside with that nation. A tradition, which is initself highly probable, represents him as devoting himself to thecongenial work of clearing away the obstructions in the streams whichintersect the country then inhabited by the confederated nations, andwhich formed the chief means of communication between them. That hethus, in some measure, anticipated the plans of De Witt Clinton and hisassociates, on a smaller scale, but perhaps with a larger statesmanship, we may be willing enough to believe. A wild legend recorded by somewriters, but not told of him by the Canadian Iroquois, and apparentlybelonging to their ancient mythology, gives him an apotheosis, and makeshim ascend to heaven in a white canoe. It may be proper to dwell for amoment on the singular complication of mistakes which has converted thisIndian reformer and statesman into a mythological personage. 

When by the events of the Revolutionary war the original confederacy wasbroken up, the larger portion of the people followed Brant toCanada. The refugees comprised nearly the whole of the Caniengas, andthe greater part of the Onondagas and Cayugas, with many members of theother nations. In Canada their first proceeding was to reestablish, asfar as possible, their ancient league, with all its laws andceremonies. The Onondagas had brought with them most of their wampumrecords, and the Caniengas jealously preserved the memories of thefederation, in whose formation they had borne a leading part. Thehistory of the league continued to be the topic of their oratorswhenever a new chief was installed into office. Thus the remembrance ofthe facts has been preserved among them with much clearness andprecision, and with little admixture of mythological elements. With thefragments of the tribes which remained on the southern side of the GreatLakes the case was very different. A feeble pretense was made, for atime, of keeping up the semblance of the old confederacy; but exceptamong the Senecas, who, of all the Five Nations, had had least to dowith the formation of the league, the ancient families which hadfurnished the members of their senate, and were the conservators oftheir history, had mostly fled to Canada or the West. The result wasthat among the interminable stories with which the common people beguiletheir winter nights, the traditions of Atotarho and Hiawatha becameintermingled with the legends of their mythology. An accidentalsimilarity, in the Onondaga dialect, between the name of Hiawatha andthat of one of their ancient divinities, led to a confusion between thetwo, which has misled some investigators. This deity bears, in thesonorous Canienga tongue, the name of Taronhiawagon, meaning "the Holderof the Heavens. " The Jesuit missionaries style him "the great god of theIroquois. " Among the Onondagas of the present day, the name is abridgedto Taonhiawagi, or Tahiawagi. The confusion between this name and thatof Hiawatha (which, in another form, is pronounced Tahionwatha) seems tohave begun more than a century ago; for Pyrteus, the Moravianmissionary, heard among the Iroquois (according to Heckewelder) that theperson who first proposed the league was an ancient Mohawk, namedThannawege. Mr. J. V. H. Clarke, in his interesting History of Onondaga, makes the name to have been originally Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, and describesthe bearer as "the deity who presides over fisheries andhunting-grounds. " He came down from heaven in a white canoe, and aftersundry adventures, which remind one of the labors of Hercules, assumedthe name of Hiawatha (signifying, we are told, "a very wise man"), anddwelt for a time as an ordinary mortal among men, occupied in works ofbenevolence. Finally, after founding the confederacy and bestowing manyprudent counsels upon the people, he returned to the skies by the sameconveyance in which he had descended. This legend, or, rather, congeriesof intermingled legends, was communicated by Clark to Schoolcraft, whenthe latter was compiling his "Notes on the Iroquois. " Mr. Schoolcraft, pleased with the poetical cast of the story, and the euphonious name, made confusion worse confounded by transferring the hero to a distantregion and identifying him with Manabozho, a fantastic divinity of theOjibways. Schoolcraft's volume, which he chose to entitle "The HiawathaLegends, " has not in it a single fact or fiction relating either toHiawatha himself or to the Iroquois deity Taronhiawagon. Wild Ojibwaystories concerning Manabozho and his comrades form the staple of itscontents. But it is to this collection that we owe the charming poem ofLongfellow; and thus, by an extraordinary fortune, a grave Iroquoislawgiver of the fifteenth century has become, in modern literature, anOjibway demigod, son of the West Wind, and companion of the tricksyPaupukkeewis, the boastful Iagoo, and the strong Kwasind. If a Chinesetraveler, during the middle ages, inquiring into the history andreligion of the western nations, had confounded King Alfred with KingArthur, and both with Odin, he would not have made a more preposterousconfusion of names and characters than that which has hitherto disguisedthe genuine personality of the great Onondaga reformer. [Footnote: Thissubject is further discussed in the Appendix, Note D. ]

About the main events of his history, and about his character andpurposes, there can be no reasonable doubt. We have the wampum beltswhich he handled, and whose simple hieroglyphics preserve the memory ofthe public acts in which he took part. We have, also, in the Iroquois"Book of Rites, " which in the present volume is given in its originalform, a still more clear and convincing testimony to the character bothof the legislator and of the people for whom his institutions weredesigned. This book, sometimes called the "Book of the CondolingCouncil, " might properly enough be styled an Iroquois Veda. It comprisesthe speeches, songs, and other ceremonies, which, from the earliestperiod of the confederacy, have composed the proceedings of theircouncil when a deceased chief is lamented and his successor is installedin office. The fundamental laws of the league, a list of their ancienttowns, and the names of the chiefs who constituted their first council, chanted in a kind of litany, are also comprised in the collection. Thecontents, after being preserved in memory, like the Vedas, for manygenerations, were written down by desire of the chiefs, when theirlanguage was first reduced to writing; and the book is therefore morethan a century old. Its language, archaic when written, is now partlyobsolete, and is fully understood by only a few of the oldest chiefs. Itis a genuine Indian composition, and must be accepted as disclosing thetrue character of its authors. The result is remarkable enough. Insteadof a race of rude and ferocious warriors, we find in this book a kindlyand affectionate people, full of sympathy for their friends in distress, considerate to their women, tender to their children, anxious for peace, and imbued with a profound reverence for their constitution and itsauthors. We become conscious of the fact that the aspect in which theseIndians have presented themselves to the outside world has been in alarge measure deceptive and factitious. The ferocity, craft and cruelty, which have been deemed their leading traits, have been merely thenatural accompaniments of wars of self-preservation, and no moreindicated their genuine character than the war-paint, plume and tomahawkof the warrior displayed the customary guise in which he appeared amonghis own people. The cruelties of war, when war is a struggle fornational existence, are common to all races. The persistent desire forpeace, pursued for centuries in federal unions, and in alliances andtreaties with other nations, has been manifested by few as steadily asby the countrymen of Hiawatha. The sentiment of universal brotherhoodwhich directed their policy has never been so fully developed in anybranch of the Aryan race, unless it may be found incorporated in thereligious quietism of Buddha and his followers. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE BOOK OF RITES. 

For a proper appreciation of this peculiar composition, some furtherparticulars respecting its origin and character will be needed. Duringmy earlier visits to the Reserve of the Six Nations, near Brantford, Ihad heard of an Indian book which was used at their "CondolingCouncils, " the most important of their many public gatherings. But itwas not until the month of September, 1879, that I had an opportunity ofseeing the work. At that time two copies of the book were brought to meby the official holders, two of the principal chiefs of theconfederacy. One of these was Chief John "Smoke" Johnson, who for manyyears had held the high office of Speaker of the Great Council, though, of late, yielding to age and infirmity, he has withdrawn from the publicperformance of its duties. His second name is a rude rendering of histruly poetical Indian appellation, Sakayen-gwaraton, or "DisappearingMist. " It signifies properly, I was told, the haze which rises from theground in an autumn morning and vanishes as the day advances. HisEnglish name, and, in part, his blood, Chief Johnson derives from noless distinguished an ancestor than Sir William Johnson, who played sonotable a part in colonial history during the last century, and whoexercised, perhaps, a greater influence on the destiny of the Iroquoisthan any other individual since the formation of their confederacy. Tohim, indeed, may be ascribed the distinction, such as it is, ofdestroying the work which Hiawatha and Dekanawidah had founded. But forthe influence over the Indians which he had acquired, and was able tobequeath to others, it is probable that the Six Nations would haveremained neutral during the Revolutionary War, and the disruption oftheir League would not have taken place. Yet there can be no doubt thathe was sincerely attached to them, and desired their good. Unfortunatelyfor them, they held, as was natural, only the second place in hisaffections. He was, by adoption, an Iroquois chief, but his firstallegiance was due to his native country, to whose interests, both inthe war with France and in the separation which he foresaw betweenEngland and her colonies, he did not hesitate to sacrifice the welfareof his red brethren. Against his subtle arts and overmastering energythe wisest of their statesmen, worthy successors of the great foundersof their constitution, strove in vain, on each occasion, to maintainthat neutrality which was evidently the true policy of theirpeople. [Footnote: For the confirmation of these statements see theexcellent biographies of Sir William Johnson and Joseph Brant, byWm. L. Stone, _passim_. ]

Sakayengwaraton is not an elected chief, nor does he bear one of thehereditary titles of the Great Council, in which he holds sodistinguished a station. Indeed, his office is one unknown to theancient constitution of the Kanonsionni. It is the creation of theBritish Government, to which he owes, with the willing consent of hisown people, his rank and position in the Council. The Provincialadministrators saw the need of a native official who should be, like theSpeaker of the English House of Commons, the mouthpiece of the Council, and the intermediary between it and the representative of the Crown. Thegrandson of Sir William Johnson was known as a brave warrior, a capableleader, and an eloquent speaker. In the war of 1812, at the early age oftwenty, he had succeeded an elder brother in the command of the Indiancontingent, and had led his dusky followers with so much skill andintrepidity as to elicit high praise from the English commander. Hiseloquence was noted, even among a race of orators. I can well believewhat I have heard of its effects, as even in his old age, when anoccasion has for a moment aroused his spirit, I have not known whethermost to admire the nobleness and force of his sentiments and reasoning, or the grace and flowing ease with which he delivered the statelyperiods of his sonorous language. He has been a worthy successor of thedistinguished statesmen, Garagontieh, Garangula, Decanasora, Canasatego, Logan, and others, who in former years guided the destinies of hispeople. He is considered to have a better knowledge of the traditionsand ancient usages of the Six Nations than any other member of thetribes, and is the only man now living who can tell the meaning of everyword of the "Book of Rites. "

The other chief to whom I have referred is the Onondaga Councillor whois known to the whites as John Buck, but who bears in council the nameof Skanawati ("Beyond the River"), one of the fifty titular names whichhave descended from the time of Hiawatha. He is the official keeper ofthe "wampum records" of the confederacy, an important trust, which, tohis knowledge, has been in his family for at least four generations. Hisrank, his character, and his eloquence make him now, virtually, theIroquois premier--an office which among the Six Nations, as among theAthenians of old and the English of modern days, is both unknown to theconstitution and essential to its working. His knowledge of the legendsand customs of his people is only inferior to that of the more agedSpeaker of the Council. 

The account which Chief J. S. Johnson gave me of the book may be brieflytold. The English missionaries reduced the Canienga language to writingin the early part of the last century. The Jesuit fathers, indeed, hadlearned and written the language--which they styled the Iroquois--fiftyyears before; but it does not appear that they had instructed any of theIndians in the art of writing it, as their successors in the EasternProvince have since done. The English missionaries took pains to dothis. The liturgy of their church was printed in the Mohawk tongue, atNew York, as early as the year 1714. [Footnote: This date is given inthe preface to the Mohawk Prayer Book of 1787. This first version of theliturgy was printed under the direction of the Rev. Wm. Andrews, themissionary of the "New England Society. "] By the middle of the centurythere were many members of the tribe who could write in the well-devisedorthography of the missionaries--an orthography which anticipated inmost points the well known "Pickering alphabet, " now generally' employedin writing the Indian languages of North America. The chiefs of theGreat Council, at once conservative and quick to learn, saw theadvantages which would accrue from preserving, by this novel method, theforms of their most important public duty--that of creating newchiefs--and the traditions connected with their own body. They causedthe ceremonies, speeches and songs, which together made up theproceedings of the Council when it met for the two purposes, alwayscombined, of condolence and induction, to be written down in the wordsin which they had been preserved in memory for many generations. ACanienga chief, named David, a friend of Brant, is said to haveaccomplished the work. In Stone's Life of Sir William Johnson, mentionis made of a Mohawk chief, "David of Schoharie, " who in May, 1757, led atroop of Indians from his town to join the forces under Sir William, inhis expedition to Crown Point, to repel the French invaders. [Footnote:_Life of Sir William Johnson_, Vol. II. P. 29] Brant appears tohave been in this expedition. [Footnote: Ibid. , p. 174] It is highlyprobable that in Chief David of Schoharie we have the compiler, orrather the scribe, of this "Iroquois Veda. "

The copy of this book which Chief J. S. Johnson possessed was made byhimself under the following circumstances: During the prevalence of theAsiatic cholera, in 1832, the tribes on the Reserve sufferedseverely. Chief Johnson, then a young man and not yet a leader in theGreat Council, was active in attending on the sick. He was called tovisit an aged chief, who was not expected to live. The old chiefinformed him that he had this book in his possession, and advised him, as he was one of the few who could write the language, to make a copy ofit, lest by any accident the original should be lost. Johnson followedthis advice, and copied the book on loose sheets of paper, from which heafterwards transcribed it into a small unbound book, resembling aschoolboy's copy-book. He states that the original book contained, besides the ceremonies of the Condoling Council, an addition by a laterhand, comprising some account of the more recent history of the SixNations, and particularly of their removal from New York to Canada. Thisportion of it he unfortunately omitted to copy, and shortly afterwardsthe book itself was destroyed, when the house of the old chief wasaccidentally burned. 

The other copy which I transcribed was held by Chief John Buck, in hisofficial capacity of record-keeper. It is written in a somewhatdifferent orthography. The syllables are separated, as in the usualstyle of Indian hymnbooks, and some of the words, particularly theproper names, show by their forms that the person who copied the bookwas an Onondaga. The copy was evidently not made from that of ChiefJohnson, as it supplies some omissions in that copy. On the other hand, it omits some matters, and, in particular, nearly all the adjurationsand descriptive epithets which form the closing litany accompanying thelist of hereditary councillors. The copy appears, from a memorandumwritten in it, to have been made by one "John Green, " who, it seems, wasformerly a pupil of the Mohawk Institute at Brantford. It bears thedate of November, 1874. I could not learn where he found his original. 

The translation has been made from the dictation of Chief J. S. Johnson, who explained the meaning of the archaic words in the modern Caniengaspeech. This was interpreted in English by his son, Chief GeorgeH. M. Johnson, and afterwards more fully elucidated by my esteemedfriend, the Rev. Isaac Bearfoot, who kindly came from his parish, atPoint Edward (near Sarnia), to the Reserve, to assist me in thiswork. Mr. Bearfoot is an Onondaga by birth, but a Canienga by adoption, and has a thorough knowledge of the Canienga language. He prepared therevised edition of the hymnbook in that language, which is now used onthe Reserve. He is a good English scholar, and, having been educated inToronto for the ministry, has filled for some years, with muchacceptance, the office of pastor to a white congregation of the Churchof England. I am greatly indebted to him for his judicious assistance, and, finally, for a complete revision of the entire version of theCanienga portion of the book. 

To my friend Chief George Johnson I am under still greaterobligations. Mr. Johnson, as has been stated, is the son of ChiefJ. S. Johnson, and is himself a high chief of the Canienga nation. Hebears in the Great Council the name of Teyonhehkwen (otherwise speltDeyonheghgonh), meaning "Double Life, " one of the titular names whichwere borne by the companions of Hiawatha and Atotarho in the firstcouncil. He succeeded in this title, according to the rules of theconfederacy, his maternal uncle, on the nomination of his mother, as thechief matron of the family. Mr. Johnson is an educated gentleman. Inearly life he was a pupil of the English missionaries. He now holds theposition of Government Interpreter for the Six Nations, and is, in fact, the chief executive officer of the Canadian government on theReserve. His duties have several times brought him into collision withthe white ruffians who formerly infested the Reserve, and from whom hehas on two occasions suffered severe injuries, endangering his life. Hiscourage and firmness, however, have been finally successful in subduingthis mischief, and the Reserve is now as secure and as free fromdisorder as any part of Canada. To Chief, George Johnson's assistanceand encouragement I owe most of the information contained in thesepages, and I am glad to have an opportunity of paying him this tributeof respect and gratitude. 

The second or supplementary part of the Book, which is in the Onondagadialect, was found on the, small Reservation in the State of New York, near Syracuse, where a feeble remnant of the great Onondaga nation stillcling to the home of their forefathers. In October, 1875, during myfirst visit to Onondaga Castle, as this Reservation is called, Iobtained from the intelligent interpreter, Daniel La Fort--a son of thedistinguished chief Abram La Fort (Dehatkatons), who is commemorated inClark's "Onondaga"--a list of the original councillors in the Onondagadialect, and also a copy, in the same dialect, of the "Condoling Song, "which I had heard sung on the Canadian Reserve, and which I afterwardsfound in the Canienga Book of Rites. He read them to me from a smallmanuscript book, in which, as I then supposed, he had noted them for hisown convenience. When I afterwards discovered the Canienga book, itoccurred to me that I might have been mistaken on this point, and thatthe manuscript from which he read was possibly a copy of the Book ofRites in the Onondaga dialect. To clear up this point, I again visitedOnondaga Castle, in September, 1880. I then found, to my greatgratification, that his book was not a copy, but a valuable addition, orrather an essential complement, to the Canienga book. The last-namedbook comprises the speeches which are addressed by the representativesof the three elder nations to the younger members of the League, whenever a chief who belonged to the latter is lamented. The Onondagabook, on the other hand, gives us the exhortations which are addressedby the younger nations to the elder when a chief of the latter ismourned. The circumstance to which it owes its preservation on theOnondaga Reserve is easily explained. Of late years, since thechieftainships among the New York Senecas and Tuscaroras have been madepurely elective offices, the only body of Indians in that State amongwhom the original system of mingled descent and appointment has beenretained is the remnant of the intensely conservative Onondagas. Amongthese, in spite of missionary efforts continued for two centuries, paganism still lingers, and chiefs are still "raised up" as nearly aspossible after the ancient fashion. When a chief dies, the members ofhis family or clan select another, who is presented to the nationalcouncil for induction. The ceremonies of condolence, with which theproceedings commence, are modeled after the primitive form. As theOnondagas were one of the elder nations, the addresses of condolencemust proceed from a younger brother. Fortunately for this purpose, a fewOneidas reside on the Reserve, among whom is a single chief, by nameAbram Hill. To him is committed the duty of representing the "youngerbrothers" on this occasion, and with it the charge of the wampumstrings, which are produced occasionally as the ceremony proceeds, eachstring representing one section or topic of the condoling address. 

La Fort said that he had copied his book from a manuscript in hisfather's handwriting. This manuscript, unfortunately, was lost, and hecould not say whether his rather had first written it down from memory, or had merely transcribed it from an earlier composition. However thismay have been, the substance of the composition undoubtedly dates from aperiod preceding the disruption of the confederacy. The language, indeed, so far as can be judged from the very irregular orthography, ismodern. If, as there is reason to suppose, the composition is ancient, it has evidently undergone a "revision" at the hands of the latercopyists. In former times, as we know from the Jesuit vocabularies, thesound of _r_ existed in the Onondaga dialect. Since their day thissound has disappeared from it entirely. In La Fort's manuscript theletter frequently occurred, but always, as his pronunciation showed, either as a diacritical sign following the vowel _a_, to give tothat vowel the sound of _a_ in "far, " or else as representingitself this vowel sound. Thus the syllable which should properly bewritten _sa_ was written by La Fort either _sar_ or _sr_. But, though the language is modern, the speeches themselves, as I amassured by Chief John Buck, are precisely those which are still in useamong his people in Canada, and which are believed to have beenpreserved in memory from the days of their forefathers. [Footnote: Thedisappearance of a vocal element from a language is a phenomenon withwhich etymologists are familiar. The loss of the Greek digamma is awell-known instance. The harsh guttural, resembling the German ch. Which formerly existed in the English language, has vanished from it, leaving its traces in the uncouth orthography of such words as_plough_, _high_, _though_, and the like. Within the pastthree centuries the sound of _I_ has been lost from many words, such as _walk_, _talk_, _balm_ and _calm_. The soundof _r_ is disappearing from a large portion of the language. Inordinary speech, _arm_ rhymes with _calm_, _morning_ with_fanning_, _higher_ with _Sophia_. Modern French, as iswell known, has attained its present euphony through the disappearanceof consonantal elements from many words in which they formerly existed. ]

The translation of La Fort's book was procured from him and anothereducated member of his tribe; but there was not time to obtain all theelucidations needed to ensure precise verbal accuracy throughout. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE CONDOLING COUNCIL. --CLANS AND CLASSES. 

The name usually given to the Book of Rites, or rather to its contents, is, in the Canienga dialect, _Okayondonghsera Yondennase_ (or inthe French missionary orthography, _Okaiontonhstra Iontennase_), which may be rendered "Ancient Rites of the Condoling Council. "[Footnote: _Okaionlonhsera_ is a substantive derived from_akaion_, old, or ancient. The termination _sera_ gives it anabstract sense. "The antiquities, " or rather "the ancientnesses, " is thenearest literal rendering which our language allows, _Iontennase_is a verbal form, derived from _kitenre_ (in Bruyas, _gentenron_), to pity, or sympathize with. It may be rendered "theywho sympathize, " or "the condolers. " Both, words, however, have acquireda special meaning in their application to these ceremonies. ] Among themany councils, civil and religious, tribal and federal, in which thepublic spirit and social temper of the Iroquois found their mostcongenial and most popular mode of display, the Yondennase, theCondoling (or Mourning) Council, held the highest rank. It was, in acertain way, typical of the whole, and comprised the elements of all theother councils. In its earlier form this council was not peculiar to theIroquois. We know, from the Jesuit reports, that it was the custom ofthe Hurons to hold a public lamentation for the death of a chief, and atthe same time to appoint another who should take his place and assumehis name. But that which among the Hurons was merely a tribal custombecame, in the Iroquois form of government, an important institution, essential to the maintenance of their state. By the ordinances of theirLeague, it was required that the number of their federal senate shouldbe maintained undiminished. On the death of one of its members, it wasthe duty of the nation to which he belonged to notify the other nationsof the event, and of the time and place at which he would be lamentedand his successor installed. The notice was given in the usual manner, by official messengers, who bore for credentials certain strings ofwampum, appropriate to the occasion. The place of meeting was commonlythe chief town of the nation which had suffered the loss. In this nationa family council, under the presidency, and subject, indeed (as has beenshown), to the controlling decision, of the chief matron of the deceasedsenator's kindred--usually his mother, if she survived him--was in themeantime convened to select his successor. The selection must beapproved both by his clan and by his nation; but as their sentimentswere generally known beforehand, this approval was rarelywithheld. Indeed, the mischief resulting from an unsuitable choice wasalways likely to be slight; for both the national council and thefederal senate had the right of deposing any member who was foundunqualified for the office. 

At the appointed day the chiefs of the other nations approached theplace of meeting. A multitude of their people, men and women, usuallyaccompanied them, prepared to take part both in the exhibitions of griefand in the festivities which always followed the installation of the newcouncillor. The approaching chiefs halted when they reached the borderof the "opening, " or cleared space surrounding the town. Here took placethe "preliminary ceremony, " styled in the Book of Rites, "_Deyughnyonkwarakda_, " a word which means simply "at the edge ofthe woods. " At this point a fire was kindled, a pipe was lighted andpassed around with much formality, and an address of welcome was made bythe principal chief of the inviting nation. The topics of this addresscomprised a singular mixture of congratulation and condolence, and seemto have been prescribed forms, which had come down from immemorialantiquity, as appropriate to the occasion. 

The guests were then formally conducted--"led by the hand, " as the Bookrecites--to the Council House of the town. They seem, anciently atleast, to have advanced in the order of their clans. The towns belongingto the Wolf clan were first enumerated--probably as the chiefs belongingto them took their places--then the towns of the Tortoise clan (ordouble clan, as it is styled), and finally those of the Bear clan. Inall, twenty-three towns are named. Five of them are expressly stated tohave been "added lately. " The residue are supposed to be the names ofthe towns in which the people of the Five Nations resided at the timewhen the confederacy was formed, though this point is uncertain. Thatfew of these can now be identified, is what would naturally beexpected. It is well known that the Indians had the custom of removingtheir towns from time to time, at intervals varying from ten to twentyyears, as the fuel in their neighborhood became exhausted, and as thediminished crops under their primitive mode of agriculture showed theneed of fresher soil. Only those villages would be permanent whoselocalities offered some special advantages, as fortresses, fishingplaces, or harbors. [Footnote: See Appendix, note E. ]

This list of towns has another peculiarity which arrests theattention. It apparently comprises all the towns of the League, butthese are divided among only three clans, those of the Wolf, theTortoise and the Bear. The other clans of the confederacy are not oncenamed in the book. Yet there are indications which show that when thelist of chiefs which concludes the book was written, at a date longafter this list of towns was first recited, other clans existed in threeof the nations. This is an important point, which merits furtherconsideration. Those who have read the admirable account of the "Leagueof the Iroquois, " by Morgan, and his philosophic work on "AncientSociety, " are aware that he has brought out and elucidated with muchclearness and force the nature and results of the remarkable clan systemwhich prevails among the North American Indians. It is not universal, asit does not seem to be known among the widely scattered bands of theCrees and the Athapascans, or among the Indians of Oregon. [Footnote:See _Ancient Society_, pp. 167, 175, 177. ] It was found, however, among the great majority of tribes in the region north of Mexico andeast of the Rocky Mountains, and was sufficiently alike in all toindicate a common origin. Mr. Morgan finds this origin in a kinship, real or supposed, among the members of each clan. He considers the clan, or gens, and not the single family, to be the natural unit of primitivesociety. It is, in his view, a stage through which the human race passesin its progress from the savage state to civilization. It is difficult, however, to reconcile this theory with the fact that among some races, as for example, the Polynesian and Feejeean, which are in precisely thesame stage of social advancement as the North American Indians, thisinstitution is unknown; and even among the Indians, as has been said, itis not everywhere found. There are many indications which seem to showthat the system is merely an artificial arrangement, instituted forsocial convenience. It is natural, in the sense that the desire forassociation is natural to man. The sentiment is one which manifestsitself alike in all stages of society. The guilds of the middle ages, the masonic and other secret brotherhoods, religious organizations, trade unions, clubs, and even political parties, are all manifestationsof this associative instinct. The Indian clan was simply a brotherhood, an aggregate of persons united by a common tie, sometimes of origin, sometimes merely of locality. These brotherhoods were not permanent, butwere constantly undergoing changes, forming, dividing, coalescing, vanishing. The names of many of them show their recent origin. TheChicasas have a "Spanish clan. " [Footnote: _Ancient Society_, p. 163. ] The Shawnees had a "Horse clan. " [Footnote: Ibid, p. 168. ] TheIroquois, of Eastern Canada, made up of fragments of all the FiveNations, had an "Onondaga clan, " and an "Oneida clan. " [Footnote:Rotisennakete, and Rotinenhiotronon. See J. A. Cuoq, _Lexique de laLangut Iroquoise_, p. 154. The proper meaning of these names will behereafter shown. ] It is a curious fact that, as Mr. Morgan states, "theIroquois claim to have originated a division of the people into tribes[clans or gentes] as a means of creating new relationships, to bind thepeople more firmly together. It is further asserted by them that theyforced or introduced this social organization among the Cherokees, theChippeways (Massasaugas) and several other Indian nations, with whom, inancient times, they were in constant intercourse. " "The fact, " he adds, "that this division of the people of the same nation into tribes doesnot prevail generally among our Indian races, favors the assertions ofthe Iroquois. " [Footnote: _League of the Iroquois_, p. 91. ]Further inquiry and reflection led this distinguished investigator totake a totally different view, and to go to what may be deemed theopposite extreme of regarding this clan system as an essential stage inthe growth of human society. 

There can be no question that an idea of kinship pervaded the clansystem, and was its ruling element. It may, in many instances, have beenpurely imaginary and, so to speak, figurative, like the "brotherhood" ofour secret associations; but it was none the less efficacious andbinding. As the members of a clan regarded themselves as brothers andsisters, marriages among them were not allowed. This led, of course, toconstant intermarriages between members of the different clans of whicha nation was composed, thus binding the whole nation together. What thefounders of the Iroquois League did was to extend this system of socialalliances through the entire confederacy. The Wolf clansman of theCaniengas was deemed a brother of the Wolf clansman of the Senecas, though originally there may have been no special connection betweenthem. It was a tie apparently artificial in its origin, as much so asthe tie which binds a freemason of Berlin to a freemason of NewOrleans. But it came to have all the strength of a tie ofkindred. Mr. Morgan has well pointed out the wisdom shown by theIroquois founders, in availing themselves of this powerful element ofstrength in the formation of their federal constitution. [Footnote:_League of the Iroquois_, p. 82, _et seq_. ] Their government, though politically a league of nations, was socially a combination ofclans. In this way Hiawatha and Dekanawidah may be deemed to have givento the system of clan-ship an extension and a force which it had notpreviously possessed; and it is by no means unlikely that this examplemay, as the Iroquois assert, have acted upon neighboring nations, andled to a gradual increase in the number and influence of thesebrotherhoods. 

But here a discrepancy presents itself in the Iroquois system, which hasperplexed all who have written on the subject. Two of the Six Nations, the Caniengas and Oneidas, had only three clans, the Wolf, the Tortoiseand the Bear; while the others had, or at least have, each eight ornine, and these variously styled in the different nations. The threewhich have been named are, indeed, found in all; but besides thesethree, the Onondagas have five, Deer, Eel, Beaver, Ball and Snipe. TheCayugas and Senecas have also eight clans, which are similar to those ofthe Onondagas, except that among the Cayugas the Ball clan is replacedby the Hawk, and among the Senecas both Ball and Eel disappear, and arereplaced by Hawk and Heron. The Tuscaroras have likewise eight clans, but among these are neither the Hawk, the Heron or the Ball. In lieu ofthem the Wolf clan is divided into two, the Gray Wolf and the YellowWolf, and the Tortoise furnishes two, the Great Tortoise and the LittleTortoise; [Footnote: It is deserving of notice that this division of theTortoise clan seems to exist in a nascent form among the Onondagas. Thename of this clan is Hahnowa, which is the general word for tortoise;but the clan is divided into two septs or subdivisions, theHanyatengona, or Great Tortoise, and the Nikahnowaksa, or LittleTortoise, which together are held to constitute but one clan. How or whythe distinction is kept up I did not learn. In the Book of Rites theTortoise clan is also spoken of in the dual number--"the two clans ofthe Tortoise. " It is probable, therefore, that this partial subdivisionextended throughout the original Five Nations, and became complete amongthe Tuscaroras. ] the Bear, the Beaver, the Eel and the Snipe remain, asamong the Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas. 

We are naturally led to ask how it happens that only three clans arefound among the Caniengas and Oneidas, while the other nations haveeight. Mr. Morgan was inclined to think that the other five once existedamong the two former nations, and had become extinct. [Footnote:_League of the Iroquois_, p. 81. Ancient Society, p. 92. ] Thenative annalists of those nations, however, affirm that no more thanthree clans ever existed among them. This assertion is now confirmed, indirectly but strongly, by the testimony of the Book of Rites, whichseems to show that only three clans were recognized in the wholeconfederacy when the League was formed. All the towns of the unitednations were distributed among the three primary clans of the Wolf, theTortoise and the Bear. If the other clans existed, it was probablymerely as septs or divisions of these three. [Footnote: "The Turtlefamily, or the Anowara, was the most noble of the whole League; nextcame the Ochquari, or clan of the Bear, and the Oquacho, or that of theWolf. These three were so prominent that Zeisberger hardly recognizesthe others. "--_De Sckweinitz's Life of Zeisberger_, p. 79. Zeisberger had been adopted into the nation of the Onondagas andthe clan of the Tortoise. His knowledge of the laws and usages of theKanonsionni was acquired chiefly in that nation. Charlevoix makes theBear the leading clan of the Iroquois. It would seem that the relativerank of the clans varied in the different nations. The chiefs of theWolf clan come first in the list of Oneida councillors. ] It is morelikely, however, that these additional clans were of later creation orintroduction. Their origin, as well as their restriction to the threewestern nations, may be easily explained. The successive conquestsachieved by the Iroquois in the early part of the seventeenth centuryhad the result of incorporating with their people great numbers ofHurons, Eries, Attiwandaronks, Andastes, and other captives belonging totribes of the same stock, speaking similar dialects, and having usagesclosely resembling those of their captors. Of these captives, some weredirectly adopted into the Iroquois families and clans; but a largernumber remained for a time in separate towns, retaining their ownusages. They were regarded, however, and they regarded themselves, asIroquois. Constant intercourse and frequent intermarriages soonabolished all distinctions of national origin. But the distinction ofclan-ship would remain. The Hurons (or, at least, the Tionontates, orTobacco Nation) had clans of the Deer and the Hawk, and they had a Snakeclan bearing a name (_yagonirunon_) not unlike the name of theOnondaga Eel clan (_ogontena_), and evidently derived from the sameroot. The other conquered nations had doubtless some peculiar clans; forthese brotherhoods, as has been shown, were constantly in process offormation and change among the Indian tribes. Almost all the captiveswere incorporated with the three western nations of the League, to whomthe conquered tribes were mostly nearer than to the Caniengas andOneidas. The origin of the additional clans among the Onondagas, Cayugasand Senecas is thus readily understood. 

One fact, important in its connection with the structure of the federalcouncil, remains to be noted, and if possible, elucidated. Thecouncillors of each nation were divided into classes, whose part in thedeliberations of the councils bore a certain resemblance to that held bythe committees of our legislatures. The operation of this system cannotbe better described than in the words of Morgan: "The founders of theconfederacy, seeking to obviate, as far as possible, altercation incouncil, and to facilitate their progress to unanimity, divided thesachems of each nation into classes, usually of two or three each, aswill be seen by referring to the table of sachemships. No sachem waspermitted to express an opinion in council, until he had agreed with theother sachem or sachems of his class upon the opinion to be expressed, and had received an appointment to act as speaker for the class. Thusthe eight Seneca sachems, being in four classes, could have but fouropinions, the ten Cayuga sachems but four. In this manner each class wasbrought to unanimity within itself. A cross-consultation was then heldbetween the four sachems who represented the four classes; and when theyhad agreed, they appointed one of their number to express theirresulting opinion, which was the answer of their nation. The severalnations having, by this ingenious method, become of 'one mind'separately, it only remained to compare their several opinions to arriveat the final sentiment of all the sachems of the League. This waseffected by a conference between the individual representatives of theseveral nations; and when they had arrived at unanimity, the answer ofthe League was determined. " [Footnote: _League of the Iroquois_, p, 112. ]

A careful consideration of the facts, in the light cast upon them by theevidence of the "Book of Rites" and the testimony of the CanadianIroquois, leaves no doubt that these classes were originally identicalwith the clans. Among the Caniengas and Oneidas this identity stillexists. Each of these nations received nine representatives in thefederal council. These were--and still are--divided into three eachcomposed of three members, and each class representing a clan. In theCanienga tribe the members of the first class are all of the Tortoiseclan, those of the second class are of the Wolf clan, and those of thethird class of the Bear clan. Among the Oneidas, the councillors of thefirst class belong to the Wolf clan, those of the second class to theTortoise clan, and those of the third class to the Bear clan. Such wasthe information which Mr. Morgan received from his Seneca friends, andsuch I found to be the fact among the Iroquois now in Canada. When wecome to the other nations we find a wholly different state of things. Nocorrespondence now exists between the classes and the clans. The Cayugashave now, as has been shown, eight clans; but of these only six, according to the list given by Morgan, and only five in that furnishedto me by the Canadian chiefs, are represented in the council. These aredistributed in three classes, which do not correspond to the clans. InMorgan's list the first class has five members, the first of whombelongs to the Deer clan, the second to that of the Heron, the third andfourth to that of the Bear, and the fifth to that of the Tortoise. In mylist this class also comprises five chiefs, of whom the first two(identical in name with the first two of Morgan) belong to the Deerclan, while the third (who bears the same name as Mr. Morgan's third)is of the Bear clan. In the "Book of Rites" the first Cayuga classcomprises only two chiefs, but their clans (which were supposed to beknown to the hearers) are not indicated. The fourteen Onondagacouncillors are divided into five classes, according to Morgan, and alsoin the modern Canadian list. The "Book of Rites" seems to give onlyfour, but none of these--according to the evidence of the Canadianchiefs--correspond with the modern clans; and the same councillor, inlists received from different sources, is found to belong to differentclasses and different clans. Thus the distinguished title of Skanawatiis borne, in Mr. Morgan's list, by a chief of the fifth class and ofthe third clan. In the list obtained by me at Onondaga Castle this chiefis of the fourth class and of the Ball clan. The great Seneca chiefKanyadariyo is, in Mr. Morgan's list, a member of the Tortoise clan, while among the Canadian Senecas he belongs to the Wolf clan. In short, it is evident that the introduction of the new clans among the westernnations has thrown this part of their constitutional system intoconfusion. The probability is that when the confederacy was establishedonly three clans, Bear, Wolf and Tortoise, existed among the Iroquois, as only three clans, Bear, Wolf and Turkey, existed in recent timesamong their Algonkin neighbors, the Lenni Lenape, or Delawares. Thus theclasses of their Council grew spontaneously out of their clan system, asthe senators of each clan would naturally consult together. Afterwardsnew clans arose; but it seems probable that when the list of councillorscomprised in the "Book of Rites" was written--that is, about the middleof the last century--the correspondence of classes and clans was stillmaintained. The number of both was increased in the western tribes, buteach class was still composed of chiefs of the same clan. The writtenbook fixed the classes to a certain extent, but the clans to which theirmembers belonged continued to vary, under the influence of political andsocial changes. If, at the death of a councillor, no member of his clanwas found qualified to succeed him, a successor would be elected fromanother clan which was deemed to be in some way connected with him. Iwas assured by the Onondaga chiefs of the New York Reservation that thiswas their rule at present; and it is quite sufficient to account for thedeparture, in the western nations, from the ancient system. It isevident that after the nations and clans were rent to fragments by thedissensions and emigration caused by the American Revolution, thesechanges would, for a time, be necessarily frequent. And thus it happensthat chiefs are found in the duplicate confederacies which after thisdisruption were established in Canada and New York, who bear the sametitular designation, but differ both in the clans and in the classes towhich they belong. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE CONDOLENCE AND THE INSTALLATION. 

With the arrival at the Council House the "opening ceremony" isconcluded. In the house the members of the Council were seated in theusual array, on opposite sides of the house. On one side were the threeelder nations, the Caniengas, Onondagas, and Senecas, and on the otherthe younger, who were deemed, and styled in Council, the offspring ofthe former. These younger members, originally two in number, the Oneidasand Cayugas, had afterwards an important accession in the Tuscaroranation; and in later years several smaller tribes, or, as they werestyled, additional braces of the Extended House, werereceived;--Tuteloes, Nanticokes, Delawares and others. In the Onondagaportion of the book the younger tribes speak as "we three brothers. "The earliest of the later accessions seems to have taken place about theyear 1753, when the Tuteloes and Nanticokes were admitted. [Footnote:_N. Y. Hist. Col. _, Vol. 6, p. 811. Stone's _Life of Sir WilliamJohnson_, p. 414. ] These circumstances afford additional evidencethat the Book was originally written prior to that date and subsequentto the year 1714, when the Tuscaroras were received into the League. 

If the deceased chief belonged to one of the three older nations, theduty of conducting the condoling ceremony which followed was performedby the younger nations, who mourned for him as for a father or anuncle. If he were a chief of one of the younger nations, the otherslamented him as a son or a nephew. The mourning nations selected astheir representative a high chief, usually a distinguished orator, familiar with the usages and laws of the League, to conduct theseceremonies. The lamentations followed a prescribed routine, eachsuccessive topic of condolence being indicated by a string of wampum, which, by the arrangement of its beads, recalled the words to the memoryof the officiating chief. In the "Book of Rites" we have these addressesof condolence in a twofold form. The Canienga book gives us the formused by the elder nations; and the Onondaga supplement adds the formemployed by the younger brothers. The former is more ancient, andapparently more dignified and formal. The speaker addresses the mournersas his children (_konyennetaghkwen_, "my offspring, ") and reciteseach commonplace of condolence in a curt and perfunctory style. He wipesaway their tears that they may see clearly; he opens their ears thatthey may hear readily. He removes from their throats the obstructionwith which their grief is choking them, so that they may ease theirburdened minds by speaking freely to their friends. And finally, as theloss of their lamented chief may have occurred in war--and at all eventsmany of their friends have thus perished--he cleans the mats on whichthey are sitting from the figurative bloodstains, so that they may for atime cease to be reminded of their losses, and may regain their formercheerfulness. 

The condolence of the younger brothers, expressed in the Onondaga book, is more expansive and more sympathetic. Though apparently disfiguredand mutilated by repeated transcriptions, it bears marks of having beenoriginally the composition of a superior mind. All such topics ofconsolation as would occur to a speaker ignorant or regardless of afuture life are skillfully presented, and the whole address is imbuedwith a sentiment of cordial tenderness and affection. Those who havebeen accustomed to regard the Indians as a cold-hearted people will findit difficult to reconcile that view of their character with the contraryevidence afforded by this genuine expression of their feelings, and, indeed, by the whole tenor of the Book. 

This address concludes with the emphatic words, "I have finished; nowpoint me the man;" or, as the words were paraphrased by the interpreter, "Now show me the warrior who is to be the new chief. " The candidate forsenatorial honors, who is to take the place and name of the deceasedcouncillor, is then brought forward by his nation. His admission by theassembled Council, at this stage of the proceedings, is a matter ofcourse; for his nation had taken care to ascertain, before the meeting, that the object of their choice would be acceptable to the councillorsof the other nations. The ceremony of induction consisted in the formalbestowal of the new name by which he was henceforth to be known. Achief placed himself on each side of the candidate, and, grasping hisarms, marched him to and fro in the Council house, between the lines ofthe assembled senators. As they walked they proclaimed his new name andoffice, and recited, in a measured chant, the duties to which he was nowcalled, the audience responding at every pause with the usual chorus ofassent. 

When this ceremony was finished, and the new councillor had taken hisproper seat among the nobles of his nation, the wampum belts, whichcomprised the historical records of the federation, were produced, andthe officiating chief proceeded to explain them, one by one, to theassemblage. This was called "reading the archives. " In this way aknowledge of the events signified by the wampum was fastened, byrepeated iteration, in the minds of the listeners. Those who doubtwhether events which occurred four centuries ago can be remembered asclearly and minutely as they are now recited, will probably have theirdoubts removed when they consider the necessary operation of thiscustom. The orator's narrative is repeated in the presence of manyauditors who have often heard it before, and who would be prompt toremark and to correct any departure from the well-known history. 

This narrative is not recorded in the Book of Rites. At the time whenthat was written, the annals of the confederacy were doubtless supposedto be sufficiently preserved by the wampum records. The speeches andceremonies which followed, and which were of equal, if not greaterimportance, had no such evidences to recall them. From this statement, however, the "hymn" should be excepted; to each line of it, except thelast, a wampum string was devoted. With this exception, all was left tothe memory of the orator. The Homeric poems, the hymns of the Vedas, theKalewala, the Polynesian genealogies, and many other examples, show theexactness with which a composition that interests a whole nation may behanded down; but it is not surprising that when the chiefs became awareof the superior advantages of a written record, they should have hadrecourse to it. We need not doubt that Chief David of Schoharie, orwhoever else was the scribe appointed to this duty, has faithfullypreserved the substance, and, for the most part, the very words, of thespeeches and chants which he had often heard under such impressivecircumstances. 

The hymn, or _karenna_, deserves a special notice. In everyimportant council of the Iroquois a song or chant is considered a properand almost essential part of the proceedings. Such official songs arementioned in many reports of treaty councils held with them by theFrench and English authorities. In this greatest of all councils thesong must, of course, have a distinguished place. It follows immediatelyupon the address of greeting and condolence, and is, in fact, regardedas the completion of it, and the introduction to the equally importantceremony which is to follow, viz. , the repetition of the ancient laws ofthe confederacy. This particular hymn is of great antiquity. Some of thechiefs expressed to me the opinion that it was composed by Dekana-widahor Hiawatha. Its tenor, however, as well as that of the whole book, shows that it belongs to a later period. The ceremonies of the councilwere doubtless prescribed by the founders of the League; but thespeeches of the Book, and this hymn, all refer to the League as the workof a past age. The speakers appeal to the wisdom of their forefathers(literally, their grandsires), and lament the degeneracy of the latertimes. They expressly declare that those who established the "greatpeace" were in their graves, and had taken their work with them andplaced it as a pillow under them. This is the language of men whoremembered the founders, and to whom the burial of the last of them wasa comparatively recent event. If the league was formed, as seemsprobable, about the year 1450, the speeches and hymn, in their presentform, may reasonably be referred to the early part of the next century. There is reason to believe that the formation of the confederacy wasfollowed by wars with the Hurons and Algonkin tribes, in which, asusual, many changes of fortune took place. If the Hurons, as has beenshown, were expelled from their abode on the northern shore of theSt. Lawrence, the Mohegans, on the other hand, inflicted some seriousblows upon the eastern nations of the confederacy. [Footnote: See theJesuit _Relation_ for 1660, p. 6. ] The Delawares were not conqueredand reduced to subjection without a long and sanguinary struggle. In aCondoling Council we might expect that the tone of feeling would belugubrious; but the sense of loss and of danger is too marked in all thespeeches of the Canienga Book to be merely a formal utterance. It doesnot appear in those of the Onondaga Book, which is seemingly of latercomposition. 

The "karenna, " or chant of the Condoling Council, may be styled theNational Hymn of the Iroquois. A comparison between it and othernational hymns, whose chief characteristics are self-glorification anddefiance, might afford room for some instructive inferences. This hymn, it should be remarked, brief as it is, is regarded by the Indians as acollection of songs. Each line, in fact, is, in their view, a song byitself, and is brought to mind by its own special wampum string. Insinging, each line is twice repeated, and is introduced and followed bymany long-drawn repetitions of the exclamation _aihaigh_ (or rather_haihaih_) which is rendered "hail!" and from which the hymnderives its designation. In the first line the speaker salutes the"Peace, " or the league, whose blessings they enjoy. In the next hegreets the kindred of the deceased chief, who are the special objects ofthe public sympathy. Then he salutes the _oyenkondonh_, a termwhich has been rendered "warriors. " This rendering, however, may have amisleading effect. The word has nothing to do with war, unless in thesense that every grown man in an Indian community is supposed to be asoldier. Except in this hymn, the word in question is now disused. Anelderly chief assured me that he had sung it for years without knowingits precise meaning. Some of his fellow-councillors were betterinformed. The word is apparently derived from _ankwe_, man, whichin the Onondaga dialect becomes _yenkwe_. It comprises all the men(the "manhood" or mankind) of the nation--as, in the following verse, the word _wakonnyh_, which is also obsolete, signifies the"womanhood, " or all the women of the people with whom the singercondoles. In the next line he invokes the laws which their forefathersestablished; and he concludes by calling upon his hearers to listen tothe wisdom of their forefathers, which he is about to recite. As awhole, the hymn may be described as an expression of reverence for thelaws and for the dead, and of sympathy with the living. Such is the"national anthem, "--the Marseillaise, --of the ferocious Iroquois. 

The regard for women which is apparent in this hymn, and in otherpassages of the Book, is deserving of notice. The common notion thatwomen among the Indians were treated as inferiors, and made "beasts ofburden, " is unfounded so far as the Iroquois are concerned, and amongall other tribes of which I have any knowledge. With them, as withcivilized nations, the work of the community and the cares of the familyare fairly divided. Among the Iroquois the hunting and fishing, thehouse-building and canoe-making, fell to the men. The women cooked, madethe dresses, scratched the ground with their light hoes, planted andgathered the crops, and took care of the children. The household goodsbelonged to the woman. On her death, her relatives, and not her husband, claimed them. The children were also hers; they belonged to her clan, and in case of a separation they went with her. She was really the headof the household; and in this capacity her right, when she chanced to bethe oldest matron of a noble family, to select the successor of adeceased chief of that family, was recognized by the highest law of theconfederacy. That this rank and position were greatly prized is shown bya remarkable passage in the Jesuit Relations. A Canienga matron, becoming a Christian, left her country, with two of her children, toenjoy greater freedom in her devotions among the French. The act, writesthe missionary, so offended her family that, in a public meeting of thetown, "they degraded her from the rank of the nobility, and took fromher the title of Oyander, that is, honorable (_considerable_)--atitle which they esteem highly, and which she had inherited from herancestors, and deserved by her good judgment, her prudence, and herexcellent conduct; and at the same time they installed another in herplace. " [Footnote: _Relation_ of 1671, p. 6. The word_oyander_ in modern pronunciation becomes _oyaner_. It isderived from the root _yaner_, noble, and is the feminine form ofthe word _royaner_, lord, or nobleman, --the title applied to themembers of the federal council. ]

The complete equality of the sexes in social estimation and influence isapparent in all the narratives of the early missionaries, who were thebest possible judges on this point. Casual observers have been misledby the absence of those artificial expressions of courtesy which havedescended to us from the time of chivalry, and which, however graciousand pleasing to witness, are, after all, merely signs of condescensionand protection from the strong to the weak. The Iroquois does not giveup his seat to a woman, or yield her precedence on leaving a room; buthe secures her in the possession of her property, he recognizes herright to the children she has borne, and he submits to her decision thechoice of his future rulers. 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE LAWS OF THE LEAGUE. 

It is the custom of the officiating orator, while the chant is going on, to walk to and fro in the council-house. When the hymn is finished, hebreaks out into a passionate invocation to their forefathers, and alament over the degeneracy of the times. This, as the Frenchmissionaries inform us, was a favorite topic of Indianspeakers. [Footnote: See the _Relation_ of 1659, p. 57: "C'est laplainte ordinaire des Capitaines [of the Hurons] que tout se va perdant, a faute de garder les formes et coustoumes de leurs ancestres. "] Amongthe Iroquois, who could look back to an era of genuine statesmen andheroes, the authors of their constitution, this complaint must have hada peculiar force and sincerity. After this appeal to the founders oftheir state, there naturally followed an address to the Council and thepeople, reciting "all the rules they decided on, which they thoughtwould strengthen the house. " By "the house" was meant, of course, thehouse of many hearths, to which they likened their confederacy. The"rules" or laws which follow require some explanation, that their fullvalue may be understood. 

The first law prescribes that when a chief dies his office shall notperish with him. This is expressed, in their metaphorical style, by aninjunction that the "horns, " or insignia of office, shall not be buriedwith the deceased chief, but shall be taken off at his death, to betransferred to his successor. This rule is laid down in the most urgentand impressive terms. "We should perhaps all perish if his office isburied with him in his grave. " This systematic transmission of officialrank was, in fact, the vital principle of their government. It was inthis system that their federal union differed from the frequent andtransitory confederacies common among the Indian tribes. In general, among nearly all the tribes, the rank of a chief was personal. It wasgained by the character and achievements of the individual, and it diedwith him. Hence their government and policy, so far as they can be saidto have had any, were always uncertain and fluctuating. No personunderstood the Indian usages better than Zeisberger. His biographer haswell described the difference which existed in this respect between theIroquois and their neighbors. "The Algonkins, " he writes, "knew nothingof regular government. They had no system of polity; there was no unityof action among them. The affairs even of a single tribe were managed inthe loosest manner. " After briefly, but accurately, delineating theIroquois system of councils, he adds: "Thus they became both a politicaland a military power among the aborigines; the influence of their leaguewas felt everywhere, and their conquests extended in every direction. "[Footnote: De Schweinitz: _Life of Zeisberger_, p. 39. ] The principlethat "the chief dies but the office survives, "--the regular transmissionof rank, title and authority, by a method partly hereditary and partlyelective, --was the principle on which the life and strength of theIroquois constitution depended. 

Next followed a provision of hardly less importance. The wars among theIndian tribes arise almost always from individual murders. The killingof a tribesman by the members of another community concerns his wholepeople. If satisfaction is not promptly made, war follows, as a matterof course. [Footnote: _Relation, of_ 1636, p. 119. "C'est de laque naissent les guerres, et c'est un sujet plus que suffisant deprendre les armes contre quelque Village quand il refuse de satisfairepar les presents ordonnez, pour celuy qui vous aurait tue quelq'un desvostres. "--_Brebeuf, on the Hurons_. ] The founders of the Iroquoiscommonwealth decreed that wars for this cause should not be allowed torise between any of their cantons. On this point a special charge wasgiven to the members of the Great Council. They were enjoined (in thefigurative language employed throughout the Book) not to allow themurder to be discussed in a national assembly, where the exasperation ofthe young men might lead to mischief, but to reserve it for their ownconsideration; and they were required as soon as possible to bury allanimosities that might arise from it. The figure employed is impressive. They were to uproot a huge pine-tree--the well-known emblem of theirLeague--disclosing a deep cavity, below which an underground streamwould be swiftly flowing. Into this current they were to cast the causeof trouble, and then, replacing the tree, hide the mischief forever fromtheir people. 

How strictly in spirit these injunctions were followed, and with whatgood effect, their whole history shows. A notable instance of thereadiness and ingenuity of their statesmen in finding the means ofpublic reconciliation in such cases is given in the Jesuit narrative. Onthe 24th of July, 1657, a great council was held at Onondaga to considerthree matters, all of special import. First in order was the necessityof appeasing a threatened quarrel between two of the leading nations, the Senecas and the Caniengas, caused by a misadventure in which aSeneca "captain" had been killed by some warriors of the easternnation. Next in importance was the reception of a large party ofFrenchmen, headed by Father Francis le Mercier, the Superior of theJesuit missionaries in Canada, who had come to form a settlement amongthe Iroquois. And, finally, they had to prepare the plan and the meansfor an expedition against some hostile tribes. Before the meeting ofthe Council the Frenchmen had paid a formal visit to the Senecadelegates, whom they found "filling the air with songs of mourning" fortheir slaughtered chief, and had manifested their sympathy by a present, "to alleviate the grief" of the mourners. This incident seems to havesuggested to the assembled councillors a method of effecting--or atleast of announcing--the desired accommodation, and of paying at thesame time a happy compliment to their reverend visitors. By commonconsent the affair was referred to the arbitrament of the FatherSuperior, by whom the difference was promptly settled. [Footnote: Onthe: Grand conseil le 24 du mois de Juillet, ou toutes les Nationsremisent entre les mains d'Achiendase qui est nostre Père Superieur lediffrend Centre les Sonnontoüeronnons et les Agnieronnons, qui faitbien et terminé. --_Relation of_ 1657, p. 16. ] It was not necessaryfor the politic senators to inform their gratified visitors that theperformance in which they thus took part was merely a formality whichratified, or rather proclaimed, a foregone conclusion. Thereconciliation which was prescribed by their constitution hadundoubtedly been arranged by previous conferences, after their custom insuch matters, before the meeting of the Council. [Footnote: For acurious instance of the manner in which questions to be apparentlydecided by a Council were previously settled between the parties, seethe _Life of Zeisberger_, p. 190: "Gietterowane was the speaker onone side, Zeisberger on the other. These two consulted togetherprivately, --Zeisberger unfolding the import of the strings [of wampumwhich he had brought as ambassador] and Gietterowane committing tomemory what he said. "] So effective was this provision of theirconstitution that for more than three centuries this main cause ofIndian wars was rendered innocuous, and the "Great Peace" remainedundisturbed. This proud averment of their annalists, confirmed as it isfor more than half the period by the evidence of their white neighbors, cannot reasonably be questioned. What nation or confederacy ofcivilized Europe can show an exemption from domestic strife for so longa term?

The third rule or ordinance which the founders enacted "to strengthenthe house" is of a remarkable character. It relates to the mortuaryusages of the people; and when these are understood, the greatimportance of this law becomes apparent. Among the Indians of theHuron-Iroquois family the ordinary mourning for the dead becameexaggerated into customs of the most extravagant character, exhaustingthe time and strength of the warriors, and devouring their substance. The French missionaries have left us an account of these singular usagesamong the Hurons, some of which excited their respect, and others theirastonishment. "Our savages, " they wrote, "are in no way savage asregards the duties which nature herself requires us to render to thedead. You would say that their efforts, their toils and their commercehad no other end than to amass the means of honoring the departed. Theyhave nothing too precious for this object. To this they devote theirrobes of skins, their hatchets and wampum, in such profusion that youwould fancy they made nothing of them; and yet these are the riches oftheir country. Often in midwinter you will see them going almost naked, while they have at home, laid up in store, good and handsome robes, which they keep in reverence for the dead. This is their point ofhonor. In this, above all, they seek to show themselves magnificent. "[Footnote: Brebeuf, _Relation of_ 1636, p. 128. ]

During the three days that preceded the burial of the dead, or theremoval of his remains to the scaffold, the wails, groans andlamentations of the relatives and neighbors resounded in the cabin wherehe lay. All the stored riches were brought forth and lavished in gifts"to comfort the mourners. " The mourning did not end with the burial; infact, it may be said to have then only begun. The "great mourning, " asthe missionaries term it, lasted for six days longer, during which themourners lay, face downward, upon their mats, and enveloped in theirrobes, speechless, or replying only by an ejaculation to those whoaddressed them. During this period they had no fire in the house, evenin winter; they ate their food cold, and left the cabin only at night, and as secretly as possible. The "lesser mourning" lasted for a year, during which they refrained from oiling their hair, attended publicfestivals rarely, and only (in the case of women) when their mothersordered, and were forbidden to marry again. 

This, however, was not all. Once in twelve years was held a greatceremony of re-interment, --a solemn "feast of the dead, " as it wascalled. Until the day of this feast arrived, funeral rites in honor ofthe departed were repeated from time to time, and feasts were held, atwhich, as the expression was, their names were revived, while presentswere distributed, as at the time of their death. The great Feast of theDead, however, was the most important of all their ceremonies. Thebodies of all who had died in the nation during the preceding twelveyears were then exhumed, or removed from the scaffolds on which they hadbeen laid, and the festering corpses or cleansed bones were all interredtogether in a vast pit lined with robes of beaver skins, the mostprecious of all their furs. Wampum, copper implements, earthenware, themost valued of their possessions, were cast into the pit, which was thensolemnly closed with earth. While the ceremony was going on, richpresents of all descriptions, the accumulations of the past twelveyears, were distributed by the relatives of the deceased among thepeople. In this distribution, strange to say, valuable fur robes werefrequently cut and torn to pieces, so as to be rendered worthless. Alavish display and reckless destruction of wealth were deemed honors dueto the shades of the departed. [Footnote: See the _Relation_ for1636, p. 131. A most vivid and graphic description of theseextraordinary ceremonies is given in Parkman's admirable work, _TheJesuits in North America_, Chapter 7. ]

The Attiwandaronks, or Neutrals, who were the nearest neighbors of theIroquois, were still more extravagant in their demonstrations ofaffection for their lost friends. They, too, had their feasts of thedead, at regular intervals. In the meantime the bodies were kept intheir houses as long as possible--"until the stench became intolerable. "Then, when this proximity could no longer be borne, the remains wereleft for a period to decay on a scaffold in the open air. After a timethe remaining flesh was removed from the bones, which were arranged onthe sides of their cabins, in full view of the inmates, until the greatday of general interment. With these mournful objects before theireyes, renewing constantly the sense of their loss, the women of thehousehold were excited to frequent outbursts of grief, expressed inwailing chants. [Footnote: "Cet object qu'ils ont devant les yeux, leurrenouvellant continuellement le resentiment de leurs pertes, leur faitordinairement letter des cris, et faire des lamentations tout à faitlugubres, le tout en chanson. Mais cela ne se fait que par lesfemmes. "--_Relation_ of 1641, p. 73. ]

That the Iroquois in ancient times had funeral customs similar to thoseof their sister nations, and not less revolting, cannot be doubted. Howthese shocking and pernicious usages were abolished at one swoop isshown by the brief passage in the Book of Rites now underdiscussion. The injunctions are laconic, but full of meaning. When adeath occurs, the people are told, "this shall be done. " A delegation ofpersons, officially appointed for the purpose, shall repair to thedwelling of the deceased, bearing in a pouch some strands of mourningwampum. The leader, holding these strands, and standing by the hearth, shall address, in the name of the whole people, a few words of comfortto the mourners. And then "they shall be comforted, " and shall go onwith their usual duties. To this simple ceremony--supplemented, in thecase of a high chief, by the rites of the "Condoling Council, "--thepreposterous funeral usages, which pervaded the lives and wasted thewealth of the other nations of this stock, were reduced, by the wisdomof the Iroquois legislators. 

In considering these remarkable laws, it becomes evident that the workwhich Hiawatha and Dekanawidah accomplished was really a GreatReformation, not merely political, but also social and religious. Theydesired not only to establish peace among the nations, but also toabolish or modify such usages and beliefs as in their opinion wereinjurious to their people. It is deserving of notice that a divinityunknown, at least in name, to the Hurons, received special reverenceamong the Iroquois. The chief characters of the Huron pantheon were afemale deity, Ataensic, a sort of Hecate, whom they sometimes identifiedwith the moon, and her grandson, Juskeha, who was sometimes regarded asthe sun, and as a benevolent spirit, but most commonly in their storiesappears as a fantastic and capricious goblin, with no moral attributeswhatever. In the Iroquois mythology these deities are replaced by apersonage of a much higher character. Taronhiawagon, the Holder of theHeavens, was with them the Master of Life. He declared his will to themin dreams, and in like manner disclosed future events, particularly suchas were important to the public welfare. He was, in fact, the nationalgod of the Iroquois. It was he who guided their fathers in their earlywanderings, when they were seeking for a place of abode. He visited themfrom time to time, in person, to protect them from their enemies and toinstruct them in useful arts. 

It is possible that the Iroquois Taronhiawagon may have been originallythe same as the Huron Juskeha. Some eminent authorities on Indianmythology are inclined to this opinion. On the other hand, the earlierJesuit missionaries give no hint of such identity, and the Tuscarorahistorian, Cusick, seems to distinguish between these divinepersonages. But whether we accept this view or seek for any otherorigin, there seems reason to suppose that the more exalted conceptionof this deity, who is certainly, in character and attributes, one of thenoblest creations of the North American mythologies, dates from the eraof the confederacy, when he became more especially the chief divinityand protector of the Kanonsionni. [Footnote: See for Taronhiawagon theJesuit _Relations_ for 1670, pp. 47, 66, and for 1671, p. 17: alsoCusick, pp. 20, 22, 24, 34. For Juskeha, see the _Relation_ for1635, p. 34; 1636, pp. 101-103; 1640, p. 92. Lafitau in one place makesTharonhiawagon a deified man, and in another the grandson ofAtaensic. --_Moeurs des Sauvages Ameriquains_, Vol. 1. P. 146 andp. 244. ]

CHAPTER VII. 

HISTORICAL TRADITIONS. 

After the declaration of the laws of the League, there follows a passageof great historical importance. The speaker recites the names of thechiefs who represented the Five Nations in the conference by which thework of devising their laws and establishing their government wasaccomplished. The native name of the confederacy is here for the firsttime mentioned. In the guttural and rather irregular orthography of theBook it is spelt _Kanonghsyonny_. The Roman Catholic missionaries, neglecting the aspirate, which in the Iroquois pronunciation appears anddisappears as capriciously as in the spoken dialects of the south ofEngland, write the word Kanonsionni. It is usually rendered byinterpreters the "Long House, " but this is not precisely itsmeaning. The ordinary word for "long house" is _kanonses_ or_kanonsis_, --the termination _es_ or _is_ being theadjective suffix which signifies _long_. _Kanonsionni_ is acompound word, formed of _kanonsa_, _house_, and _ionni_, extended, or drawn out. The confederacy was compared to a dwelling whichwas extended by additions made to the end, in the manner in which theirbark-built houses were lengthened, --sometimes to an extent exceeding twohundred feet. When the number of families inhabiting these longdwellings was increased by marriage or adoption, and a new hearth wasrequired, the end-wall, --if this term may be applied to the slight frameof poles and bark which closed the house, --was removed, an addition ofthe required size was made to the edifice, and the closing wall wasrestored. Such was the figure by which the founders of the confederacyrepresented their political structure, a figure which was in itself adescription and an invitation. It declared that the united nations werenot distinct tribes, associated by a temporary league, but one greatfamily, clustered for convenience about separate hearths in a commondwelling; and it proclaimed their readiness to receive new members intothe general household. [Footnote: The people of the confederacy wereknown as _Rotinonsionni_, "They of the Extended House. " In theSeneca dialect this was altered and abridged to Hotinonsonni, the nhaving the French nasal sound. This word is written by Mr. Morgan, "Hodenosaunee. "]

The names of the six great chiefs who, as representatives of theirseveral nations, formed the confederacy, are in this narrative linkedtogether in a manner which declares their political kinship. The firstrulers or heads of the combined households were the Canienga Dekanawidahwith his "joint-ruler" and political son, the Oneida Otatsehte (orOdadsheghte), whose union with Dekanawidah was the commencement of theLeague. Next follows Otatsehte's uncle (and Dekanawidah's brother), theOnondaga Wathadodarho (Atotarho), who is accompanied by his son, theCayuga Akahenyonh. The uncle of the Cayuga representative, the Senecachief Kanadariyu, and his cousin, Shadekaronyes, represent the twosections into which the great Seneca nation was divided. The name ofHiawatha does not appear in this enumeration. According to the uniformtradition of the Five Nations, he was not merely present in theconvention, but was the leading spirit in its deliberations. But he didnot officially represent any nation. By birth a high chief of theOnondagas, he had been but newly adopted among the Caniengas. Each ofthese nations had entrusted its interests to its own most influentialchief. But the respect with which Hiawatha was regarded is indicated, ashas been already remarked, by his place in the list of fiftycouncillors, with whose names the Book concludes. Though so recentlyreceived among the haughty Caniengas, whose proud and jealous temper isoften noticed by the missionaries and other early observers, his name isplaced second in the list of their representatives, immediatelyfollowing that of Tekarihoken, the chief who stood highest in titularrank among the nobles of the Kanonsionni, and whose lineage was perhapsderived from the leader of their primitive migrations. 

The tradition runs that when the political frame of their confederacyhad been arranged by the members of this convention, and the number ofsenators who should represent each nation in the federal council hadbeen determined, the six delegates, with Hiawatha and some otheradvisers, went through all the nations, selecting--doubtless with theaid of a national council in each case--the chiefs who were toconstitute the first council. In designating these, --or rather, probably, in the ceremonies of their installation, --it is said that somepeculiar prerogative was conceded to the Onondagas, --that is, toAtotarho and his attendant chiefs. It was probably given as a mark ofrespect, rather than as conferring any real authority; but from thiscircumstance the Onondagas were afterwards known in the council by thetitle of "the nominators. " The word is, in the Canienga dialect, _Rotisennakehte_, --in Onondaga, _Hotisennakehte_. It meansliterally, "the name-carriers, "--as if, said one of my informants, theybore a parcel of names in a bag slung upon the back. 

Each of the other nations had also its peculiar name in the Council, distinct from the mere local designation by which it was commonlycalled. Thus the Caniengas had for their "Council name" the term_Tehadirihoken_. This is the plural form of the name of theirleading chief, Tekarihoken. Opinions differ much among the Indians asto the meaning of this name. Cusick, the Tuscarora historian, defines it"a speech divided, " and apparently refers it to the division of theIroquois language into dialects. Chief George Johnson, the interpreter, rendered it "two statements together, " or "two pieces of news together. "Another native informant thought it meant "one word in two divisions, "while a third defined it as meaning "between two words. " The root-wordof the name is the Canienga _orihwa_, or _karihwa_, (properly_karihoa_), which is defined "thing, affair, speech, news. "[Footnote: See Bruyas, _sub voce Gorihoa_. Mr. Morgan (_League ofthe Iroquois_, p. 97), who derived his information from the Senecas, says that the name "was a term of respect, and signifies 'neutral, ' or, as it may be rendered, the shield. " He adds, "its origin is lost inobscurity. "] It also apparently means office; thus we have thederivatives _garihont_, "to give some charge of duty to some one, "and _atrihont_, "to be an officer, or captain. " The name is in thepeculiar dual or rather duplicative form which is indicated by theprefix _te_ and the affix _ken_ or _ke_. It may possibly, therefore, mean "holding two offices, " and would thus be speciallyapplicable to the great Canienga noble, who, unlike most of his order, was both a civil ruler and a war-chief. But whether he gave his name tohis people, or received it from them, is uncertain. In other instancesthe Council name of a nation appears to have been applied in thesingular number to the leading chief of the nation. Thus the head-chiefof the Onondagas was often known by the title of _Sakosennakehte_, "the Name-carrier. " [Footnote: "Il y avait en cette bande un Capitainequi porte'le nom le plus considerable de toute sa Nation, Sagochiendagehte. "--_Relation_ of 1654, p. 8. Elsewhere, as in the_Relation_ for 1657, p. 17, this name is spelt Agochiendaguete. ]

The name of the Oneida nation in the Council was_Nihatirontakowa_--or, in the Onondaga dialect, _Nihatientakona_--usually rendered the "Great-TreePeople, "--literally, "those of the great log. " It is derived from_karonta_, a fallen tree or piece of timber, with the suffix_kowa_ or _kona_, great, added, and the verb-forming pronounprefixed. In the singular number it becomes _Niharontakowa_, whichwould be understood to mean "He is an Oneida. " The name, it is said, wasgiven to the nation because when Dekanawidah and Hiawatha first went tomeet its chief, they crossed the Oneida creek on a bridge composed of animmense tree which had fallen or been laid across it, and noted that theCouncil fire at which the treaty was concluded was kindled againstanother huge log. These, however, may be merely explanations invented inlater times. 

The Cayugas bore in Council the name of _Sotinonnawentona_, meaning"the Great-Pipe People. " In the singular it is_Sononnawentona_. The root of the word is _kanonnawen_, whichin composition becomes _kanonnawenta_, meaning pipe, or calumet. Itis said that the chief who in the first Council represented the Cayugassmoked a pipe of unusual size, which attracted the notice of the"name-givers. "

Finally the Seneca mountaineers, the _Sonnontowanas_, bore thetitle, in the Canienga speech, of _Ronaninhohonti_, "theDoor-keepers, " or literally, "they who are at the doorway. " In thesingular this becomes _Roninhohonti_. In the Onondaga dialect it is_Honinhohonta_. It is a verbal form, derived from _Kanhoha_, door, and _ont_, to be. This name is undoubtedly coeval with theformation of the League, and was bestowed as a title of honor. TheSenecas, at the western end of the "extended mansion, " guarded theentrance against the wild tribes in that quarter, whose hostility wasmost to be dreaded. 

The enumeration of the chiefs who formed the confederacy is closed bythe significant words, "and then, in later times, additions were made tothe great edifice. " This is sufficient evidence that the Canienga "Bookof Rites" was composed in its present form after the Tuscaroras, andpossibly after the Nanticokes and Tuteloes, were received into theLeague. The Tuscaroras were admitted in 1714; the two other nationswere received about the year 1753. [Footnote: The former date is wellknown; for the latter, see _N. Y. Hist. Col. _, Vol. 6, p. 311;Stone's _Life of Sir William Johnson_, p. 434. ]

An outburst of lamentation follows. The speaker has recited the names ofthe heroes and statesmen to whom the united nations were indebted forthe Great Peace which had so long prevailed among them. He has recalledthe wise laws which they established; and he is about to chant theclosing litany, commemorating the fifty chiefs who composed the firstfederal council, and whose names have remained as the official titles oftheir successors. In recalling these memories of departed greatness hismind is filled with grief and humiliation at the contrast presented bythe degeneracy of his own days. It is a common complaint of allcountries and all times; but the sentiment was always, according to themissionaries, especially strong among the Indians, who are aconservative race. The orator appeals to the shades of their ancestors, in words which, in the baldest of literal versions, are full ofeloquence and pathos. The "great law" has become old, and has lost itsforce. Its authors have passed away, and have carried it with them intotheir graves. They have placed it as a pillow under their heads. Theirdegenerate successors have inherited their names, but not their mightyintellects; and in the flourishing region which they left, naught but adesert remains. A trace, and not a slight one, of the mournful sublimitywhich we admire in the Hebrew prophets, with a similar cadence of"parallelism" in the style, will be noticed in this forest lament. 

The same characteristics mark the chanted litany which closes theaddress. There is not merely parallelism and cadence, but occasionallyrhyme, in the stanzas which are interspersed among the names, as is seenin the oft-repeated chorus which follows the names composing each clanor "class":--

 Etho natejonhne, Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayaterenhkowa. [Footnote: For the translation, see _ante_, p. 33. ]

This litany is sung in the usual style of their mourning or religiouschants, with many long-drawn repetitions of the customary ejaculation_haihhaih_, --an exclamation which, like the Greek "ai! ai!" belongsto the wailing style appropriate to such a monody. The expressions ofthe chant, like those of a Greek chorus, are abrupt, elliptical, andoccasionally obscure. It is probable that this chant, like the condolingHymn in the former part of the Book, is of earlier style than the otherportions of the work, their rhythmical form having preserved theoriginal words with greater accuracy. Such explanations of the doubtfulpassages as could be obtained from the chiefs and the interpreters willbe found in the notes. 

The chant and the Book end abruptly with the mournful exclamation, "Nowwe are dejected in mind. " The lament which precedes the litany, andwhich is interrupted by it, may be said to close with these words. Asthe council is held, nominally at least, for the purpose of condolence, and as it necessarily revives the memory of the departed worthies oftheir republic, it is natural that the ceremonies throughout should beof a melancholy cast. They were doubtless so from the beginning, andbefore there was any occasion to deplore the decay of their commonwealthor the degeneracy of the age. In fact, when we consider that thefounders of the League, with remarkable skill and judgment, managed tocompress into a single day the protracted and wasteful obsequiescustomary among other tribes of the same race, we shall not be surprisedto find that they sought to make the ceremonies of the day as solemn andimpressive as possible. 

But there are other characteristics of the "Book of Rites, " prominent inthe Canienga section, and still more marked in the Onondaga portion, which may well excite our astonishment. They have been already noticed, but seem to deserve fuller consideration. It will be observed that, frombeginning to end, the Book breathes nothing but sentiments of kindnessand sympathy for the living, and of reverence for the departed, --notmerely for the chief whom they have come to mourn, but also for thegreat men who have preceded him, and especially for the founders oftheir commonwealth. Combined with these sentiments, and harmonizingwith them, is an earnest desire for peace, along with a profound respectfor the laws under which they lived. The work in which these feelingsare expressed is a genuine composition of the Indians themselves, framedlong before they were affected by any influences from abroad, andrepeated among them for centuries, with the entire assent of thehearers. It affords unquestionable evidence of the true character bothof those who composed and of those who received it. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE IROQUOIS CHARACTER. 

The popular opinion of the Indian, and more especially of the Iroquois, who, as Mr. Parkman well observes, is an "Indian of the Indians, "represents him as a sanguinary, treacherous and vindictive being, somewhat cold in his affections, haughty and reserved toward hisfriends, merciless to his enemies, fond of strife, and averse toindustry and the pursuits of peace. Some magnanimous traits areoccasionally allowed to him; and poetry and romance have sometimesthrown a glamour about his character, which popular opinion, not withoutreason, energetically repudiates and resents. The truth is that thecircumstances under which the red and white races have encountered inNorth America have been such as necessarily to give rise to a whollyfalse impression in regard to the character of the aborigines. TheEuropean colonists, superior in civilization and in the arts of war, landed on the coast with the deliberate intention of taking possessionof the country and displacing the natives. The Indians were at oncethrown on the defensive. From the very beginning they fought, not merelyfor their land, but for their lives; for it was from their land thatthey drew the means of living. All wars between the whites and theIndians, whatever the color or pretence on either side, have been onboth sides wars of extermination. They have been carried on as such warsalways have been and always will be carried on. On the side of thestronger there have been constant encroachments, effected now by menaceand now by cajolery, but always prefaced by the display and theinsolence of superior power. On the side of the weaker there have beenalternations of sullen acquiescence and of fierce and fruitlessresistance. It is not surprising that under such circumstances thecharacter of each party has been presented to the other in the mostforbidding light. 

The Indians must be judged, like every other people, not by the traitswhich they display in the fury of a desperate warfare, but by theirordinary demeanor in time of peace, and especially by the character oftheir social and domestic life. On this point the testimony ofmissionaries and of other competent observers who have lived among themis uniform. At home the Indians are the most kindly and generous ofmen. Constant good humor, unfailing courtesy, ready sympathy withdistress, and a truly lavish liberality, mark their intercourse with oneanother. The Jesuit missionaries among the Hurons knew them beforeintercourse with the whites and the use of ardent spirits had embitteredand debased them. The testimony which they have left on record is veryremarkable. The missionary Brebeuf, protesting against the ignorantprejudice which would place the Indians on a level with the brutes, gives the result of his observation in emphatic terms. "In my opinion, "he writes, "it is no small matter to say of them that they live unitedin towns, sometimes of fifty, sixty, or a hundred dwellings, that is, ofthree or four hundred households; that they cultivate the fields, fromwhich they derive their food for the whole year; and that they maintainpeace and friendship with one another. " He doubts "if there is anothernation under heaven more commendable in this respect" than the Huron"nation of the Bear, " among whom he resided. "They have, " he declares, "a gentleness and an affability almost incredible for barbarians. " Theykeep up "this perfect goodwill, " as he terms it, "by frequent visits, bythe aid which they give one another in sickness, and by their festivalsand social gatherings, whenever they are not occupied by their fieldsand fisheries, or in hunting or trade. " "They are, " he continues, "lessin their own cabins than in those of their friends. If any one fallssick, and wants something which may benefit him, everybody is eager tofurnish it. Whenever one of them has something specially good to eat, heinvites his friends and makes a feast. Indeed, they hardly ever eatalone. " [Footnote: _Relation_ for 1636, p. 117. ]

The Iroquois, who had seemed little better than demons to themissionaries while they knew them only as enemies to the French or theirHuron allies, astonished them, on a nearer acquaintance, by thedevelopment of similar traits of natural goodness. "You will find inthem, " declares one of these fair-minded and cultivated observers, "virtues which might well put to blush the majority of Christians. Thereis no need of hospitals among them, because there are no beggars amongthem, and indeed, none who are poor, so long as any of them arerich. Their kindness, humanity and courtesy not merely make them liberalin giving, but almost lead them to live as though everything theypossess were held in common. No one can want food while there is cornanywhere in the town. " It is true that the missionaries often accuse theIroquois of cruelty and perfidy; but the narrative shows that thesequalities were only displayed in their wars, and apparently only againstenemies whose cruelty and perfidy they had experienced. 

We can now see that the plan of universal federation and general peacewhich Hiawatha devised had nothing in itself so surprising as to exciteour incredulity. It was, indeed, entirely in accordance with the geniusof his people. Its essence was the extension to all nations of themethods of social and civil life which prevailed in his own nation. Ifthe people of a town of four hundred families could live in constant"peace and friendship, " why should not all the tribes of men dwelltogether in the same manner? The idea is one which might readily haveoccurred to any man of benevolent feelings and thoughtfultemperament. The project in itself is not so remarkable as the energyand skill with which it was carried into effect. It is deserving ofnotice, however, that according to the Indian tradition, Hiawatha wasimpelled to action mainly by experience of the mischiefs which werecaused in his own nation through a departure from their ordinary systemof social life. The missionaries, in describing the general harmonywhich prevailed among the Hurons, admit that it was sometimesdisturbed. There were "bad spirits" among them, as everywhere else, whocould not always be controlled. [Footnote: _Relation of 1636_, p. 118: "Ostez quelques mauvais esprits, qui se rencontrent quasipartout, " etc. ] Atotarho, among the Onondagas, was one of these badspirits; and in his case, unfortunately, an evil disposition wasreinforced by a keen intellect and a powerful will. His history for atime offered a rare instance of something approaching to despotism, orthe Greek "tyranny, " exercised in an Indian tribe. A fact so strange, and conduct so extraordinary, seemed in after-times to requireexplanation. A legend is preserved among the Onondagas, which wasapparently devised to account for a prodigy so far out of the commonorder of events. I give it in the words in which it is recorded in myjournal. [Footnote: This story was related to me in March, 1882, by myintelligent friend, Chief John Buck, who was inclined to give itcredence, --sharing in this, as in other things, the sentiments of thebest among his people. ]

"Another legend, of which I have not before heard, professed to give theorigin both of the abnormal ferocity and of the preterhuman powers ofAtotarho. He was already noted as a chief and a warrior, when he had themisfortune to kill a peculiar bird, resembling a sea-gull, which isreputed to possess poisonous qualities of singular virulence. By hiscontact with the dead bird his mind was affected. He became morose andcruel, and at the same time obtained the power of destroying men andother creatures at a distance. Three sons of Hiawatha were among hisvictims. He attended the Councils which were held, and made confusion inthem, and brought all the people into disturbance and terror. His bodilyappearance was changed at the same time, and his aspect became soterrible that the story spread, and was believed, that his head wasencircled by living snakes. "

The only importance of this story is in the evidence it affords thatconduct so anti-social as that of Atotarho was deemed to be the resultof a disordered mind. In his case, as in that of the Scottish tyrant andmurderer, "the insane root that took the reason prisoner, " was doubtlessan unbridled ambition. It is interesting to remark that even his fiercetemper and determined will were forced to yield at last to the pressureof public opinion, which compelled him to range himself on the side ofpeace and union. In the whimsical imagery of the narrative, which someof the story-tellers, after their usual fashion, have converted from ametaphor to a fact, Hiawatha "combed the snakes out of the head" of hisgreat antagonist, and presented him to the Council changed and restoredto his right mind. 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE IROQUOIS POLICY. 

Few popular notions, it may be affirmed, are so far from the truth asthat which makes the Iroquois a band of treacherous and ferociousravagers, whose career was marked everywhere by cruelty anddevastation. The clear and positive evidence of historical facts leadsto a widely different conclusion. It is not going too far to assertthat among all uncivilized races the Iroquois have shown themselves tobe the most faithful of allies, the most placable of enemies, and themost clement of conquerors. It will be proper, in justice to them, aswell as in the interest of political and social science, to presentbriefly the principles and methods which guided them in theirintercourse with other communities. Their system, as finally developed, comprised four distinct forms of connection with other nations, alltending directly to the establishment of universal peace. 

1. As has been already said, the primary object of the founders of theirLeague was the creation of a confederacy which should comprise all thenations and tribes of men that were known to them. Experience, however, quickly showed that this project, admirable in idea, was impossible ofexecution. Distance, differences of language, and difficulties ofcommunication, presented obstacles which could not be overcome. But theplan was kept in view as one of the cardinal principles of theirpolicy. They were always eager to receive new members into theirLeague. The Tuscaroras, the Nanticokes, the Tuteloes, and a band of theDelawares, were thus successively admitted, and all of them still retainrepresentative in the Council of the Canadian branch of the confederacy. 

2. When this complete political union could not be achieved, theIroquois sought to accomplish the same end, as far as possible, by atreaty of alliance. Two notable examples will show how earnestly thispurpose was pursued, and how firmly it was maintained. When the Dutchestablished their trading settlements on the Hudson River, one of theirfirst proceedings was to send an embassy to the Five Nations, withproposals for a treaty. The overture was promptly accepted. A strictalliance was formed, and was ratified in the usual manner by an exchangeof wampum belts. When the English took the place of the Dutch, thetreaty was renewed with them, and was confirmed in the same manner. Thewampum-belts then received by the Confederates are still preserved ontheir Canadian Reservation, and are still brought forth and expounded bythe older chiefs to the younger generation, in their greatCouncils. History records with what unbroken faith, through manychanges, and despite many provocations from their allies and manyenticements from the French rulers and missionaries, this alliance wasmaintained to the last. 

If it be suggested that this fidelity was strengthened by motives ofpolicy, the same cannot be affirmed of the alliance with the Ojibways, which dates from a still earlier period. The annalists of theKanonsionni affirm that their first treaty with this widespread peopleof the northwest was made soon after the formation of their League, andthat it was strictly maintained on both sides for more than two hundredyears. The Ojibways then occupied both shores of Lake Superior, and thenorthern part of the peninsula of Michigan. The point at which they camechiefly in contact with the adventurous Iroquois voyagers was at thegreat fishing station of St. Mary's Falls, on the strait which unitesLake Superior with Lake Huron; and here, it is believed, the firstalliance was consummated. After more than two centuries had elapsed, thebroken bands of the defeated Hurons, fleeing from their ravaged homes onthe Georgian Bay, took refuge among the Ojibways, with whom they, too, had always maintained a friendly understanding. Their presence and thestory of their sufferings naturally awakened the sympathy of theirhosts. The rapid spread of the Iroquois empire created alarm. A greatagitation ensued among the far-dispersed bands of the Ojibwayname. Occasional meetings between hunting-parties of the youngerwarriors of the two peoples, --the Iroquois arrogant in the consciousnessof their recent conquests, the Ojibways sullen and suspicious, --led tobitter words, and sometimes to actual strife. On two occasions severalOjibway warriors were slain, under what provocation is uncertain. Butthe reparation demanded by the Ojibway chiefs was promptly conceded bythe Iroquois Council. The amplest apology was made, and for every slainwarrior a pack of furs was delivered. The ancient treaty was at the sametime renewed, with every formality. Nothing could more clearly show theanxiety of the Iroquois rulers to maintain their national faith thanthis apology and reparation, so readily made by them, at the time whentheir people were at the height of their power and in the full flush ofconquest. [Footnote: The Ojibway historian, Copway, in his"_Traditional History of the Ojibway Nation_" (p. 84), gives theparticulars of this event, as preserved by the Ojibways themselves. Eventhe strong national prejudice of the narrator, which has evidentlycolored his statement, leaves the evidence of the magnanimity andprudence of the Iroquois elders clearly apparent. ] These efforts, however, to preserve the ancient amity proved unavailing. Through whosefault it was that the final outbreak occurred is a question which theannalists of the two parties differ. But the events just recounted, and, indeed, all the circumstances, speak strongly in favor of the Iroquois. They had shown their anxiety to maintain the peace, and they had nothingto gain by war. The bleak northern home of the Ojibways offered notemptation to the most greedy conqueror. To the Ojibways, on the otherhand, the broad expanse of western Canada, now lying deserted, andstretching before them its wealth of forests full of deer, its lakes andrivers swarming with fish, its lovely glades and fertile plains, wherethe corn harvests of the Hurons and Neutrals had lately glistened, werean allurement which they could not resist. They assumed at once thewrongs and the territories of their exiled Huron friends, and plungedinto the long-meditated strife with their ancient allies. The contestwas desperate and destructive. Many sanguinary battles took place, andgreat numbers of warriors fell on both sides. On the whole the balanceinclined against the Iroquois. In this war they were a southern people, contending against a hardier race from the far north. They fought at adistance from their homes, while the Ojibways, migrating in bands, pitched their habitations in the disputed region. 

Finally, both sides became weary of the strife. Old sentiments offellowship revived. Peace was declared, and a new treaty was made. Theterritory for which they had fought was divided between them. Thesouthwestern portion, which had been the home of the Attiwandaronks, remained as the hunting-ground of the Iroquois. North and east of thissection the Ojibways possessed the land. The new treaty, confirmed bythe exchange of wampum-belts and by a peculiar interlocking of the rightarms, which has ever since been the special sign of amity between theIroquois and the Ojibways, was understood to make them not merely alliesbut brothers. As the symbol on one of the belts which is still preservedindicates, they were to be as relatives who are so nearly akin that theyeat from the same dish. This treaty, made two centuries ago, has eversince been religiously maintained. Its effects are felt to thisday. Less than forty years ago a band of the Ojibways, the Missisagas, forced to relinquish their reserved lands on the River Credit, sought arefuge with the Iroquois of the Grand River Reservation. They appealedto this treaty, and to the evidence of the wampum-belts. Their appealwas effectual. A large tract of valuable land was granted to them by theSix Nations. Here, maintaining their distinct tribal organization, theystill reside, a living evidence of the constancy and liberality withwhich the Iroquois uphold their treaty obligations. 

3. When a neighboring people would neither join the confederacy norenter into a treaty of alliance with it, the almost inevitable resultwould be, sooner or later, a deadly war. Among the nomadic or unsettledIndian tribes, especially the Algonkins and Sioux, the young men areexpected to display their bravery by taking scalps; and a race offarmers, hunters, and fishermen, like the Iroquois, would be temptingvictims. Before the confederacy was formed, some of its members, particularly the Caniengas and Oneidas, had suffered greatly from warswith the wilder tribes about them. The new strength derived from theLeague enabled them to turn the tables upon their adversaries. But theymade a magnanimous use of their superiority. An enemy who submitted wasat once spared. When the great Delaware nation, the Lenapes, known asthe head of the Algonkin stock, yielded to the arms of the Kanonsionni, they were allowed to retain their territory and nearly all theirproperty. They were simply required to acknowledge themselves thesubjects of the Iroquois, to pay a moderate tribute in wampum and furs, and to refrain thenceforth from taking any part in war. In theexpressive Indian phrase, they were "made women. " This phrase did noteven imply, according to Iroquois ideas, any serious humiliation; foramong them, as the French missionaries tell us, women had muchauthority. [Footnote: "Les femmes ayant beaucoup d'autorité parmi cespeuples, leur vertu y fait d'autant plus de fruit qu'autrepart. "--_Relation of_ 1657, p. 48. ] Their special office in war wasthat of peace-makers. It was deemed to be their right and duty, when intheir opinion the strife had lasted long enough, to interfere and bringabout a reconciliation. The knowledge of this fact led the Lenapes, inaftertimes, to put forward a whimsical claim to dignity, which wasaccepted by their worthy but credulous historian, Heckewelder. Theyasserted that while their nation was at the height of power, theirancestors were persuaded by the insidious wiles of the Iroquois to layaside their arms, for the purpose of assuming the lofty position ofuniversal mediators and arbiters among the Indian nations. [Footnote:Heckewelder's _History of the Indian Nations_, p. 56. ] That thispreposterous story should have found credence is surprising enough. Asingle fact suffices to disprove it, and to show the terms on which theDelawares stood with the great northern confederacy. Golden haspreserved for us the official record of the Council which was held inPhiladelphia, in July, 1742, between the provincial authorities and thedeputies of the Six Nations, headed by their noted orator and statesman, the great Onondaga chief, Canasatego. The Delawares, whose claim tocertain lands was to be decided, attended the conference. The Onondagaleader, after reciting the evidence which had been laid before him toshow that these lands had been sold to the colonists by the Delawares, and severely rebuking the latter for their breach of faith inrepudiating the bargain, continued: "But how came you to take upon youto sell land at all? We conquered you. We made women of you. You knowyou are women, and can no more sell land than women. Nor is it fit thatyou should have the power of selling lands, since you would abuseit. This very land that you now claim has been consumed by you. You havehad it in meat and drink and clothes, and now you want it again, likechildren, as you are. But what makes you sell land in the dark? Did youever tell us that you had sold this land? Did we ever receive any partof the price, even the value of a pipe-stem from you? You have told us ablind story--that you sent a messenger to inform us of the sale; but henever came among us, nor have we ever heard anything about it. And forall these reasons we charge you to remove instantly. We don't give youthe liberty to think about it. We assign you two places to go, either toWyoming or Shamokin. You may go to either of those places, and then weshall have you more under our eyes, and shall see how you behave. Don'tdeliberate, but remove away; and take this belt of wampum. " [Footnote:Golden: _History of the Five Nations_, Vol. II, p. 36 (2dEdition). ]

This imperious allocution, such as a Cinna or a Cornelius might havedelivered to a crowd of trembling and sullen Greeks, shows plainlyenough the relation in which the two communities stood to oneanother. It proves also that the rule under which the conqueredDelawares were held was anything but oppressive. They seem to have beenallowed almost entire freedom, except only in making war and indisposing of their lands without the consent of the Six Nations. Infact, the Iroquois, in dealing with them, anticipated the veryregulations which the enlightened governments of the United States andEngland now enforce in that benevolent treatment of the Indian tribesfor which they justly claim high credit. Can they refuse a like creditto their dusky predecessors and exemplars, or deny them the praise ofbeing, as has been already said, the most clement of conquerors?

4. Finally, when a tribe within what may be called "striking distance"of the Confederacy would neither join the League, nor enter into analliance with its members, nor come under their protection, thereremained nothing but a chronic state of warfare, which destroyed allsense of security and comfort. The Iroquois hunter, fisherman, ortrader, returning home after a brief absence, could never be sure thathe would not find his dwelling a heap of embers, smoldering over themangled remains of his wife and children. The plainest dictates ofpolicy taught the Confederates that the only safe method in dealing withsuch persistent and unappeasable foes was to crush them utterly. Amongthe most dangerous of their enemies were the Hurons and the easternAlgonkins, sustained and encouraged by the French colonists. It is fromthem and their historians chiefly that the complaints of Iroquoiscruelties have descended to us; but the same historians have not omittedto inform us that the first acquaintance of the Iroquois with triesecolonists was through two most wanton and butcherly assaults whichChamplain and his soldiers, in company with their Indian allies, madeupon their unoffending neighbors. No milder epithets can justly describethese unprovoked invasions, in which the Iroquois bowmen, defendingtheir homes, were shot down mercilessly with firearms, by strangers whomthey had never before seen or perhaps even heard of. This stroke of evilpolicy, which tarnished an illustrious name, left far-reachingconsequences, affecting the future of half a continent. Its first resultwas the destruction of the Hurons, the special allies and instigators ofthe colonists in their hostilities. The Attiwandaronks, or Neutrals, with whom, till this time, the Iroquois had maintained peacefulrelations, shared the same fate; for they were the friends of the Huronsand the French. The Eries perished in a war provoked, as the Frenchmissionaries in their always trustworthy accounts inform us, by aperverse freak of cruelty on their own part. 

Yet, in all these destructive wars, the Iroquois never for a momentforgot the principles which lay at the foundation of their League, andwhich taught them to "strengthen their house" by converting enemies intofriends. On the instant that resistance ceased, slaughter ceased withit. The warriors who were willing to unite their fortunes with theConfederates were at once welcomed among them. Some were adopted intothe families of those who had lost children or brothers. Others hadlands allotted to them, on which they were allowed to live bythemselves, under their own chiefs and their native laws, until in twoor three generations, by friendly intercourse, frequent intermarriages, and community of interests, they became gradually absorbed into thesociety about them. Those who suppose that the Hurons only survive in afew Wyandots, and that the Eries, Attiwandaronks, and Andastes haveutterly perished, are greatly mistaken. It is absolutely certain that ofthe twelve thousand Indians who now, in the United States and Canada, preserve the Iroquois name, the greater portion derive their descent, inwhole or in part, from those conquered nations. [Footnote: "Ces victoireslear caasant presque autant de perte qu'a leurs ennemis, elles onttellement depeuplé leurs Bourgs, qu'on y compte plus d'Estfangers que denaturels du pays. Onnontaghe a sept nations differentes qut s'y sontvenues establir, et il s'en trouve jusqu'a onze dans Sonnontoiian. "_Relation of_ 1657, p. 34. "Qui feroit la supputation des francsIroquois, auroit de la peine d'en trouver plus de douze cents(i. E. Combattans) en toutes les cinq Nations, parce que le plus grandnombre n'est compose que d'un ramas de divers peuples qu'ils ontconquestez, commes des Hurons, des Tionnontateronnons, autrement Nationdu Petun; des Attiwendaronk, qu'on appelloit Neutres, quand ils estoientsur pied; des Riquehronnons, qui sont ceux de la Nation des Chats; desOntwaganha, ou Nation du Feu; des Trakwaehronnons, et autres, qui, toutestrangers qu'ils sont, font sans doute la plus grande et la meilleureparties des Iroquois. " _Ret. De_ 1660, p. 7. Yet, it was this"conglomeration of divers peoples" that, under the discipline ofIroquois institutions and the guidance of Iroquois statesmen andcommanders, held high the name of the Kanonsionni, and made theConfederacy a great power on the continent for more than a century afterthis time; who again and again measured arms and intellects with Frenchgenerals and diplomatists, and came off at least with equal fortune; whosmote their Abenaki enemies in the far east, punished the Illinoismarauders in the far west, and thrust back the intruding Cherokees intotheir southern mountains; who were a wall of defence to the Englishcolonies, and a strong protection to the many broken bands of Indianswhich from every quarter clustered round the shadow of the "great pinetree" of Onondaga. ] No other Indian community, so far as we know, hasever pursued this policy of incorporation to anything near the sameextent, or carried it out with anything like the same humanity. Eventowards the most determined and the most savage of their foes, theKanonsionni, when finally victorious, showed themselves ever magnanimousand placable. 

The common opinion of the cruelty of the Iroquois has arisen mainly fromthe custom which they occasionally practiced, like some other Indians, of burning prisoners at the stake. Out of the multitude of theircaptives, the number subjected to this torture was really verysmall, --probably not nearly as large in proportion as the number ofcriminals and political prisoners who, in some countries of Europe, atabout the same time, were subjected to the equally cruel torments of therack and the wheel. These criminals and other prisoners were so torturedbecause they were regarded as the enemies of society. The motives whichactuated the Iroquois were precisely the same. As has been beforeremarked, the mode in which their enemies carried on their warfare withthem was chiefly by stealthy and sudden inroads. The prowling warriorlurked in the woods near the Iroquois village through the day, and atnight fell with hatchet and club upon his unsuspecting victims. TheIroquois lawgivers deemed it essential for the safety of their peoplethat the men who were guilty of such murderous attacks should havereason to apprehend, if caught, a direful fate. 

If the comparatively few instances of these political tortures whichoccurred among the Iroquois are compared with the awful list of similarand worse inflictions which stain the annals of the most enlightenednations of Europe and Asia, ancient and modern, --the crucifixions, theimpalements, the dreadful mutilations--lopping of hands and feet, tearing out of eyes--the tortures of the rack and wheel, the red-hotpincers, the burning crown, the noisome dungeon, the slow starvation, the lingering death in the Siberian mines, --it will become evident thatthese barbarians were far inferior to their civilized contemporaries inthe temper and arts of inhumanity. Even in the very method of punishmentwhich they adopted the Indians were outdone in Europe, and that, strangely enough, by the two great colonizing and conquering nations, heirs of all modern enlightenment, who came to displace them, --theEnglish and the Spaniards. The Iroquois never burnt women at thestake. To put either men or women to death for a difference of creed hadnot occurred to them. It may justly be affirmed that in the horrors ofSmithfield and the Campo Santo, the innate barbarism of the Aryan, breaking through his thin varnish of civilization, was found, fartranscending the utmost barbarism of the Indian. [Footnote: The Aryansof Europe are undoubtedly superior in humanity, courage andindependence, to those of Asia. It is possible that the finer qualitieswhich distinguish the western branch of this stock may have been derivedfrom admixture with an earlier population of Europe, identical in raceand character with the aborigines of America. See Appendix, Note F. ]

CHAPTER X. 

THE IROQUOIS LANGUAGE. 

As the mental faculties of a people are reflected in their speech, weshould naturally expect that the language of a race manifesting suchunusual powers as the Iroquois nations have displayed would be of aremarkable character. In this expectation we are not disappointed. Thelanguages of the Huron-Iroquois family belong to what has been termedthe polysynthetic class, and are distinguished, even in that class, by amore than ordinary endowment of that variety of forms and fullness ofexpression for which languages of that type are noted. Thebest-qualified judges have been the most struck with this peculiarexcellence. "The variety of compounds, " wrote the accomplishedmissionary, Brebeuf, concerning the Huron tongue, "is very great; it isthe key to the secret of their language. They have as many genders asourselves, as many numbers as the Greeks. " Recurring to the samecomparison, he remarks of the Huron verb that it has as many tenses andnumbers as the Greek, with certain discriminations which the latter didnot possess. [Footnote: _Relation_ of 1636, pp 99, 100. ] A greatliving authority has added the weight of his name to these opinions ofthe scholarly Jesuit. Professor Max Muller, who took the opportunityafforded by the presence of a Mohawk undergraduate at Oxford to studyhis language, writes of it in emphatic terms: "To my mind the structureof such a language as the Mohawk is quite sufficient evidence that thosewho worked out such a work of art were powerful reasoners and accurateclassifiers. " [Footnote: In a letter to the author, dated Feb. 14, 1882. In a subsequent letter Prof. Muller writes, in regard to the studyof the aboriginal languages of this continent: "It has long been apuzzle to me why this most tempting and promising field of philologicalresearch has been allowed to lie almost fallow in America, --as if theselanguages could not tell us quite as much of the growth of the humanmind as Chinese, or Hebrew, or Sanscrit. " I have Prof. Max Miller'spermission to publish these extracts, and gladly do so, in the hope thatthey may serve to stimulate that growing interest which the efforts ofscholars like Trumbull, Shea, Cuoq, Brinton, and, more recently, MajorPowell and his able collaborators of the Ethnological Bureau, are atlength beginning to awaken among us, in the investigation of thisimportant and almost unexplored province of linguistic science. ]

It is a fact somewhat surprising, as well as unfortunate, that nocomplete grammar of any language of the Huron-Iroquois stock has everbeen published. Many learned and zealous missionaries, Catholic andProtestant, have labored among the tribes of this stock for more thantwo centuries. Portions of the Scriptures, as well as some other works, have been translated into several of these languages. Some small books, including biographies and hymn-books, have been composed and printed intwo of them; and the late devoted and indefatigable missionary among theSenecas, the Rev. Asher Wright, conducted for several years aperiodical, the "Mental Elevator" (_Ne Jaguhnigoageswatha_), intheir language. Several grammars are known to have been composed, butnone have as yet been printed in a complete form. One reason of thisunwillingness to publish was, undoubtedly, the sense which the compilersfelt of the insufficiency of their work; Such is the extraordinarycomplexity of the language, such the multiplicity of its forms and thesubtlety of its distinctions, that years of study are required to masterit; and indeed it may be said that the abler the investigator and themore careful his study, the more likely he is to be dissatisfied withhis success. This dissatisfaction was frankly expressed and practicallyexhibited by Mr. Wright himself, certainly one of the best endowed andmost industrious of these inquirers. After residing for several yearsamong the Senecas, forming an alphabet remarkable for its precisediscrimination of sounds, and even publishing several translations intheir language, he undertook to give some account of its grammaticalforms. A little work printed in 1842, with the modest title of "_ASpelling-book of the Seneca Language_, " comprises the variations ofnouns, adjectives and pronouns, given with much minuteness. Those of theverbs are promised, but the book closes abruptly without them, for thereason--as the author afterwards explained to a correspondent--that hehad not as yet been able to obtain such a complete knowledge of them ashe desired. This difficulty is further exemplified by a work purportingto be a "_Grammar of the Huron Language, by a Missionary of theVillage of Huron Indians, near Quebec, found amongst the papers of theMission, and translated from the Latin, by the Rev. John Wilkie_. "This translation is published in the "_Transactions of the Literaryand Historical Society of Quebec_, " for 1831, and fills more than ahundred octavo pages. It is a work evidently of great labor, and isdevoted chiefly to the variations of the verbs; yet its lack ofcompleteness may be judged from the single fact that the "transitions, "or in other words, the combinations of the double pronouns, nominativeand objective, with the transitive verb, which form such an importantfeature of the language, are hardly noticed; and, it may be added, though the conjugations are mentioned, they are not explained. The work, indeed, would rather perplex than aid an investigator, and gives noproper idea of the character and richness of the language. The same maybe said of the grammatical notices comprised in the Latin "Proemium" toBruyas' Iroquois dictionary. These notices are apparently modeled tosome extent on this anonymous grammar of the Huron language, --unless, indeed, the latter may have been copied from Bruyas; the rules whichthey give being in several instances couched in the same words. 

Some useful grammatical explanations are found in the anonymous Onondagadictionary of the seventeenth century, published by Dr. Shea in his"_Library of American Linguistics_. " But by far the most valuablecontribution to our knowledge of the structure of this remarkable groupof languages is found in the works of a distinguished writer of our ownday, the Rev. J. A. Cuoq, of Montreal, eminent both as a missionary andas a philologist. After twenty years of labor among the Iroquois andAlgonkin tribes in the Province of Quebec, M. Cuoq was led to appear asan author by his desire to defend his charges against the injuriouseffect of a judgment which had been pronounced by a noted authority. M. Renan had put forth, among the many theories which distinguish hiscelebrated work on the Semitic languages, one which seemed to M. Cuoq asmischievous as it was unfounded. M. Renan held that no races werecapable of civilization except such as have now attained it; and thatthese comprised only the Aryan, the Semitic, and the Chinese. Thisopinion was enforced by a reference to the languages spoken by themembers of those races. "To imagine a barbarous race speaking a Semiticor an Indo-European language is, " he declares, "an impossiblesupposition (_une fiction, conradictoire_), which no person canentertain who is familiar with the laws of comparative philology, andwith the general theory of the human intellect. " To one who remembersthat every nation of the Indo-European race traces its descent from abarbarous ancestry, and especially that the Germans in the days ofTacitus were in precisely the same social stage as that of the Iroquoisin the days of Champlain, this opinion of the brilliant Frenchphilologist and historian will seem erratic and unaccountable. M. Cuoqsought to refute it, not merely by argument, but by the logic offacts. In two works, published successively in 1864 and 1866, he showed, by many and various examples, that the Iroquois and Algonkin languagespossessed all the excellences which M. Renan admired in theIndo-European languages, and surpassed in almost every respect theSemitic and Chinese tongues. [Footnote: See _Jugement Erroné deM. Ernest Renan sur les Langues Sauvages:_ (2d edit. ) DawsonBrothers, Montreal: 1870; and _Etudes Philologiques sur quelquesLangues Sauvages de r Amerique. Par N. O. , Ancien Missionaire_. Ibid:1866. Also _Lexique de la Langue Iroquoise, avec notes etappendices. Par J. A. Cuoq, Prétre de St. Sulpice_. J. Chapleau &Fils, Montreal: 1882. These are all works indispensable to the studentof Indian languages. ] The resemblances of these Indian languages to theGreek struck him, as it had struck his illustrious predecessor, themartyred Brebeuf, two hundred years before. M. Cuoq is also the authorof a valuable Iroquois lexicon, with notes and appendices, in which hediscusses some interesting points in the philology of the language. Thislexicon is important, also, for comparison with that of the Jesuitmissionary, Bruyas, as showing how little the language has varied in thecourse of two centuries. [Footnote: _Radices Verborum Iroquaeorum. Auctore R. P. Jacopo Bruyas, Societatis Jesu_. Published in Shea's"_Library of American Linguistics_" For the works in thisinvaluable Library, American scholars owe a debt of gratitude toDr. Shea's enlightened zeal in the cause of science and humanity. ] Thefollowing particulars respecting the Iroquois tongues are mainly derivedfrom the works of M. Cuoq, of Bruyas, and of Mr. Wright, supplementedby the researches of the author, pursued at intervals during severalyears, among the tribes of Western Canada and New York. Only a verybrief sketch of the subject can here be given. It is not too much tosay that a complete grammar of any Iroquois language would be at leastas extensive as the best Greek or Sanscrit grammar. For such a workneither the writer, nor perhaps any other person now living, except M. Cuoq himself, would be competent. 

The phonology of the language is at once simple andperplexing. According to M. Cuoq, twelve letters suffice to representit: _a, c, f, h, i, k, n, o, r, s, t, w_. Mr. Wright employs forthe Seneca seventeen, with diacritical marks, which raise the number totwenty-one. The English missionaries among the Mohawks found sixteenletters sufficient, _a, d, e, g, h, i, j, k, n, o, r, s, t, u, w, y. _ There are no labial sounds, unless the _f_, which rarelyoccurs, and appears to be merely an aspirated _w_, may beconsidered one. No definite distinction is maintained between the vowelsounds _o_ and _u_, and one of these letters may be dispensedwith. The distinction between hard and soft (or surd and sonant) mutesis not preserved. The sounds of _d_ and _t_, and those of_k_ and _g_, are interchangeable. So also are those of _l_and _r_, the former sound being heard more frequently in the Oneidadialect and the latter in the Canienga. From the Western dialects, --theOnondaga, Cayuga and Seneca, --this _l_ or _r_ sound has, inmodern times, disappeared altogether. The Canienga _konoronkwa_, Iesteem him (in Oneida usually sounded _konolonkwa_), has become_konoenkwa_ in Onondaga, --and in Cayuga and Seneca is contracted to_kononkwa_. Aspirates and aspirated gutturals abound, and havebeen variously represented by _h, hh, kh_, and _gh_, andsometimes (in the works of the early French missionaries) by the Greek[Greek: chi] and the _spiritus asper_. Yet no permanent distinctionappears to be maintained among the sounds thus represented, and M. Cuoqreduces them all to the simple _h_. The French nasal soundabounds. M. Cuoq and the earlier English missionaries have expressed it, as in French, simply by the _n_ when terminating a syllable. Whenit does not close a syllable, a diaeresis above the n, or else theSpanish _tilde (n)_ indicates the sound. Mr. Wright denotes it by aline under the vowel. The later English missionaries express it by adiphthong: _ken_ becomes _kea; nonwa_ becomes _noewa_;_onghwentsya_ is written _oughweatsya_. 

A strict analysis would probably reduce the sounds of the Caniengalanguage to seven consonants, _h, k, n, r, s, t, _ and _w_, andfour vowels, _a, e, i_, and _o_, of which three, _a, e, ando_, may receive a nasal sound. This nasalizing makes them, in fact, distinct elements; and the primary sounds of the language may thereforebe reckoned at fourteen. [Footnote: A dental _t_, which the Frenchmissionaries represent sometimes by the Greek _theta_ and sometimesby _th_, and which the English have also occasionally expressed bythe latter method, may possibly furnish an additional element. The Greek_theta_ of the former is simply the English _w_. ] The absenceof labials and the frequent aspirated gutturals give to the utterance ofthe best speakers a deep and sonorous character which reminds the hearerof the stately Castilian speech. 

The "Book of Rites, " or, rather, the Canienga portion of it, is writtenin the orthography first employed by the English missionaries. The_d_ is frequently used, and must be regarded merely as a variant ofthe _t_ sound. The _g_ is sometimes, though rarely, employedas a variant of the _k_. The digraph _gh_ is common andrepresents the guttural aspirate, which in German is indicated by_ch_ and in Spanish by _j_. The French missionaries write itnow simply _h_, and consider it merely a harsh pronunciation of theaspirate. The _j_ is sounded as in English; it usually represents acomplex sound, which might be analysed into _ts_ or _tsi_;_jathondek_ is properly _tsiatontek_. The _x_, whichoccasionally appears, is to be pronounced _ks_, as inEnglish. _An, en, on_, when not followed by a vowel, have a nasalsound, as in French. This sound is heard even when those syllables arefollowed by another _n_. Thus _Kanonsionni_ is pronounced asif written _Kanonsionni_ and _yondennase_ as if written_yondennase_. The vowels have usually the same sound as in Germanand Italian; but in the nasal _en_ the vowel has an obscure sound, nearly like that of the short _u_ in _but_. Thus_yondennase_ sounds almost as if written _yondunnase_, and_kanienke_ is pronounced nearly like _kaniunke_. 

The nouns in Iroquois are varied, but with accidence differing from theAryan and Semitic variations, some of the distinctions being moresubtle, and, so to speak, metaphysical. The dual is expressed byprefixing the particle _te_, and suffixing _ke_ to the noun;thus, from _kanonsa_, house, we have _tekanonsake_, twohouses. These syllables, or at least the first, are supposed to bederived from _tekeni_, two. The plural, when it follows anadjective expressive of number, is indicated by the syllable _ni_prefixed to the noun, and _ke_ suffixed; as, _esonikanonsake_, many houses. In other cases the plural is sometimesexpressed by one of the words _okon_ (or _hokon_)_okonha_, _son_ and _sonha_, following the noun. Ingeneral, however, the plural significance of nouns is left to beinferred from the context, the verb always and the adjective frequentlyindicating it. 

All beings are divided into two classes, which do not correspond eitherwith the Aryan genders or with the distinctions of animate and inanimatewhich prevail in the Algonkin tongues. These classes have been stylednoble and common. To the noble belong male human beings anddeities. The other class comprises women and all other objects. It seemsprobable, however, that the distinction in the first instance was merelythat of sex, --that it was, in fact, a true gender. Deities, beingregarded as male, were included in the masculine gender. There being noneuter form, the feminine gender was extended, and made to comprise allother beings. These classes, however, are not indicated by any changein the noun, but merely by the forms of the pronoun and the verb. 

The local relations of nouns are expressed by affixed particles, such as_ke_, _ne_, _kon_, _akon_, _akta. _ Thus, from_onónta_ mountain, we have _onontáke_, at (or to) themountain; from _akéhrat_, dish, _akehrátne_, in (or on) thedish; from _kanónsa_, house, _kanonsákon_, or_kanónskon_, in the house, _kanonsókon_, under the house, and_kanonsákta_, near the house. These locative particles, it will beseen, usually, though not always, draw the accent towards them. 

The most peculiar and perplexing variation is that made by what istermed the "crement, " affixed to many (though not all) nouns. Thiscrement in the Canienga takes various forms, _ta, sera, tsera, kwa. _ _Onkwe_, man, becomes _onkwéta_; _otkon_, spirit, _otkónsera_; _akáwe_, oar, _akawétsera_;_ahta_, shoe, _ahhtákwa_. The crement is employed when the nounis used with numeral adjectives, when it has adjective or other affixes, and generally when it enters into composition with other words. Thus_onkwe_, man, combined with the adjective termination _iyo_(from the obsolete _wiyo_, good) becomes _onkwetiyo_, goodman. _Wenni_, day, becomes in the plural _niate__niwenniserake_, many days, etc. The change, however, is notgrammatical merely, but conveys a peculiar shade of meaning difficult todefine. The noun, according to M. Cuoq, passes from a general anddeterminate to a special and restricted sense. _Onkwe_ means man ingeneral; _asen nionkwetake_, three men (in particular. ) Oneinterpreter rendered _akawétsera_, "the oar itself. " The affix_sera_ or _tsera_ seems to be employed to form what we shouldterm abstract nouns, though to the Iroquois mind they apparently presentthemselves as possessing a restricted or specialized sense. Thus from_iotarihen_, it is warm, we have _otarihénsera_, heat; from_wakeriat_, to be brave, _ateriatitsera_, courage. So_kakweniátsera_, authority; _kanaiésera_, pride;_kanakwénsera_, anger. Words of this class abound in the Iroquois;so little ground is there for the common opinion that the language isdestitute of abstract nouns. [Footnote: See, on this point, the remarksof Dr Brinton to the same effect, in regard to the Aztec, Qquichua, andother languages, with interesting illustrations, in his _"AmericanHero Myths"_, p. 25]

The adjective, when employed in an isolated form, follows thesubstantive; as _kanonsa kowa_, large house; _onkwe honwe_ (or_onwe_) a real man. But, in general, the substantive and theadjective coalesce in one word. _Ase_ signifies new, and added to_kanonsa_ gives us _kanonsáse_, new house. Karonta, tree, and_kowa_, or _kowanen_, great, make together_karontowánen_, great tree. Frequently the affixed adjective isnever employed as an isolated word. The termination _iyo_ (or_iio_) expresses good or beautiful, and _aksen_, bad or ugly;thus _kanonsiyo_, fine house, _kanonsasken_, ugly house. Thesecompound forms frequently make their plural by adding _s_, as_kanonsiyos_, _kanonsaksens_. 

The pronouns are more numerous than in any European language, and showclearer distinctions in meaning. Thus, in the singular, besides theordinary pronouns, I, thou, he and she, the language possesses anindeterminate form, which answers very nearly to the French_on_. The first person of the dual has two forms, the oneincluding, the other excluding, the person addressed, and signifying, therefore, respectively, "thou and I, " and "he and I. " The first personplural has the same twofold form. The third persons dual and plural havemasculine and feminine forms. Thus the language has fifteen personalpronouns, all in common use, and all, it may be added, useful inexpressing distinctions which the English can only indicate bycircumlocutions. These pronouns are best shown in the form in which theyare prefixed to a verb. The following are examples of the verb_katkahtos_, I see (root _atkahto_) and _kenonwes_, Ilove (root _nonwe_), as conjugated in the present tense:--

_katkahtos_, I see. _satkahtos_, thou seest. _ratkahtos_, he sees. _watkahtos_, she sees, _iontkahtos_, one sees. _tiatkahtos_, we two see (thou and I. )_iakiatkahtos_, we two see (he and I. )_tsiatkahtos_, ye two see. _hiatkahtos_, they two see (masc. )_kiatkahtos_, they two see (fem. )_tewatkahtos_, we see (ye and I. )_iakwatkahtos_, we see (they and I. )_sewatkahtos_, ye see. _rontkahtos_, they see (masc. )_kontkahtos_, they see (fem. )

_kenonwes_, I love. _senonwes_, thou lovest. _rononwes_, he loves. _kanonwes_, she loves. _icnonwes_, one loves. _teninonwes_, we two love (thou and I)_iakeninonwes_, we two love (he and I)_seninonwes_, ye two love. _hninonwes_, they two love (masc. )_keninonwes_, they two love (fem. )_tewanonwes_, we love (ye and I. )_iakwanonwes_, we love (they and I. )_sewanonwes_, ye love. _ratinonwes_, they love (masc. )_kontinonwes_, they love (fem. )

It will be observed that in these examples the prefixed pronouns differconsiderably in some cases. These differences determine (or aredetermined by) the conjugation of the verbs. _Katkahtos_ belongs tothe first conjugation, and _kenonwes_ to the second. There arethree other conjugations, each of which shows some peculiarity in theprefixed pronouns, though, in the main, a general resemblance runsthrough them all. There are other variations of the pronouns, accordingto the "paradigm, " as it is called, to which the verb belongs. Of theseparadigms there are two, named in the modern Iroquois grammars paradigmsK and A, from the first or characteristic letter of the first personalpronoun. The particular conjugation and paradigm to which any verbbelongs can only be learned by practice, or from the dictionaries. 

The same prefixed pronouns are used, with some slight variations, aspossessives, when prefixed to a substantive; as, from _sita_, foot, we have (in Paradigm A) _akasita_, my foot, _sasita_, thyfoot, _raosita_, his foot. Thus nouns, like verbs, have the fiveconjugations and the two paradigms. 

Iroquois verbs have three moods, indicative, imperative, andsubjunctive; and they have, in the indicative, seven tenses, thepresent, imperfect, perfect, pluperfect, aorist, future, and paulo-postfuture. These moods and tenses are indicated either by changes oftermination, or by prefixed particles, or by both conjoined. Oneauthority makes six other tenses, but M. Cuoq prefers to include themamong the special forms of the verb, of which mention will presently bemade. 

To give examples of these tenses, and the rules for their formation, would require more space than can be devoted to the subject in thepresent volume. The reader who desires to pursue the study is referredto the works of M. Cuoq already mentioned. 

The verb takes a passive form by inserting the syllable _at_between the prefixed pronoun and the verb; and a reciprocal sense byinserting _atat_. Thus, _kiatatas_, I put in;_katiatatas_, I am put in; _katatiatatas_, I put myself in;_konnis_, I make; _katonnis_, I am made; _katatonnis_, Imake myself. This syllable _at_ is probably derived from the word_oyala_, body, which is used in the sense of "self, " like thecorresponding word _hakty_ in the Delaware language. 

The "transitions, " or the pronominal forms which indicate the passage ofthe action of a transitive verb from the agent to the object, play animportant part in the Iroquois language. In the Algonkin tongues thesetransitions are indicated partly by prefixed pronouns, and partly byterminal inflections. In the Iroquois the subjective and objectivepronouns are both prefixed, as in French. In that language "_il mevoit_" corresponds precisely with RAKAthatos, "he-me-sees. " Here thepronouns, _ra_, of the third person, and _ka_ of the first, are evident enough. In other cases the two pronouns have been combinedin a form which shows no clear trace of either of the simple pronouns;as in _helsenonwes_, thou lovest him, and _hianonwes_, heloves thee. These combined pronouns are very numerous, and vary, likethe simple pronouns, in the five conjugations. 

The peculiar forms of the verb, analogous to the Semitic conjugationsare very numerous. Much of the force and richness of the languagedepends on them. M. Caoq enumerates--

1. The diminutive form, which affixes _ha_; as _knekirhaHA_, Idrink a little; _konkweHA_ (from _onkwe_, man), I am a man, but hardly one (_i. E. _, I am a little of a man). 

2. The augmentative, of which _tsi_ is the affixed sign; as, _knekirhaTSI_, I drink much. This is sometimes lengthened to_tsihon_; as _wakatonteTSIHON_, I understand perfectly. 

3 and 4. The cislocative, expressing motion towards the speaker, and thetranslocative, indicating motion tending from him. The former has_t_, the latter _ie_ or _ia_, before the verb, as_tasataweiat_, come in; _iasataweiat_, go in. 

5. The duplicative, which prefixes _te_, expresses an action whichaffects two or more agents or objects, as in betting, marrying, joining, separating. Thus, from _ikiaks_, I cut, we have _tekiaks_, Icut in two, where the prefix _te_ corresponds to the Latin bi in"bisect". The same form is used in speaking of acts done by those organsof the body, such as the eyes and the hands, which nature has madedouble. Thus _tekasenthos_, I weep, is never used except in thisform. 

6 The reiterative is expressed by the sound of _s_ prefixed to theverb. It sometimes replaces the cislocative sign; thus, _tkahtenties_, I come from yonder; _skahtenties_, I comeagain. 

7. The motional is a form which by some is considered a special futuretense. Thus, from _khiatons_, I write, we have _khiatonnes_, Iam going to write; from _katerios_, I fight, _katerioseres_, Iam going to the war; from _kesaks_, I seek, _kesakhes_, I amgoing to seek. These forms are irregular, and can only be learned bypractice. 

8. The causative suffix is _tha_; as from _k'kowanen_, I amgreat, we have _k'kowanaTHA_, I make great, I aggrandize. With_at_ inserted we have a simulative or pretentious form, as_katkowanaTHA_, I make myself great, I pretend to be great. Thesame affix is used to give an instrumental sense; as from_keriios_, I kill, we have _keriiohTHA_, I kill him with sucha weapon or instrument. 

9. The progressive, which ends in _tie_ (sometimes taking the forms_atie_, _hatie_, _tatie_), is much used to give the senseof becoming, proceeding, continuing, and the like; as_wakhiatontie_, I go on writing; _wakatrorihatie_, I keep ontalking; _wakeriwaientatie_, I am attending to the business. Theaddition of an _s_ to this form adds the idea of plurality ordiversity of acts; thus, _wakhiatonties_, I go on writing atdifferent times and places; _wakatrorihaties_, I keep on tellingthe thing, _i. E. _, going from house to house. 

10. The attributive has various forms, which can only be learned bypractice or from the dictionaries. It expresses an action done for someother person; as, from _wakiote_, I work, we have _kiotense_, I work for some one; from _katatis_, I speak, _katatiase_, Ispeak in favor of some one. 

11. The habitual ends in _kon_. From _katontats_, I hear, Iconsent, we have _wakatontatskon_, I am docile; from_katatis_, I speak, _wakatatiatskon_, I am talkative. 

12. The frequentative has many forms, but usually ends in _on_, or_ons_. From _khiatons_, I write, we have in this form_khiatonnions_, I write many things; from _katkahtos_, I look, _katkahtonnions_, I look on all sides. 

These are not all the forms of the Iroquois verb; but enough have beenenumerated to give some idea of the wealth of the language in suchderivatives, and the power of varied expression which it derives fromthis source. 

The Iroquois has many particles which, like those of the Greek andFrench languages, help to give clearness to the style, though theirprecise meaning cannot always be gathered by one not perfectly familiarwith the language. _Ne_ and _nene_ are frequently used assubstitutes for the article and the relative pronouns. _Onenh_, now; _kati_, then, therefore; _ok_, _nok_, and_neok_, and; _oni_ and _neoni_, also; _toka_ and_tokat_, if, perhaps; _tsi_, when; _kento_, here;_akwah_, indeed, very; _etho_, thus, so; _are_, sometimes, again; _ken_, an interrogative particle, like the Latin_ne_--these and some others will be found in the Book of Rites, employed in the manner in which they are still used by the bestspeakers. 

It must be understood that the foregoing sketch affords only the barestoutline of the formation of the Iroquois language. As has been beforeremarked, a complete grammar of this speech, as full and minute as thebest Sanscrit or Greek grammars, would probably equal and perhapssurpass those grammars in extent. The unconscious forces of memory andof discrimination required to maintain this complicated intellectualmachine, and to preserve it constantly exact and in good working order, must be prodigious. Yet a comparison of Bruyas' work with the languageof the present day shows that this purpose has been accomplished; and, what is still more remarkable, a comparison of the Iroquois with theHuron grammar shows that after a separation which must have exceededfive hundred years, and has probably covered twice that term, the twolanguages differ less from one another than the French of the twelfthcentury differed from the Italian, or than the Anglo-Saxon of KingAlfred differed from the contemporary Low German speech. The forms ofthe Huron-Iroquois languages, numerous and complicated as they are, appear to be certainly not less persistent, and probably bettermaintained, than those of the written Aryan tongues. 

ANCIENT RITES OF THE CONDOLING COUNCIL. 

[Originally presented as one page Iroquois, followed by one pageEnglish translation. This is confusing in electronic texts, so havechanged it here to be the complete Iroquois text followed by thecomplete English translation. ]

OKAYONDONGHSERA YONDENNASE. 

OGHENTONH KARIGHWATEGHKWENH:

DEYUGHNYOXKWARAKTA, RATIYATS. 

1. Onenh weghniserade wakatyerenkowa desawennawenrate nekenteyurhoton. Desahahishonne donwenghratstanyonne nekentekaghronghwanyon. Tesatkaghtoghserontye ronatennossendonghkweyonkwanikonghtaghkwenne, konyennetaghkwen. Ne katykcnh nayoyaneratye nesanikonra? Daghsatkaghthoghseronne ratiyanarenyononkwaghsotsherashonkenhha; neok detkanoron ne shekonh ayuyenkwaroghthakejiratighrotonghkwakwe. Ne katykenh nayuyaneratye ne sanikonradesakaghserentonyonne?

2. Niyawehkowa katy nonwa onenh skennenji thisayatirhehon. Onenh nonwaoghseronnih denighroghkwayen. Hasekenh thiwakwekonh deyunennyatenyonnene konnerhonyon, "Ie henskerighwaghfonte. " Kenyutnyonkwaratonnyon, neony kenyotdakarahon, neony kenkontifaghsoton. Nedensaesayatyenenghdon, konyennedaghkwen, neony kenkaghnekdnyon nedensaesayatyenenghdon, konyennethaghkwen, neony kenwaseraketotanesekentewaghsatayenha kanonghsakdatye. Niyateweghniserakeh yonkwakaronny;onidatkon yaghdekakonghsonde oghsonteraghkowa nedens aesayatyenenghdon, konyennethaghkwen. 

3. Niyawenhkowa kady nonwa onenh skennenjy thadesarhadiyakonh. Hasekenhkanoron jinayawenhon nene aesahhahiyenenhon, nene ayakotyerenhonayakawen, "Issy tyeyadakeron, akwah deyakonakorondon!" Ayakaweronoghnonnekenh niyuiterenhhatye, ne konyennedaghkwen. 

4. Rotirighwison onkwaghsotshera, ne ronenh, "Kenhenyondatsjistayenhaghse. Kendeyughnyonkwarakdaeghtenyontatitenranyon orighokonha. " Kensane yeshotiriwayenorighwakwekonh yatenkarighwentaseron, nene akwahdenyontatyadoghseronko. Neony ne ronenh, "Ethononweh yenyontatenonshine, kanakdakwenniyukeh yenyontatideron. "

5. Onenh kady iese seweryenghskwe sathaghyonnighshon:

 Karhatyonni. Oghskawaserenhon. Gentiyo. Onenyute. Deserokenh. Deghhodijinharakwenh. Oghrekyonny. Deyuyewenton. 

Etho ne niwa ne akotthaghyonnishon. 

6. Onenh nene shehhawah deyakodarakeh ranyaghdenghshon:

 Kaneghsadakeh. Onkwehieyede. Waghkerhon. Kahhendohhon. Dhogvvenyoh. Kayyhekwarakeh. 

Etho ne niwa ne ranyaghdenshon. 

7. Onenh nene jadadeken roskerewake:Deyaokenh. Jonondese. Otskwirakeron. Onaweron. 

8. Onenh nene onghwa kehaghshonha:Karhawenghradongh. Karakenh. Deyuhhero. Deyughsweken. Oxdenkeh. 

Etho ne niwa roghskerewake. Eghnikatarakeghne orighwakayongh. 

9. Ne kaghyaton jinikawennakeh ne dewadadenonweronh, "ohhendonhkarighwadeghkwenh" radiyats. Doka enyairon, "Konyennedaghkwen; onenhweghniserade yonkwatkennison. Rawenniyo raweghniseronnyh. Ne onwakonwende yonkwatkennison nene jiniyuneghrakwah jinisayadawen. Onenhoaghwenjakonh niyonsakahhawe jinonweh nadekakaghneronnyonghkwe. Akwahkady okaghserakonh thadetyatroghkwanekenh. "

10. "Onenh kady yakwenronh, wakwennyonkoghde okaghsery, akwah kady okskennen thadenseghsatkaghthonnyonhheke. "

11. "Nok ony kanekhere deyughsihharaonh ne sahondakon. Onenh kadywatyakwaghsiharako waahkwadeweyendonh tsisaronkatah, kady nayawenh neskennen thensathondeke enhtyewenninekenneh. "

12. "Nok ony kanekhere deyughsihharaonh desanyatokenh. Onenh kady honeyakwenronh watyakwaghsihharanko, akwah kady ok skennendeghsewenninekenne dendewadatenonghweradon. "

13. Onenh are oya, konyennethaghkwen. Nene kadon yuneghrakwahjinesadawen. Niyadeweghniserakeh sanekherenhonhratikowanenghskwe. Onghwenjakonh niyeskahhaghs; ken-onyrodighskenrakeghdethaghkwe, ken-ony sanheghtyensera, ken-onysaderesera. Akwagh kady ok onekwenghdarihengh thisennekwakenry. 

14. Onenh kady yakwenronh wakwanekwenghdarokewanyon jisanakdade, oghkady nenyawenne seweghniserathagh ne akwah ok skennen then kanakdiyuhakeji enghsitskodake denghsatkaghdonnyonheke. 

15. Onenh nene Karenna, Yondonghs "Aihaigh. "

 Kayanerenh dcskenonghweronne; Kheyadawenh deskenonghweronne; Oyenkondonh deskenonghweronne; Wakonnyh deskenonghweronne. Ronkeghsotah rotirighwane, -- Ronkeghsota jiyathondek. 

16. Enskat ok enjerennokden nakwah oghnaken nyare enyonghdentyonkokanonghsakonghshon, enyairon. 

17. "A-i Raxhottahyh! Onenh kajatthondek onenh enyontsdaren neyetshiyadare! Ne ji onenh wakarighwakayonne ne sewarighwisahnonghkwe nekayarenghkowah. Ayawenhenstokenghske daondayakotthondeke. "

18. "Na-i Raxhottahyh! Ne kenne iesewenh enyakodenghthe nene noghnakenenyakaonkodaghkwe. "

19. "Na-i Raxhottahyh! Onenh nonwa kathonghnonweh dhatkonkoghdaghkwanyonjidenghnonhon nitthatirighwayerathaghkwe. "

20. "Na-i Raxbottahyh! Nene ji onenh wakarighwakayonne nesewarighwisahnonghkwe, ne Kayarenghkowa. Yejisewatkonseraghkwanyononghwenjakonshon yejisewayadakeron, sewarighwisahnhonkwe neKayanerenhkowah. Ne sanekenh ne seweghne aerengh niyenghhenweenyurighwadatye Kayanerenghkowah. "

 * * * * *

21. Eghnikonh enyerighwawetharho kenthoh, are enjonderennoden enskatenjerenokden, onenh ethone enyakohetsde onenh are enjondentyonkokanonghsakonghshon, enyairon wahhy:

22. "A-i Raxhotthahyh! Onenh jatthondek kady nonwajinihhotiyerenh, --orighwakwekonh natehaotiya-doreghtonh, nene roneronhne enyononghsaghniratston. A-i Raxhotthahyh! nene ronenh: 'Onen nonwawetewayennendane; wetewennakeraghdanyon; watidewenna-karondonnyon. '"

23. "Onenh are oya eghdeshotiyadoreghdonh, nene ronenh: 'Kenkisenhnenyawenne. Aghsonh thiyenjide-watyenghsaeke, onok enjonkwanckheren. 'Nene ronenh: 'Kenkine nenyawenne. Aghsonh denyakokwanentonghsaeke, onokdenjontadenakarondako. Nene doka ok yadayakonakarondatye onghwenjakonhniyaonsakahawe, A-i Raxhottahyh, ' none ronenh, 'da-edewenhheye onghteh, neok yadayakonakarondatye onghwenjakonh niyaonsakahawe. '"

24. "Onenh are oya eghdeshodiyadoreghtonh, nai Raxhottahyh! Nene ronenhne enyononghsaghniratston. Nene ronengh: 'Doka onwakenenyondatyadawenghdate, ne kenkarenyakeghrondonhah ne nayakoghstondene nayeghnyasakenradake, ne kenh ne iesewenh, kenkinenenyawenne. Kendenyethirentyonnite kanhonghdakde dewaghsadayenhah. "

25. "Onenh are oya eghdejisewayudoreghdonh, nene isewenh:'Yahhonghdehdeyoyanere nene kenwedewayen, onwa enyeken nonkwaderesera;kadykenh niyakoghswathah, akwekonh nityakawenonhtonh nekenyoteranentenyonhah. Enyonterenjiok kendonsayedane akwahenyakonewarontye, onok enyerighwanendon oghnikawenhonh nekendeyerentyonny; katykenh nenyakorane nenyerighwanendon akare onenhenyakodokenghse. Onok na entkaghwadasehhon nakonikonra, onenh are ne ehenjonkwakaronny. '"

26. "Onenh are oya eghdeshotiyadoreghdonh, nene ronenh: 'Kenkinenenyawenne. Endewaghneghdotako skarenhhesekowah, enwadonghwenjadethareeghyendewasenghte tyoghnawatenghjihonh kathonghdeh thienkahhawe; onenhdenghnon dentidewaghneghdoten, onenh denghnon yaghnonwendonhthiyaensayeken nonkwateresera. '"

27. "Onenh are oya eghdeshotiyadoreghdonh, nene roneronh neenyononghsaghniratston. Nene ronenh: 'Onenh wedewaweyennendane;wedewennakeraghdanyon. Doka nonkenh onghwajok onok enjonkwanekheren. Ken kady ne nenyawenne. Kenhendewaghnatatsherodarho ken kanakaryonnihadeyunhonghdoyenghdongh yendewanaghsenghde, kennikanaghseshah, neenyehharako ne kaneka akonikonghkahdeh. Enwadon ok jiyudakenrokdethadenyedane doghkara nentyewenninekenne enjondatenikonghketsko neenyenikonghkwenghdarake. Onokna enjeyewendane yenjonthahida nekayanerenghkowa. '"

28. "Onenh kady ise jadakweniyu ken Kanonghsyonny, Dekanawidah, nedeghniwenniyu ne rohhawah Odadsheghte; onenh nene yeshodonnyhWathadodarho; onenh nene yeshohowah akahenyonh; onare nene yeshodonnyhKanyadariyu; onenh nene yeshonarase Shadekaronyes; onenh nene onghwakehhaghsaonhah yejodenaghstahhere kanaghsdajikowah. "

 * * * * *

29. Onenh jatthondek sewarihwisaanonghkwe Kayarenhkowah. Onenhwakarighwakayonne. Onenh ne oknejoskawayendon. Yetsisewanenyadanyon nesewariwisaanonghkweh. Yejisewahhawihtonh, yetsisewennitskarahgwanyon;agwah neok ne skaendayendon. Ethoyetsisewanonwadaryon. Sewarihwisaanonghkwe yetsisewahhawitonh. Yetsisewatgonseraghkwanyon sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

30. Onenh kady jatthondek jadakweniyosaon sewarihwisaanonghkwe:

 DEKARIHAOKESH! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, AYONHWAHTHA! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, SHATEKARIWATE! Etho natejonhne! Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe. Kayanerenhkowah. 

 31. Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, SHARENHAOWANE! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, DEYONNHEHGONH! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, OGHRENREGOWAH! Etho natejonhne! Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

 32. Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, DEHENNAKARINE! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, AGHSTAWENSERONTHA! Jatthontenyonk! Jatagweniyosaon, SHOSGOHAROWANE! Etho natejonhne, Sewatarihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

 33. Ise seniyatagweniyohkwe, Jatathawhak. Senirighwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenghkowah. Ne deseniyenah; Seninonsyonnitonh. Onenh katy jatthontenyonk Jatakweniyosaon, ODATSEGHTE! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, KANONHGWENYODON! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, DEYOHHAGWENTE! Etho natejonhne! Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe. Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

34. Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, SHONONSESE! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, DAONAHROKENAGH! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon. 

 ATYATONNENHTHA! Etho natejonhne! Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

35. Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, DEWATAHONHTENYONK! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, KANIYATAHSHAYONK! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, ONWATSATONHONH! Etho natejonhne! Sewaterihwakhaonghkwe, Sewarihwisaanonghkwe, Kayanerenhkowah. 

36. Eghyesaotonnihsen: Onenh jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, THATOTARHO! Jatthontenyonk! Etho ronarasehsen: Jatakweniyosaon, ENNESERARENH! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, DEHATKAHTHOS! Jatthontenyonk! Waghontenhnonterontye. Jatakweniyosaon, ONYATAJIWAK! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, AWEKENYADE! Jatthontenyonk! Jatakweniyosaon, DEHAYADKWARAYEN! Etho natejonhne!

37. Yeshohawak: Rokwahhokowah. Etho kakeghrondakwe Ne kanikonghrashon, RONONGHWIREGHTONH! Etho natejonhne!

38. Etho yeshotonnyh, Tekadarakehne. 

 KAWENENSERONDON!

 HAGHRIRON! Etho nadehhadihne!

39. Wahhondennonterontye, RONYENNYENNIH!

 SHODAKWARASHONH!

 SHAKOKENGHNE! Etho nadejonhne!

40. Etho niyawenonh, Karihwakayonh. Shihonadewiraratye, Tehhodidarakeh. Rakowanenh, RASERHAGHRHONK! Etho wahhoronghyaronnyon: Roghskenrakeghdekowah, Rakowanenh, Tehhotyatakarorenh, SKANAWADYH! Etho natejonhne!

41. Yeshohhawak, TEKAHENYONK: Yeshonadadekenah:

 JINONTAWERAON! Etho natejonhne!

42. KADAKWARASONH!

 SHOYONWESE!

 ATYASERONNE! Etho natejonhneh!

43. Yeshondadekenah, TEYORONGHYONKEH!

 TEYODHOREGHKONH!

 WATHYAWENHETHON! Etho natejonhne!

44. ATONTARAHERHA!

 TESKAHE! Etho natejonhneh!

45. Yeshotonnyh, SKANYADARIYO! Yeshonaraseshen, SHADEKARONYES! Etho natejonhneh!

46. SATYENAWAT! Yeshonaraseshen, SHAKENJOWANE! Etho natejonhneh!

47. KANOKARIH! Yeshonarase, --onwa

 NISHARYENEN! Etho natejonhneh!

48. Onghwa keghaghshonah Yodenaghstahhere Kanaghstajikowah. Yatehhotihohhataghkwen. Etho ronaraseshen, Yadehninhohhanonghne:

 KANONGHKERIDAWYH! Yeshonaraseshen, TEYONINHOKARAWENH! Etho natejonhneh!

49. Onenh watyonkwentendane Kanikonrakeh. 

ANCIENT RITES OF THE CONDOLING COUNCIL[English Translation]

THE PRELIMINARY CEREMONY:

CALLED, "AT THE WOOD'S EDGE. "

1. Now [Footnote: The paragraphs are not numbered in the originaltext. The numbers are prefixed in this work merely for convenience ofreference. ] to-day I have been greatly startled by your voice comingthrough the forest to this opening. You have come with troubled mindthrough all obstacles. You kept seeing the places where they met onwhom we depended, my offspring. How then can your mind be at ease? Youkept seeing the footmarks of our forefathers; and all but perceptible isthe smoke where they used to smoke the pipe together. Can then your mindbe at ease when you are weeping on your way?

2. Great thanks now, therefore, that you have safely arrived. Now, then, let us smoke the pipe together. Because all around are hostile agencieswhich are each thinking, "I will frustrate their purpose. " Here thornyways, and here falling trees, and here wild beasts lying inambush. Either by these you might have perished, my offspring, or, hereby floods you might have been destroyed, my offspring, or by theuplifted hatchet in the dark outside the house. Every day these arewasting us; or deadly invisible disease might have destroyed you, myoffspring. 

3. Great thanks now, therefore, that in safety you have come through theforest. Because lamentable would have been the consequences had youperished by the way, and the startling word had come, "Yonder are lyingbodies, yea, and of chiefs!" And they would have thought in dismay, whathad happened, my offspring. 

4. Our forefathers made the rule, and said, "Here they are to kindle afire; here, at the edge of the woods, they are to condole with eachother in few words. " But they have referred thither [Footnote: That is, to the Council House. ] all business to be duly completed, as well as forthe mutual embrace of condolence. And they said, "Thither shall they beled by the hand, and shall be placed on the principal seat. "

5. Now, therefore, you who are our friends of the Wolf clan:

_In John Buck's MS. _ _Supposed Meaning. _Ka rhe tyon ni. The broad woods. Ogh ska wa se ron hon. Grown up to bushes again. Gea di yo. Beautiful plain. O nen yo deh. Protruding stone. De se ro ken. Between two lines. Te ho di jen ha ra kwen. Two families in a long-house, Ogh re kyon ny. (Doubtful. ) [one at each end. ]Te yo we yen don. Drooping wings. 

Such is the extent of the Wolf clan. 

6. Now, then, thy children of the two clans of the Tortoise:

Ka ne sa da keh. On the hill side. Onkwi i ye de. A person standing there. Weg'h ke rhon. (Doubtful. )Kah ken doh hon. "Tho gwen yoh. "Kah he kwa ke. "

Such is the extent of the Tortoise clan. 

7. Now these thy brothers of the Bear clan: De ya oken. The Forks. Jo non de seh. It is a high hill. Ots kwe ra ke ron. Dry branches fallen to the ground. Ogh na we ron. The springs. 

8. Now these have been added lately: Ka rho wengh ra don. Taken over the woods. Ka ra ken. White. De yo he ro. The place of flags (rushes). De yo swe ken. Outlet of the river. Ox den ke. To the old place. 

Such is the extent of the Bear clan. 

These were the clans in ancient times. 

9. Thus are written the words of mutual greeting, called "the openingceremony. " Then one will say, "My offspring, now this day we are mettogether. God has appointed this day. Now, to-day, we are met together, on account of the solemn event which has befallen you. Now into theearth he has been conveyed to whom we have been wont to look. Yea, therefore, in tears let us smoke together. "

10. "Now, then, we say, we wipe away the tears, so that in peace you maylook about you. "

11. "And, further, we suppose there is an obstruction in your ears. Now, then, we remove the obstruction carefully from your hearing, so that wetrust you will easily hear the words spoken. "

12. "And also we imagine there is an obstruction in your throat. Now, therefore, we say, we remove the obstruction, so that you may speakfreely in our mutual greetings. "

13. "Now again another thing, my offspring. I have spoken of the solemnevent which has befallen you. Every day you are losing your greatmen. They are being borne into the earth; also the warriors, and alsoyour women, and also your grandchildren; so that in the midst of bloodyou are sitting. "

14. "Now, therefore, we say, we wash off the bloodmarks from your seat, so that it may be for a time that happily the place will be clean whereyou are seated and looking around you. "

 * * * * *

15. Now the Hymn, CALLED "HAIL. "

 I come again to greet and thank the League; I come again to greet and thank the kindred; I come again to greet and thank the warriors; I come again to greet and thank the women. My forefathers, --what they established, -- My forefathers, --hearken to them!

16. The last verse is sung yet again, while he walksto and fro in the house, and says:

17. "Hail, my grandsires! Now hearken while your grandchildren crymournfully to you, --because the Great League which you established hasgrown old. We hope that they may hear. "

18. "Hail, my grandsires! You have said that sad will be the fate ofthose who come in the latter times. "

19. "Oh, my grandsires! Even now I may have failed to perform thisceremony in the order in which they were wont to perform it. " "Oh, mygrandsires! Even now that has become old which you established, --theGreat League. You have it as a pillow under your heads in the groundwhere you are lying, --this Great League which you established; althoughyou said that far away in the future the Great League would endure. "

 * * * * *

So much is to be said here, and the Hymn is to be sung again, and thenhe is to go on and walk about in the house again, saying as follows:

"Hail, my grandsires! Now hear, therefore, what they did--all the rulesthey decided on, which they thought would strengthen the House. Hail, mygrandsires! this they said: 'Now we have finished; we have performedthe rites; we have put on the horns. '

"Now again another thing they considered, and this they said: 'Perhapsthis will happen. Scarcely shall we have arrived at home when a losswill occur again. ' They said, 'This, then, shall be done. As soon as heis dead, even then the horns shall be taken off. For if invested withhorns he should be borne into the grave, ' oh, my grandsires, they said, 'we should perhaps all perish if invested with horns he is conveyed tothe grave. '

"Then again another thing they determined, oh my grandsires! 'This, 'they said, 'will strengthen the House. ' They said, if any one should bemurdered and [the body] be hidden away among fallen trees by reason ofthe neck being white, then you have said, this shall be done. We willplace it by the wall in the shade. "

25. "Now again you considered and you said: 'It is perhaps not well thatwe leave this here, lest it should be seen by our grandchildren; forthey are troublesome, prying into every crevice. People will be startledat their returning in consternation, and will ask what has happened thatthis (corpse) is lying here; because they will keep on asking until theyfind it out. And they will at once be disturbed in mind, and that againwill cause us trouble. '"

26. "Now again they decided, and said: 'This shall be done. We will pullup a pine tree--a lofty tree--and will make a hole through theearth-crust, and will drop this thing into a swift current which willcarry it out of sight, and then never will our grandchildren see itagain. '"

27. "Now again another thing they decided, and thought, this willstrengthen the House. They said: 'Now we have finished; we haveperformed the rites. Perhaps presently it will happen that a loss willoccur amongst us. Then this shall be done. We will suspend a pouch upona pole, and will place in it some mourning wampum--some shortstrings--to be taken to the place where the loss was suffered. Thebearer will enter, and will stand by the hearth, and will speak a fewwords to comfort those who will be mourning; and then they will becomforted, and will conform to the great law. '"

28. "Now, then, thou wert the principal of this Confederacy, Dekanawidah, with the joint principal, his son, Odadsheghte; and thenagain _his_ uncle, Wathadodarho; and also again _his_ son, Akahenyonh; and again _his_ uncle, Kanyadariyu; and then again_his_ cousin, Shadekaronyes; and then in later times additions weremade to the great edifice. "

 * * * * *

29. Now listen, ye who established the Great League. Now it has becomeold. Now there is nothing but wilderness. Ye are in your graves whoestablished it. Ye have taken it with you, and have placed it under you, and there is nothing left but a desert. There ye have taken yourintellects with you. What ye established ye have taken with you. Ye haveplaced under your heads what ye established--the Great League. 

30. Now, then, hearken, ye who were rulers and founders: [Footnote: Thenames in this version are in the orthography of John Buck's MS. ]

 TEHKARIHHOKEN! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, HAYENWATHA! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, SHADEKARIHWADE! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

 31. Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, SHARENHHOWANE! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHYONHEGHKWEN! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, OWENHEGHKOHNA! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

32. Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHHENNAGHKARIHNE! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, AGHSTAWENSERONTTHA! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, SHAGHSKOHAROWANE! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

33. Ye two were principals, Father and son, Ye two completed the work, The Great League. Ye two aided each other, Ye two founded the House. Now, therefore, hearken! Thou who wert ruler, ODATSEGHDEH! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, KAHNONKWENYAH! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHYOHHAKWENDEH! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

34. Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, SHONONGHSESEH! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, THONAEGHKENAH! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, HAHTYADONNENTHA! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

35. Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHWAHTAHONTENYONK! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, KAHNYADAGHSHAYEN! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, HONWATSHADONNEH! That was the roll of you, You who were joined in the work, You who completed the work, The Great League. 

36. These were his uncles: Now hearken! Thou who wert ruler, WATHADOTARHO: Continue to listen! These were the cousins: Thou who wert ruler, ONEHSEAGHHEN! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHHATKAHDONS! Continue to listen! These were as brothers thenceforth: Thou who wert ruler, SKANIADAJIWAK: Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, AWEAKENYAT! Continue to listen! Thou who wert ruler, TEHAYATKWAYEN! That was the roll of you!

37. Then his son: He is the great Wolf. There were combined The many minds! HONONWIREHDONH! That was the roll of you. 

38. These were his uncles, Of the two clans: KAWENENSEAGHTONH! HAHHIHHONH! That was the roll of them!

39. These were as brothers thenceforth: HOHYUNHNYENNIH! SHOTEHGWASEH! SHAHKOHKENNEH! This was the roll of you. 

40. This befell In ancient times. They had their children, Those the two clans. He the high chief, SAHHAHWIH! This put away the clouds: He was a war chief; He was a high chief-- Acting in either office: SKAHNAHWAHTIH! This was the roll of you!

41. Then his son, TAHKAHENHYUNH! With his brother, JIHNONTAHWEHHEH. This was the roll of you!

42. KAHTAHGWAHJIH! SHONYUNHWESH! HAHTYAHSENHNEH! This was the roll of you!

43. Then they who are brothers: TEHYUHENHYUNHKOH! TEHYUHTOHWEHGWIH! TYAWENHHEHTHONH! This was the roll of you. 

44. HAHTONHTAHHEHHAH! TESHKAHHEA! This was the roll of you!

45. Then his uncle, SKAHNYAHTEIHYUH! With his cousin, SHAHTEHKAHENHYESH. This was the roll of you!

46. SAHTYEHNAHWAHT! With his cousin, SHAKENHJOHNAH! This was the roll of you!

47. KAHNOHKAIH! With his cousin, --then NISHAHYEHNENHHAH This was the roll of you!

48. Then, in later times, They made additions To the great mansion. These were at the doorway, They who were cousins, These two guarded the doorway: KANONHKEHIHTAWIH! With his cousin, TYUHNINHOHKAWENH This was the roll of you!

49. Now we are dejected In our minds. 

THE BOOK OF THE YOUNGER NATIONS. 

(ONONDAGA DIALECT. )

[Originally presented as one page Onandaga, followed by one pageEnglish translation. This is confusing in electronic texts, so havechanged it here to be the complete Onandaga text followed by thecomplete English translation. ]

[*** Original used ' ' for syllable breaks and ' ' (two spaces) for wordbreaks. Changed to '-' for syllable breaks and a single space for wordbreaks. ]

1. A. Yo o-nen o-nen wen-ni-sr-te o-nen wa-ge-ho-gar-a-nyatne-tha-non-ni-sr-son-tar-yen na-ya-ne o-shon-tar-gon-go-narnen-tis-no-war-yen na-ye-ti-na gar-weear-har-tye ne swih-ar-gen-ahrne-tho-se hen-ga-ho-gar-a-nyat nen-tha-o-ta-gen-he-takne-tho-har-ten-gar-ton-ji-yar-hon-on nar-ye-en-gwa-wen-ne-kentarne-ten-gon-nen-tar-hen na-a-yen-tar. 

1. B. Tar onon na-on-gen shis-gis-war-tha-en-ton-tye naon-gwr-non-sen-shen-tar-qua nar-te-har-yar-ar-qui-narnan-gar-wen-ne-srh-ha-yo-ton-har-ye nen-gar-nen-ar-taho-ti-sgen-ar-ga-tar nen-o-ne gar-nen-ar-ti kon-hon-wi-sats nen-o-nitar-ga-non-tye na on-quar-sat-har nen-o hon-tar-gen-hi-se-non-tye nen-owen-gr-ge go-yar-da-nen-tar-hon nen-tho nr-ta-war ta-har-yar-ar-qui-narnen-gar-wen-ne-sar han-yo-ton-hr-tye tar o-nen-titya-quar-wen-ne-gen-har nen-a-shen ne-yar-quar-tar-ta-gen. 

1. C. O-nen-ti-a-wen-hen nar-ya-he-yr-genh thar-ne-ho-ti-e-quar-tenen-on-quar-noh-shen-ta-qua nen-o on-qua-jas-harn-ta-quanar-ye-gen-na-ho-nen nar-ye-na te-was-hen nen-ne-gon-hi-war na-thona-ho-te-yen-nen-tar-e tar-day-was-shen nen-ne-yo-e-wana-ar-wen-ha-yo-dar-ge nen-on-quar-twen-non-ty o-nen en-hen-wa-yar-shonnen-nat-ho-on-ne-yar-quar-ya-ar nen-a-shen ne-yar-quar-tar-te-ken. 

1. D. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-ta-yar-quar-wen-ni-ken-arnar-ya-hi-yar-gen na-ar-quar-ton sis-jih-wa-tha-en-ton-tye o-yar-nason-quar-yo-ten-se-nar tar-nr-ye-ti-na hon-sar-ho-har-we-ti-har-tyenen-qr-nen-hr-te ho-ti-sken-ar-ga-tar nen-o-ne gar-nen-har-tegon-thon-we-sas on-sar-ho-na-tar-que-har-tye nar-ya-har-tes-gar-no-wenna o-nen na-en-gar-ya-tye-nen-har nen-war-thon-wi-sas ar-ques-sis-jitnar-te-yo-nen-ha-ase en-war-nten-har-wat-tha nen-on-quar-ta-shar o-neno-yar-nen-eh-te-ge-non-tyes on-quar-te-shar nr-ya-o-nesar-o-har-we-ti-har-tye o-nen o-yar nens-o-ni-ta-gen-hi-se-non-tyeso-wen-gar-ge ga-yr-tr-nen-tak-hon ne-tho nr-te-waron-sar-ho-har-we-ti-har-tye. 

I. E. O-nen ty-a on-yar ta-ya-quar-wen-ne-ken-har nen-a-senne-yar-quar-tar-te-gen o-nen-ty ton-tar-wen-ten-eh nen-o-nenthon-tar-yar-tyar-ton-tye nen-wa-gon-yon-wenjar-nan-har tar-o-nenha-o-yar nen-ta-yo-quar-wen-ne-ken-e-har-tye. O-nen-te-ar-wen-han o-nenwar-quar-de-yen-non-nyar-hen na-shar-non-wa nr-o-tas-are-quar-hen-teno-nen wa-tya-quar-ha-tar-wen-ya-hon nen-ar-o-ar-shon-arnen-tar-yon-quar-ty ne-tho hon-ne-yar-quar-ya-ar nen-ar-shenne-yar-quar-ta-te-kenh. 

2. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-tar-yar-quar-wen-ne-ken-harnen-o-son-tar-gon-go-nar nen-ti-sno-war-gen. O-nen-titon-sar-gon-en-nya-eh-tha ar-guas hi-yar-ga-tha te-jo-ge-grar O-nen-tisar-gon-ar-gwar-nen-tak-ten sken-nen-gink-ty then-skar-ar-tayk. O-nenen-gar-ar-qui-ken-nha ne-tho tens-shar-ar-tyen. O-nenyo-nen-tyon-ha-tye. Ar-ghwas ten-yo-ten-har-en-ton-nyon-ne. Ne-thotens-gar-ar-tye a-ghwas sken-non-jis ten-yo-yar-neh ne onenen-gr-ar-gwen-har o-ty-nen-yar-wen-har hen-jo-har-ten-harsar-ne-gon-are. Ne-tho han-ne-yar-gwar-ya-ar nen-ar-senne-yar-quar-tr-ta-gen. 

3. O-nen-ti-ch-o-yar nen-ton-ta-yar-quar-wen-ne-ken-har. O-nen-nen-tiwar-tyar-war-see-har-an-qua te-shar-hon-tar-gar-en-tarnen-they-yon-tar-ge-har-te nen-te-sar-nar-ton-ken hon-ne-tyar-war-na-gen-tar wen-jar-wa-gar ha-e nar-ya-har ten-skar-har-we-tar-hannen-o-ge-gwr-en-yone nen-tye-sar-nar-ton-ken o-ty-nen-yar-wen-harnen-en-jo-har-ten-ar sar-ne-gon-are ne-tho hon-ne-yar-war-ya-arnen-a-sen ne-yar-quar-tar-te-kenh. 

4. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-tar-yr-quar-wen-ne-ken-tye hon-nenton-sar-war-kon-ha-jar-ha-jan nen-they-gar-kon-ha-shon-ton-har-tyehon-nen-ti nen-sar-kon-ge-ter-yen-has hon-nen-oninen-ton-sar-gon-nen-ha-tieh o-nen o-tieh-nen-yar-wen-harnen-en-jo-har-tyen-har sar-ne-gon-are ne-tho hon-ne-yar-quar-yar-arnen-a-sen ne-yar-qwr-tar-te-kenh. 

5. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-tar-yar-qwar-wen-ne-ken-harnar-ya-ti-ar-wen-han nen-tar-ehe-tar-nen-jar-tar-ti-war-tennen-ton-gar-ke-sen nen-na-hon-yar-na on-har-wen-ne-gen-tar nar-ya-nasar-hon-ta-je-wants as-kar-we ar-san-nen-sen-wen-hat ne-tho o-ninis-nen-yar-wen-hon-sken-are-gen-tar hor-go-war-nen-nen-hon-yar-naan-har-wen-ne-gen-tar are-we ar-sen-nen-sun-sar-wen-hat ne-thoon-ne-yar-quar-ya-ar nen-ar-sen ne-yr-qwar-tr-ta-kenh. 

6. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-tar-yar-quar-wen-ne-ken-hrnar-ye-ti-na-ar-wen-han nen-an-har-ya-tye-nen-har nen-na-hon-yar-nanr-ya-ti-nar nen-ne-yo-sar-tar ken-yar-tar nen-ji-gar-hannen-ta-hon-gren-tar wi-nar-na-ge-ne-yo-snon-wanen-o-yar-en-sar-tyar-tar-nyar-ten a-ren ne-tho one-yar-qwar-yaarnen-ar-sen ne-yr-quar-tar-te-kenh. 

7. O-nen-ti-eh-o-yar nen-ton-tr-yar-quar-wen-ne-ken-harnr-ya-ti-ar-wen-han sar-gon-nr-tar-eh-ya-tars nen-gr-nr-gar-yon-ne-ta-arnen-jar-ne-qr-nar-sis-ah nen ne-tho war-ar-guar-sins-tarna-tho-ti-an-sar-wa nen-thon-gr-gey-san e-his-an-skas-gen-nen one-ha-yatnen-war-o-yan-quar-a-ton-on-tye nen-yar-gar-ker ta-gr-nr-squaw-ya-an-nene-tho on-ne-yar-quar-ya-ar nen-ar-sen ne-yar-quar-ta-te-kenh. 

7. B. Tar-o-nen sar-gon-yan-nen-tar-ah tar-o-nen-ti ton-tar-ken-yar-tas. 

THE BOOK OF THE YOUNGER NATIONS. 

(TRANSLATION. )

I. A. Now--now this day--now I come to your door where you are mourningin great darkness, prostrate with grief. For this reason we have comehere to mourn with you. I will enter your door, and come before theashes, and mourn with you there; and I will speak these words to comfortyou. 

I. B. Now our uncle has passed away, he who used to work for all, thatthey might see the brighter days to come, --for the whole body ofwarriors and also for the whole body of women, and also the childrenthat were running around, and also for the little ones creeping on theground, and also those that are tied to the cradle-boards; for all thesehe used to work that they might see the bright days to come. This wesay, we three brothers. 

I. C. Now the ancient lawgivers have declared--our uncles that are gone, and also our elder brothers--they have said, it is worth twenty--it wasvalued at twenty--and this was the price of the one who is dead. And weput our words on it (_i. E. _ the wampum), and they recall hisname--the one that is dead. This we say and do, we three brothers. 

I. D. Now there is another thing we say, we younger brothers. He who hasworked for us has gone afar off; and he also will in time take with himall these--the whole body of warriors and also the whole body ofwomen--they will go with him. Rut it is still harder when the womanshall die, because with her the line is lost. And also the grandchildrenand the little ones who are running aruund--these he will take away; andalso those that are creeping on the ground, and also those that are onthe cradle-boards; all these he will takeaway with him. 

1. E. Now then another thing we will say, we three brothers. Now youmust feel for us; for we came here of our own good-will--came to yourdoor that we might say this. And we will say that we will try to do yougood. When the grave has been made, we will make it still better. Wewill adorn it, and cover it with moss. We will do this, we threebrothers. 

2. Now another thing we will say, we younger brothers. You are mourningin the deep darkness. I will make the sky clear for you, so that youwill not see a cloud. And also I will give the sun to shine upon you, sothat you can look upon it peacefully when it goes down: You shall see itwhen it is going. Yea! the sun shall seem to be hanging just over you, and you shall look upon it peacefully as it goes down. Now I have hopethat you will yet see the pleasant days. This we say and do, we threebrothers. 

3. Now then another thing we say, we younger brothers. Now we will openyour ears, and also your throat, for there is something that has beenchoking you and we will also give you the water that shall wash down allthe troubles in your throat. We shall hope that after this your mindwill recover its cheerfulness. This we say and do, we three brothers. 

4. Now then there is another thing we say, we younger brothers. We willnow remake the fire, and cause it to burn again. And now you can go outbefore the people, and go on with your duties and your labors for thepeople. This we say and do, we three brothers. 

5. Now also another thing we say, we younger brothers. You mustconverse with your nephews; and if they say what is good, you mustlisten to it. Do not cast it aside. And also if the warriors should sayanything that is good, do not reject it. This we say, we three brothers. 

6. Now then another thing we say, we younger brothers. If any oneshould fall--it may be a principal chief will fall and descend into thegrave--then the horns shall be left on the grave, and as soon aspossible another shall be put in his place. This we say, we threebrothers. 

7. Now another thing we say, we younger brothers. We will gird the belton you, with the pouch, and the next death will receive the pouch, whenever you shall know that there is death among us, when the fire ismade and the smoke is rising. This we say and do, we three brothers. 

7. B. Now I have finished. Now show me the man! [Footnote: _i. E. _, "Point out to me the man whom I am to proclaim as chief, in place of thedeceased. "]

NOTES ON THE CANIENGA BOOK

 * * * * *

The meaning of the general title, _Okayondonghsera Yondennase_, hasbeen already explained (Introduction, p. 48). In the sub-title, the word_oghentonh_ is properly an adverb, meaning firstly, orforemost. This title might be literally rendered. "First the ceremony, 'At-the-wood's-edge' they call it. "

1. The chiefs, in their journey to the place of meeting, are supposed tohave passed the sites of many deserted towns, in which councils hadformerly been held. Owing to the frequent removals of their villages, such deserted sites were common in the Iroquois country. The speaker whowelcomes the arriving guests supposes that the view of these places hadawakened in their minds mournful recollections. 

_Desawennawenrate_, "thy voice coming over. " This word is explainedin the Glossary. It is in the singular number. According to the Indiancustom, the speaker regards himself as representing the whole party forwhom he speaks, and he addresses the leader of the other party as therepresentative and embodiment of all who come with him. Throughout thespeeches "I" and "thou" are used in the well understood sense of "we"and "ye. " In like manner, tribes and nations are, as it were, personified. A chief, speaking for the Onondagas, will say, "I (that is, my nation) am angry; thou (the Delaware people) hast done wrong. " Thisstyle of bold personification is common in the scriptures. Moses warnsthe Israelites: "Thou art a stiff-necked people. " "Oh my people!"exclaims Isaiah; "they which lead thee cause thee to err. "

2. _Denighroghkwayen_, "let us two smoke. " This word is in the dualnumber, the two parties, the hosts and the guests, being each regardedas one individual. 

The difficulties and dangers which in the early days of the confederacybeset the traveler in threading his way through the forest, from oneIndian nation to another, are vividly described in this section. Thewords are still employed by their speakers as an established form, though they have ceased to have any pertinence to their presentcircumstances. 

3. _Alnuah deyakonakarondon_, "yea, of chiefs, "--literally, "yea, having horns. " The custom of wearing horns as part of the head-dress ofa chief has been long disused among the Iroquois; but the idiom remainsin the language, and the horns, in common parlance, indicate the chief, as the coronet suggests the nobleman in England. Among the westernIndians, as is well known, the usage still survives. "No one, " saysCatlin, "wears the head-dress surmounted with horns except thedignitaries who are very high in authority, and whose exceeding valor, worth, and power are admitted by all. " These insignia of rank are, headds, only worn on special and rare occasions, as in meeting embassies, or at warlike parades or other public festivals, or sometimes when achief sees fit to lead a war-party to battle. [Footnote: _Letters andNotes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North AmericanIndians. _ By George Catlin; p. 172. ] The origin of the custom isreadily understood. The sight, frequent enough in former days, of anantlered stag leading a herd of deer would be quite sufficient tosuggest to the quick apprehension of the Indian this emblem of authorityand pre-eminence. 

5. _Sathaghyortnighson_, "thou who art of the Wolf clan. " The clanis addressed in the singular number, as one person. It is deserving ofnotice that the titles of clan-ship used in the language of ceremony arenot derived from the ordinary names of the animals which give the clanstheir designations. _Okwatho_ is wolf, but a man of the Wolf clanis called _Tahionni_, --or, as written in the text, _Taghyonni_. In ordinary speech, however, the expression_rokwaho_, "he is a Wolf, " might be used. 

The English renderings of the names in the list of towns are those whichthe interpreters finally decided upon. In several instances they doubtedabout the meaning, and in some cases they could not suggest anexplanation. Either the words are obsolete, or they have come down insuch a corrupt form that their original elements and purport cannot bedetermined. As regards the sites of the towns, see the Appendix, Note E. 

6. _Deyako-larakeh ranyaghdenghshon_, --"the two clans of theTortoise. " Respecting the two sub-gentes into which the Tortoise clanwas divided, see _ante_, p. 53. _Anowara_ is the word fortortoise, but _raniahten_ (or, in the orthography of the text, _ranyaghdengh_) signifies, "he is of the Tortoise clan. "

7. _Jadadeken roskerewake_, "thy brother of the Bear clan. "_Okwari_ is bear, but _roskerewake_ signifies "he is of theBear clan. " _Rokwari_, "he is a Bear, " might, however, be used withthe same meaning. 

8. _Onghwa kehaghshonha_, "now recently. " It is possible that_onghwa_ is here written by mistake for _orighwa_. The word_orighwakayongh_, which immediately follows, signifies "in ancienttimes, " and the corresponding word _orighwake-haghshonha_ would be"in younger times. " The period in which these additions were made, though styled recent, was probably long past when the "Book of Rites"was committed to writing; otherwise many towns which are known to haveexisted at the latter date would have been added to the list. In fact, the words with which the catalogue of towns closes--"these were theclans in ancient times, "--seem to refer these later additions, alongwith the rest, back to a primitive era of the confederacy. 

9. _Rawenniyo raweghniseronnyh_, "God has appointed this day, " or, literally, "God makes this day. " In these words are probably found theonly trace of any modification of the Book of Rites caused by theinfluence of the white visitors and teachers of the modern Iroquois. Asthe very fact that the book was written in the alphabet introduced bythe missionaries makes us certain that the person who reduced it towriting had been under missionary instruction, it might be deemedsurprising that more evidences of this influence are not apparent. It isprobable, however, that the conservative feeling of the Council wouldhave rejected any serious alterations in their ancient forms. It seemsnot unlikely that David of Schoharie--or whoever was the penman on thisoccasion--may have submitted his work to his missionary teacher, andthat in deference to his suggestion a single interpolation of areligious cast, to which no particular objection could be made, wasallowed to pass. 

The word _Rawenniyo_, as is well known, is the term for God whichwas adopted by the Catholic missionaries. It is, indeed, ofHuron-Iroquois origin, and may doubtless have been occasionally employedfrom the earliest times as an epithet proper for a great divinity. Itsorigin and precise meaning are explained in the Appendix, Note B. TheCatholic missionaries appropriated it as the special name of the Deity, and its use in later times is probably to be regarded as an evidence ofChristian influence. That the sentence in which it occurs in the text isprobably an interpolation, is shown by the fact that the words whichprecede this sentence are repeated, with a slight change, immediatelyafter it. Having interjected this pious expression, the writer seems tohave thought it necessary to resume the thread of the discourse by goingback to the phrase which had preceded it. It will be observed that thereligious sentiment proper to the Book of Rites appears to us confinedto expressions of reverence for the great departed, the founders of thecommonwealth. This circumstance, however should not be regarded asindicating that the people were devoid of devotional feeling of anotherkind. Their frequent "thanksgiving festivals" afford sufficient evidenceof the strength of this sentiment; but they apparently considered itsdisplay out of place in their political acts. 

15. _Nene karcnna_, "the song, " or "hymn. " The purport of thiscomposition is explained in the Introduction (_ante_, p. 62). Before the Book of Rites came into my possession I had oftenheard the hymn repeated, or sung, by different individuals, in slightlyvarying forms. The Onondaga version, given me on the SyracuseReservation, contains a line, "_Negwiyage teskenonhenhne_" which isnot found in the Canienga MS. It is rendered "I come to greet thechildren. " The affection of the Indians for their children, which isexhibited in various passages of the Book, is most apparent in theOnondaga portion. 

_Kayanerenh_. This word is variously rendered, --"the peace, " "thelaw, " and "the league, " (see _ante_, p. 33). Here it evidentlystands for _Kayancrenhkowa_, "the Great Peace, " which is the nameusually given by the Kanonsionni to their league, or federalconstitution. 

_Deskenonghweronne_, or in the modern French orthography, _teskenonhweronne_, "we come to greet and thank, " is a good exampleof the comprehensive force of the Iroquois tongue. Its root is_nonhwe_, or _nanwe_, which is found in _kenonhws_, Ilove, like, am pleased with--the initial syllable _ke_ being thefirst personal pronoun. In the frequentative form this becomes_kenonhweron_, which has the meaning of "I salute and thank, " i. E. , I manifest by repeated acts my liking or gratification. The _s_prefixed to this word is the sign of the reiterative form:_skenonhweron_, "_again_ I greet and thank. " The terminalsyllable _ne_ and the prefixed _te_ are respectively the signsof the motional and the cislocative forms, --"I _come hither_ againto greet and thank. " A word of six syllables, easily pronounced (and inthe Onondaga dialect reduced to five) expresses fully and forcibly themeaning for which eight not very euphonious English words arerequired. The notion that the existence of these comprehensive words inan Indian language, or any other, is an evidence of deficiency inanalytic power, is a fallacy which was long ago exposed by the clear andpenetrative reasoning of Duponceau, the true father of Americanphilology. [Footnote: See the admirable Preface to his translation ofZeisberger's Delaware Grammar, p. 94. ] As he has well explained, analysis must precede synthesis. In fact, the power of what may betermed analytic synthesis, --the mental power which first resolves wordsor things into their elements, and then puts them together in newforms, --is a creative or co-ordinating force, indicative of a highernatural capacity than the act of mere analysis. The genius which framedthe word _teskenonhweronne_ is the same that, working with otherelements, produced the steam-engine and the telephone. 

_Ronkeghsota jivathondek_. Two translations of this verse weregiven by different interpreters. One made it an address to the people:"My forefathers--hearken to them!" i. E. , listen to the words of ourforefathers, which I am about to repeat. The other considered the versean invocation to the ancestors themselves. "My forefathers! hearken ye!"The words will bear either rendering, and either will be consonant withthe speeches which follow. 

The lines of this hymn have been thus cast into the metre ofLongfellow's "Hiawatha:"--

 "To the great Peace bring we greeting! To the dead chiefs kindred, greeting! To the warriors round him, greeting! To the mourning women, greeting! These our grandsires' words repeating, Graciously, O grandsires, hear us!"

16. _Enyonghdentyonko kanonghsakonghshen_, -"he will walk to and froin the house. " In councils and formal receptions it is customary for theorator to walk slowly to and fro during the intervals of hisspeech. Sometimes, before beginning his address, he makes a circuit ofthe assembly with a meditative aspect, as if collecting histhoughts. All public acts of the Indians are marked with some sign ofdeliberation. 

21. _Eghnikonh enyerighwawetharho kenthoh_, --"thus they will closethe ceremony here. " The address to the forefathers, which is mainly anoutburst of lamentation over the degeneracy of the times, is hereconcluded. It would seem, from what follows, that at this point thecandidate for senatorial honors is presented to the council, and isformally received among them, with the usual ceremonies, which were toowell known to need description. The hymn is then sung again, and theorator proceeds to recite the ancient laws which the founders of theirconfederacy established. 

22. _Watidewennakarondonnyon_, "we have put on the horns;" in otherwords, "we have invested the new chief with the ensigns of office, "--or, more briefly, "we have installed him. " The latter is the meaning as atpresent understood; but it is probable that, in earlier days, thepanoply of horns was really placed on the head of the newly inductedcouncillor. 

23. _Aghsonh denvakokwanentonghsacke_, etc. , "as soon as he is dead"(or, according to another rendering, "when he is just dying") the hornsshall be taken off. The purport and object of this law are set forth inthe Introduction, p. 67. 

24. _Ne nayakoghstonde ne nayeghnyasakenradake, _ "by reason of the neckbeing white. " The law prescribed in this section to govern theproceedings of the Council in the case of homicide has been explained inthe Introduction, p. 68. The words now quoted, however, introduce aperplexity which cannot be satisfactorily cleared up. The aged chief, John S. Johnson, when asked their meaning, was only able to say thatneither he nor his fellow councillors fully understood it. They repeatedin council the words as they were written in the book, but in this case, as in some others, they were not sure of the precise significance orpurpose of what they said. Some of them thought that their ancestors, the founders, had foreseen the coming of the white people, and wished toadvise their successors against quarreling with their futureneighbors. If this injunction was really implied in the words, we mustsuppose that they were an interpolation of the Christian chief, David ofSchoharie, or possibly of his friend Brant. They do not, however, seemto be, by any means, well adapted to convey this meaning. Theprobability is that they are a modern corruption of some earlier phrase, whose meaning had become obsolete. They are repeated by the chiefs incouncil, as some antiquated words in the authorized version of thescriptures are read in our own churches, with no clearcomprehension--perhaps with a total misconception--of their originalsense. 

27. _Enjonkwanekheren_, "we shall lose some one, " or, moreliterally, we shall fail to know some person. This law, which is fullyexplained in the Introduction, p. 70, will be found aptly exemplified inthe Onondaga portion of the text, where the speeches of the "youngerbrothers" are evidently framed in strict compliance with the injunctionshere given. 

28. _Jadakweniyu_. This word, usually rendered "ruler, " appears tomean "principal person, " or perhaps originally a "very powerful person. "It is a compound word, formed apparently from _oyata_, body orperson, _kakwennion_, to be able, and the adjective termination_iyu_ or _iyo_, in its original sense of "great. " (SeeAppendix, Note B. ) M. Cuoq, in his Iroquois Lexicon, defines the verb_kiatakwenniyo_ as meaning "to be the important personage, thefirst, the principal, the president. " It corresponds very nearly to theLatin _princeps_, and, as applied in the following litany to thefifty great hereditary chiefs of the Iroquois, might fairly enough berendered "prince. "

_Kanonghsyonny_, in modern orthography, _Kanonsionni_. For theorigin and meaning of this word, and an explanation of the followingsection, see the Introduction, p. 75. 

_Yejodenaghstahhere kanaghsdajikowah_, lit. , "they addedframe-poles to the great framework. " Each of these compounds comprisesthe word _kanaghsta_, which is spelt by Bruyas, _gannasta_, and defined by him, "poles for making a cabin, --the inner one, which isbent to form the frame of a cabin. " The reference in these words is tothe Tuscaroras, Tuteloes, Nanticokes, and other tribes, who wereadmitted into the confederacy after its first formation. From amanuscript book, written in the Onondaga dialect, which I found at"Onondaga Castle, " in September, 1880, I copied a list of the fiftycouncillors, which closed with the words, "_shotinastasontakanastajikona Ontaskaeken_"--literally, "they added a frame-pole tothe great framework, the Tuscarora nation. "

29. _Onenh jathondek, sewarihwisaanonghkwe Kayanerenghkowa, _--"nowlisten, ye who completed the work, the Great League. " This section, though written continuously as prose, was probably always sung, like thelist of chiefs which follows. It is, in fact, the commencement of agreat historical chant, similar in character to the 78th Psalm, or tosome passages of the Prophets, which in style it greatly resembles. Insinging this portion, as also in the following litany to the chiefs, thelong-drawn exclamation of _hai_, or _haihhaih_, is frequentlyintroduced. In the MS. Book referred to in the last note, the list ofcouncillors was preceded by a paragraph, written like prose, but withmany of these interjections interspersed through it. The interpreter, Albert Cusick, an intelligent and educated man, assured me that this wasa song, and at my request he chanted a few staves of it, after thenative fashion. The following are the words of this hymn, arranged asthey are sung. It will be seen that it is a sort of cento orcompilation, in the Onondaga dialect, of passages from various portionsof the Canienga Book of Rites, and chiefly from the section (29) nowunder consideration:--

 _ Haihhaih!_ Woe! Woe! _Jiyathonick!_ Hearken ye! _Xivonkliti!_ We are diminished! _ Haihhaih!_ Woe! Woe! _Tejoskawayenton. _ The cleared land has become a thicket. _ Haihhaih! _ Woe! Woe! _Skakentahenyon. _ The clear places are deserted. _ Hai!_ Woe! _Shatyherarta--_ They are in their graves-- _Hotyiwisahongwe--_ They who established it-- _ Hai!_ Woe! _Kayaneengoha. _ The great League. _Netikenen honen_ Yet they declared _Nene kenyoiwatatye--_ It should endure-- _Kayaneengowane. _ The great League. _ Hai!_ Woe! _Wakaiwakayonnheha. _ Their work has grown old. _ Hai!_ Woe! _Netho watyongwententhe. _ Thus we are become miserable. 

The closing word is the same as the Canienga _watyonkwentendane_, which is found in the closing section of the Canienga book. The lines ofthe Onondaga hymn which immediately precede this concluding word will befound in Section 20 of that book, a section which is probably meant tobe chanted. It will be noticed that the lines of this hymn fallnaturally into a sort of parallelism, like that of the Hebrew chants. 

30. _Dekarihaokenh_, or _Tehkarihhoken_. In John Buck's MS. The list of chiefs is preceded by the words "_Nene Tehadirihoken_, "meaning the Caniengas, or, literally, "the Tekarihokens. " For anexplanation of this idiom and name, see _ante_, p. 77. 

_Ayonhwahtha_, or _Hayeirwatha_. This name, which, asHiawatha, is now familiar to us as a household word, is rendered "He whoseeks the wampum belt. " Chief George Johnson thought it was derived from_oyonwa_, wampum-belt, and _ratiehwatha_, to look forsomething, or, rather, to seem to seek something which we know where tofind. M. Cuoq refe/s the latter part of the word to the verb_katha_, to make. [Footnote: Lexique de la Langue Iroquois, p. 161] The termination _atha_ is, in this sense, of frequentoccurrence in Iroquois compounds. The name would then mean "He who makesthe wampum-belt, " and would account for the story which ascribes toHiawatha the invention of wampum. The Senecas, in whose language theword _oyonwa_ has ceased to exist, have corrupted the name to_Hayowentha_, which they render "he who combs. " This form of thename has also produced its legend, which is referred to elsewhere(p. 87). Hiawatha "combed the snakes out of Atotarho's head, " when hebrought that redoubted chief into the confederacy. 

_Shatekariwalf_, "two equal statements, " or "two things equal. "This name is derived-from _sate_ or _shate_, equal, and_kariwa_, or _karihwa_, for which see the Glossary. 

_Etho natejonhne_, "this was your number, " or, this was the extentof your class. These words, or the similar form, _ethonatehadinhne_, "this was their number, " indicate apparently that theroll of chiefs belonging to a particular class or clan iscompleted. They are followed by three other words which have beenalready explained (_ante_, pages 33 and 80), _sewater-ihwakhaonghkwe, sewarihwisaanonghkwe, kayanerenhkowa_. Inthe written litany these three words are omitted toward theclose, --probably to save the penman the labor of transcription; but inthe actual ceremony it is understood that they are chanted wherever theformula _etho natejonhne_, or _etho natchadinhne_, occurs. Inthe modern Canienga speech this verb is thus conjugated in theplural, --_etho_ being contracted to _eh_:--

 _ehnatetionhne_, we were that number; _ehnatejionhne_, ye were that number; _ehnatehadinhne_, they were that number. 

The three Canienga councillors of the first class all belong to theTortoise clan. 

31. _Sharenhowane_; in Onondaga, _Showenhona_. This name wastranslated by the interpreters, "he is the loftiest tree. " It seemsproperly to mean "he is a great tree-top, " from _karenha_, or_garenha_, which Bruyas renders _cime d'arbre_, and_kowane_, great. 

_Deyonnhehgonh_, or _Teyonhehkwen_, "double life, " from_onnhe_, life. My friend, Chief George Johnson, who bears thistitular appellation, tells me that it is properly the name of a certainshrub, which has a great tenacity of life. 

_Ohrenregowah_; in Onondaga, _Owenhegona_. The interpretersdiffered much in opinion as to the meaning of this name. Some said "widebranches;" another, "a high hill. " The root-word, _ohrenre_, isobsolete, and its meaning is apparently lost. 

The three chiefs of the second class or division of the Caniengas belongto the Wolf clan. 

32. _Dehennakarine_; in Onondaga, _Tehennakaihne_; "going withtwo horns. " The root is _onakara_, horn; the termination_ine_, or _ihne_, gives the sense of going; _de_ or_te_ is the duplicative prefix. 

_Aghstawenserontha_ (Onon. _Hastawensenwa_), "he puts on therattles. " Mr. Bearfoot writes, "_Ohstawensera_ seems to have been ageneral name for anything denuded of flesh, but is now confined to therattles of the rattlesnake. "

_Shosgoharowane_ (Onon. _Shosgohaehna_), "he is a greatwood-drift. " "_Yohskoharo_, writes Mr. Bearfoot, means anobstruction by driftwood in creeks or small rivers. "

The councillors of the third Canienga class are of the Bear clan. 

33. _Ise seniyatagweniyohkwe_, "ye two were the principals. "_Atagweniyo_, or _adakweniyu_ (see _ante_, note to Sec. 28)here becomes a verb in the imperfect tense and the dual number. Thereference is either to Dekanawidah and Odatsehte, the chiefs of theCaniengas and Oneidas, who worked together in founding the confederacy, or, rather, perhaps, to their two nations, each regarded as anindividual, and, in a manner, personified. 

_Jatatawhak_, or, more properly _jatatahwak_, means, literally, "son of each other. " It is from the root-word _kaha-wak_(or _gahawak_), which is defined by Bruyas, _avoir pourenfant_, and is in the reciprocal form. Here, however, it isunderstood to mean "father and son, " in reference to the politicalrelationship between the Canienga and Oneida nations. 

_Odatsehte_ (Onon. , Tatshehte), "bearing a quiver, "--or the pouchin which the arrows are carried. According to the tradition, whenDekanawidah's brother and ambassador formally adopted _Odatsehte_as the political son of the Canienga chief, he took the quiver off hisown shoulder, and hung it upon that of the Oneida chieftain. 

_Kanonhgwenyodon_, "setting up ears of corn in a row. " From_ononhkwenha_, an ear of corn. 

_Deyohhagwente_ (Onon. , _Tyohagwente_), "open voice" (?) Thisis another obsolete, or semi-obsolete word, about which the interpretersdiffer widely in opinion. "Hollow tube, " "windpipe, " "opening in thewoods, " "open voice, " were the various renderings suggested. The latterwould be derived from _ohakwa_ or _ohagwa_, voice, and thetermination _wente_ or _gwente_, which gives the sense of"open. "

The three chiefs of the first Oneida class belong to the Wolf clan. 

34. _Shononhsese_ (Onon. , Shononses), "his long house. " or, "he hasa long house. " From _kanonsa_, house, with the adjectivetermination _es_, long. 

_Daonahrokenagh_ (Onon. , Tonaohgena), "two branches. " This isanother doubtful word. In modern Canienga, "two branches" would be_Tonenroken_. 

_Atyatonentha_ (Onon. , Hatyatonnentha), "he lowers himself, " or, literally, "he slides himself down, " from _oyata_, body, self, and_tonnenta_, to slide. 

The councillors of the second Oneida class are of the Tortoise clan. 

35. _Dewatahonhtenyonk_ (Onon. , _Tehatahonhtenyonk_), "twohanging ears, " from _ohonta_, ear. 

_Kaniyatahshayonk_ (Onon. , _Kanenyatakshayen_). This name wasrendered "easy throat, " as if derived from _oniata_, throat; butthe Oneida form of the word seems to point to a derivation from_onenya_ (or _onenhia_), stone. This word must be regarded asanother obsolete compound. 

_Onwatsatonhonk_ (Onon. , _Onwasjatenwi_), "he is buried. "

The three chiefs of the third Oneida class are of the Bear clan. 

36. _Eghyesaotonnihsen_, lit. , "this was his uncle, "--or, as thewords would be understood by the hearers, "the next are his uncles. " TheOnondaga nation, being the brother of the Canienga, was, of course, theuncle of the Oneida. In John Buck's MS. The Onondagas are introducedwith more ceremony, in the following lines:

 _Etho yeshodonnih_; These are the uncles; _Rodihsennakeghde_, They, the name-bearers-- _Tehhotiyena_, They took hold here; _Rodihnonsyonnihton_. They made the League. 

That is, they helped, or joined, in making the League. 

_Thatotarho, Wathatotarho_ (Onon. , _Thatotarho_). _Thatotarho_ is the passive voice andcislocative form of _otarho_, which is defined "to grasp, " or"catch" (_accrocher_) but in the passive signifies "entangled. "This great chief, whose name is better known as Atotarho (without thecislocative prefix), is of the Bear clan. 

_Etho ronaraschsen_, "these were cousins, " or rather, "the nextwere cousins. " This cousinhood, like all the relationships throughoutthe book, is political, and indicates some close relationship in publicaffairs. The announcement applies to the following chiefs, Enneserarenhand Dehatkahthos, who were the special aids and counselors of Atotarho. 

_Enneserarenh_ (Onon. _Hanesehen_). One Onondata chief saidthat he knew no meaning for this word. Another thought it might mean"the best soil uppermost. " It is apparently from some obsolete root. 

_Dehatkahthos_ (Onon. _Tchatkahtons_), "he is two-sighted, "or, "he looks both ways. " Another rendering made it "on the watch. " Thisand the preceding chief belong now to the Beaver clan. In one of theOnondaga lists which I received, these two, with their principal, Atotarho, formed a "class" by themselves, and were doubtless originallyof the same clan. 

_Waghontenhnonterontye_, "they were as brothers thenceforth;" or, more fully rendered, "the next continued to be brothers. " Thisdeclaration refers to the three next following chiefs, who wereconnected by some special political tie. The first who bore the namewere, probably, like the two preceding chiefs, leading partisans andfavorites of the first Atotarho. 

_Onyatajiwak_, or _Skanyadajiwak_ (Onon. , _Oyatajiwak_). One authority makes this "a fowl's crop;" another, "the throat alone, "from _oniata_, throat, and _jiwak_, alone; another defined it, "bitter throat. " Mr. Morgan renders it "bitter body, "--his informantprobably seeing in it the word _oyata_, body. This chief belongsnow to the Snipe clan. 

_Awekenyade_. "the end of its journey, "--from awe, going, and_akonhiate_(Can. ) "at the end. " This chief is of the Ball tribe, both in Canada, and at Onondaga Castle. In the list furnished toMr. Morgan by the Senecas, he is of the Tortoise clan. 

_Dehadkwarayen_ (Onon. , _Tchatkwayen_). This word isobsolete. One interpreter guessed it to mean "on his body;" another madeit "red wings. " He is of the Tortoise clan. 

In the Book of Rites the first six chiefs of the Onondagas make but oneclass, as is shown by the fact that their names are followed by theformula, _etho natejonhne_, "this was the number of you. " It may bepresumed that they were originally of one clan, --probably that of theBear, to which their leader, Atotarho, belonged. 

37. _Yeshohawak_, _rakwahhokowah_, "then his next son, he thegreat Wolf. " The chief who follows, _Ronenghwireghtonh_, wasevidently a personage of great importance, --probably the leading chiefof the Wolf class. He forms a "clan" by himself, --the only instance ofthe kind in the list. The expression, "there (or, in him) were combinedthe minds, " indicates--as Mr. Bearfoot suggests--his superiorintellect. It may also refer to the fact that he was the hereditarykeeper of the wampum records. The title was borne in Canada by the latechief George Buck, but the duties of record-keeper were usuallyperformed by his more eminent brother, John (_Skanawati_). 

_Rononghwireghtonh_ (Onon. , _Honanwiehti_), "he is sunk out ofsight. " This chief, who, as has been stated, alone constitutes thesecond Onondaga class, is of the Wolf clan. 

38. _Etho yeshotonnyh tekadarakehne_, "then his uncles of the twoclans. " The five chiefs who follow probably bore some peculiar politicalrelation to Rononghwireghton. The first two in modern times are of theDeer clan; the last three are of the Eel clan. It is probable that theyall belonged originally, with him, to one clan, that of the Wolf, andconsequently to one class, which was afterwards divided into three. _Kawenenseronton_ (Onon. , _Kawenensenton_). A word of doubtfulmeaning; one interpreter thought it meant "her voice suspended. "_Haghriron_ (Onon. , _Hahihon_), "spilled, " or "scattered. "

39. _Wahhondennonterontye_. This word has already occurred, with adifferent orthography, and is explained in the Note to Section 36. _Ronyennyennih_ (Onon. , _Honyennyenni_). No satisfactoryexplanation could be obtained of this word. Chief John Buck did not knowits meaning. _Shodakwarashonh_ (Onon. , _Shotegwashen_), "heis bruised. " _Shakokenghne_ (Onon. _Shahkohkenneh_), "he sawthem. " As stated above, the three chiefs in this class are of the Eelclan. 

40. _Shihonadewiraralye_, "they had children, " or, rather, "theycontinued to get children. " Mr. Bearfoot writes in regard to this word:"Yodewirare, a fowl hatching, referring to the time when they wereforming the league, when they were said to be hatching, or producing, the children mentioned--i. E. , the other tribes who were taken into theconfederacy. " _Tehhodidarakeh_, "these the two clans. " Taken inconnection with the preceding lines of the chant, it seems probable thatthis expression refers to the introduction of other clans into theCouncil besides the original three, the Bear, Wolf and Tortoise, whichexisted when the confederacy was formed. _Raserhaghrhonh_ (Onon. , _Sherhakwi_), "wearing a hatchet in his belt, " from _asera_, hatchet. This chief is of the Tortoise clan. _Ethowahhoronghyaronnyon_, "this put away the clouds. " These "clouds, " itis said, were the clouds of war, which were dispelled by the great chiefwhose name is thus introduced, _Skanawadyh_, or as now spelt, _Skanawati_. He had the peculiar distinction of holding twooffices, which were rarely combined. He was both a high chief, or "Lordof the Council, " and a "Great Warrior. " In former times the members ofthe Great Council seldom assumed executive duties. They were rarely sentout as ambassadors or as leaders of war-parties. These duties wereusually entrusted to the ablest chiefs of the second rank, who wereknown as "Great Warriors, " _rohskenrakehte-kowa_. Skanawati was anexception to this rule. It would seem that the chief who first bore thistitle had special aptitudes, which have come down in his family. Astriking instance, given in the "_Relations_" of the Jesuitmissionaries among the Hurons, has been admirably reproduced byMr. Parkman in the twenty-third chapter of his "Jesuits in NorthAmerica, " and cannot be better told than in his words. In the year 1648, during the desperate war between the Kanonsionni and the Hurons, theOnondagas determined to respond to the pacific overtures which they hadreceived from their northern foes. 

"They chose for their envoy, " continues the historian, "Scandawati, aman of renown, sixty years of age, joining with him twocolleagues. [Footnote: _Scandawali_ is the Huron--and probably theoriginal Onondaga--pronunciation of the name. ] The old Onondaga enteredon his mission with a troubled mind. His anxiety was not so much for hislife as for his honor and dignity; for, while the Oneidas and theCayugas were acting in concurrence with the Onondagas, the Senecas hadrefused any part in the embassy, and still breathed nothing butwar. Would they, or still more, the Mohawks, so far forget theconsideration due to one whose name had been great in the Councils ofthe League, as to assault the Hurons while he was among them in thecharacter of an ambassador of his nation, whereby his honor would becompromised and his life endangered? 'I am not a dead dog, ' he said, 'tobe despised and forgotten. I am worthy that all men should turn theireyes on me while I am among enemies, and do nothing that may involve mein danger. ' Soon there came dire tidings. The prophetic heart ofthe old chief had not deceived him. The Senecas and Mohawks, disregarding negotiations in which they had no part, and resolved tobring them to an end, were invading the country in force. It might bethought that the Hurons would take their revenge on the Onondaga envoys, now hostages among them; but they did not do so, for the character of anambassador was, for the most part, held in respect. One morning, however, Scandawati had disappeared. They were full of excitement; forthey thought that he had escaped to the enemy. They ranged the woods insearch of him, and at length found him in a thicket near the town. Helay dead, on a bed of spruce boughs which he had made, his throat deeplygashed with a knife. He had died by his own hand, a victim of mortifiedpride. 'See, ' writes Father Ragueneau, 'how much our Indians stand onthe point of honor!'"

It is worthy of note that the same aptitude for affairs and the samekeen sense of honor which distinguished this highspirited chief survivesin the member of his family who, on the Canadian Reservation, now bearsthe same title, --Chief John Buck, --whom his white neighbors all admit tobe both a capable ruler and an able and trustworthy negotiator. 

In Canada _Skanawati_ is of the Tortoise clan. At Onondaga, wherethe original family has probably died out, the title now belongs to theBall clan. 

41. _Yeshohawak_, "then his next son, "--or rather, perhaps, "then, next, his son. " The Cayuga nation was politically the son of theOnondaga nation. _Tekahenyonk_ (Onon. , _Hakaenyonk_), "helooks both ways, " or, "he examines warily. " In section 28 (_ante_p. 126) this name is spelt _Akahenyonh_. The prefixed _te_ isthe duplicative particle, and gives the meaning of "spying on bothsides. " This and the following chief belong, in Canada, to the Deerclan, and constitute the first Cayuga class. _Jinontaweraon_(Onon. , _Jinontaweyon_), "coming on its knees. "

42. _Katakwarasonh_ (Onon. , _Ketagwajik_), "it was bruised. " Thisname, it will be seen, is very similar to that of an Onondagachief, --_ante_, Note to Section 39. The chief now named and the onewho follows are of the Bear clan. _Shoyonwese_ (Onon. , _Soyonwes_), "he has a long wampumbelt. " The root-word of thisname is _oyonwa_, wampum-belt, the same that appears in_Hayonwatha_. _Atyaseronne_ (Onon. , _Halyasenne_), "heputs one on another, " or "he piles on. " This chief is of the Tortoiseclan, and completes, with the two preceding councillors, the secondCayuga class. 

43. _Yeshonadadekenah_, "then they who are brothers. " The threechiefs who follow are all of the Wolf clan, and make the third class ofthe Cayuga councillors. _Teyoronghyonkeh_ (Onon. , _Thowenyongo_), "it touches the sky. " _Teyodhoreghkonh_(Onon. , _Tyotowegwi_), "doubly cold. " _Wathyawenhehetken_(Onon. , _Thaowethon_), "mossy place. "

44. The two following chiefs are of the Snipe clan, and constitute thefourth and last Cayuga class. _Atontaraheha_ (Onon. , _Hatontaheha_) "crowding himself in. " _Teskahe_ (Onon. , _Heskahe_) "resting on it. "

45. _Yeshotonnih_, "and then his uncle. " The Seneca nation, beingthe brother of the Onondaga, is, of course, the uncle of the Cayuganation. _Skanyadariyo_ (Onon. , _Kanyataiyo_), "beautifullake;" originally, perhaps, "great lake. " (See Appendix, Note B. ) Thisname is spelt in Section 28 (_ante_, p. 128) _Kanyadariyu_. The prefixed _s_ is the sign of the reiterative form, and whenjoined to proper names is regarded as a token of nobility, --like theFrench _de_, or the German _von_. [Footnote: See J. A. Cuoq:_Jugement Erroné_, etc. , p. 57. "Le reiteratif est comme un signede noblesse dans les noms propres. "] _Kanyadariyo_, was one of thetwo leading chiefs of the Senecas at the formation of theconfederacy. The title belongs to the Wolf clan. _Yeshonaraseshen_, lit. , "they were cousins. " In the presentinstance, and according to the Indian idiom, we must read "Skanyadariyo, with his cousin, Shadekaronyes. " _Shadekaronyes_ (Onon. , _Shatekaenyes_), "skies of equal length. " This chief (whosesuccessor now belongs to the Snipe clan) was in ancient times the headof the second great division of the Senecas. These two potentates weremade a "class" in the Council by themselves, and were thus required todeliberate together and come to an agreement on any question that wasbrought up, before expressing an opinion in the council. This ingeniousdevice for preventing differences between the two sections of the Senecanation is one of the many evidences of statesmanship exhibited in theformation of the League. 

46. _Satyenawat_, "withheld. " This chief, in the Canadian list, isof the Snipe clan; in Mr. Morgan's Seneca list, he is of the Bearclan. His comrade in the class, Shakenjowane, is, in both lists, of theHawk clan. _Shakenjowane_ (Onon. , _Shakenjona_), "largeforehead. "

There has apparently been some derangement here in the order of theclasses. In Mr. Morgan's list, and also in one furnished to me atOnondaga Castle, the two chiefs just named belong to differentclasses. The variance of the lists may be thus shown:--

 _The Book of Rites_. _The Seneca and Onondaga Lists_. Second Seneca Class. _Satyenawat_ _Kanokarih_ _Shakenjowane_ _Shakenjowane_. Third Seneca Class. _Kanokarih_ _Satyenawat_ _Nisharyenen_ _Nisharyenen_. 

Satyenawat and Kanokarih have changed places. As the Book of Rites isthe earlier authority, it is probable that the change was made among theNew York Senecas after a part of their nation had removed to Canada. 

47. _Kanokarih_ (Onon. , _Kanokaehe_), "threatened. " _Nisharyenen_ (Onon. , _Onishayenenha_), "the day fell down. "

One of the interpreters rendered the latter name, "the handle drops. "The meaning of the word must be considered doubtful. The first of thesechiefs is of the Tortoise clan, and the second is, in Canada, of theBear clan. In Mr. Morgan's list he is of the Snipe clan. The disruptionof the Seneca nation, and the introduction of new clans, have thrownthis part of the list into confusion. 

48. _Onghwakeghaghshonah_, etc. The verses which follow arerepeated here from the passage of the Book which precedes the chantedlitany. (See _ante_, Section 28. ) Their repetition is intended tointroduce the names of the two chiefs who composed the fourth and lastclass of the Seneca councillors. _Yatehhotinhohhataghkwen_, "theywere at the doorway, " or, according to another version, "they made thedoorway. " The chiefs are represented as keeping the doorway of the"extended mansion, " which imaged the confederacy. _Kanonghkeridawyh_, (Onon. , _Kanonkeitawi_, ) "entangled hairgiven. " This chief, in Canada, is of the Bear clan; in New York, according to Morgan's list, he is of the Snipe clan. _Teyoninhokarawenh_, (Onon. , _Teyoninhokawenh_, ) "open door. "In both lists he is of the Wolf clan. 

Mr. Morgan (in his "League of the Iroquois, " page 68, ) states that tothe last-named chief, or "sachem, " the duty of watching the door wasassigned, and that "they gave him a sub-sachem, or assistant, to enablehim to execute this trust. " In fact, however, every high chief, or_royaner_ (lord), had an assistant, or war chief(_roskenrakehte-kowa_, great warrior), to execute hisinstructions. The Book of Rites shows clearly that the two chiefs towhom the duty of "guarding the doorway" was assigned were both nobles ofthe first rank. Their office also appears not to have been warlike. Fromthe words of the Book it would seem that when new tribes were receivedinto the confederacy, these two councillors had the formal office of"opening the doorway" to the new-comers--that is (as we may suppose), of receiving and introducing their chiefs into the federal council. 

In another sense the whole Seneca nation was deemed, and was styled incouncil, the Doorkeeper (_Ronhohonti_, pl. , _Roninhohonti_) ofthe confederacy. The duty of guarding the common country against theinvasions of the hostile tribes of the west was specially committed tothem. Their leaders, or public representatives, in this duty wouldnaturally be the two great chiefs of the nation, Kanyateriyo andShadekaronyes. The rules of the League, however, seem to have forbiddenthe actual assumption by the councillors of any executive or warlikecommand. At least, if they undertook such duties, it must be as privatemen, and not in their capacity of nobles--just as an English peer mightserve as an officer in the army or as an ambassador. The only exceptionsrecognized by the Iroquois constitution seem to have been in the casesof Tekarihoken and Skanawati, who were at once nobles andwar-chiefs. (See _ante_, pages 78 and 159. ) The two great Senecachiefs would therefore find it necessary to make over their militaryfunctions to their assistants or war-chiefs. This may explain thestatement made by Morgan ("League of the Iroquois, " p. 74) that therewere two special "war-chiefships" created among the Senecas, to whichthese commands were assigned. 

49. _Onenh watyonkwentendane kanikonrakeh_. The condoling chantconcludes abruptly with the doleful exclamation, "Now we are dejected inspirit. " _Enkitenlane_, "I am becoming poor, " or "wretched, " isapparently a derivative of _kitenre_, to pity, and might berendered, "I am in a pitiable state. " "We are miserable in mind, " wouldprobably be a literal version of this closing ejaculation. Whether it isa lament for the past glories of the confederacy, or for the chief whois mourned, is a question which those who sing the words at the presentday would probably have a difficulty in answering. It is likely, however, that the latter cause of grief was in the minds of those whofirst composed the chant. 

It is an interesting fact, as showing the antiquity of the names of thechiefs in the foregoing list, that at least a fourth of them are ofdoubtful etymology. That their meaning was well understood when theywere borne by the founders of the League cannot be questioned. Thechanges of language or the uncertainties of oral transmission, in thelapse of four centuries, have made this large proportion of them eitherobsolete or so corrupt as to be no longer intelligible. Of all thenames it may probably be affirmed with truth that the Indians who hearthem recited think of their primitive meaning as little as we ourselvesthink of the meaning of the family names or the English titles ofnobility which we hear or read. To the Iroquois of the present day thehereditary titles of their councillors are--to use their ownexpression--"just names, " and nothing more. It must not be supposed, however, that the language itself has altered in the same degree. Propernames, as is well known, when they become mere appellatives, dischargedof significance, are much more likely to vary than the words of ordinaryspeech. 

NOTES ON THE ONONDAGA BOOK

1 _a. Yo onen onen wen ni sr te, _ "oh now--now this day. " It willbe noticed that this address of the "younger brothers" commences innearly the same words which begin the speeches of the Caniengabook. This similarity of language exists in other parts of the twobooks, though disguised by the difference of dialect, and also by thevery irregular and corrupt spelling of the Onondaga book. To give someidea of this irregularity, and of the manner in which the words of thisbook are to be pronounced, several of these words are subjoined, withthe pronunciation of the interpreter, represented in the orthography ofthe Canienga book:

 _Words as written. _ _As pronounced by La Fort. _

 wen ni sr te wennisaate ho gar a nyat hogaenyat son tar yen sontahien na ya ne nayeneh o shon ta gon gonar osontagongona gar weear har tye gawehehatie on gwr non sen shen tar qua ongwanonsenshentakwa ga nen ar ta (or, ga nen ar ti) ganenhate kon hon wi sats konthonwitsas o wen gr ge ohwengage nar ya he yr genh nayehiyaken. 

The letter _r, _ it will be seen, is not a consonant. In fact, it isnever heard as such in the modern Onondaga dialect. As used by La Fort, its office is either to give to the preceding vowel _a_ the soundwhich it has in _father, _ or by itself to represent that sound. The_a, _ when not followed by _r, _ is usually sounded like_a_ in _fate_, but sometimes keeps the sound of _a_ in_far. _ The _e_ usually represents the English _e_ in_be, _ or, when followed by _n, _ the _e_ in _pen. _The _i_ and _y_ are commonly sounded as in the word_city. _ The _g_ is always hard, and is interchangeable with_k. _ The _t_ and _d_ are also interchangeable. 

While the syllables in the original are written separately, the wordsare not always distinguished; and it is doubtful if, in printing, theyhave in all cases been properly divided. The translation of theinterpreter, though tolerably exact, was not always literal; and in thebrief time at our command the precise meaning of some of the words wasnot ascertained. No attempt, therefore, has been made to form aglossary of this portion of the text. 

In the original the addresses of the "younger brothers" are divided intosections, which are numbered from one to seven, and each of which, inthe ceremony, is called to mind by its special wampum-string, which isproduced when the section is recited. As the first of these sections isof much greater length than the others, it has been divided in thiswork, for the purpose of ready reference, into sub-sections, which arenumbered 1_a_, 1_b_, and so on. 

1 _b_. _Nenthaotagenhetak_, "by the ashes, " or "near thehearth. " The root-word is here _agenhe_, the Onondaga form of theCanienga word _akenra_, ashes, which is comprised in the compoundform, _jiudakenrokde_, in Section 27 of the Canienga book. It willbe seen that the spokesman of the younger nations is here complyingstrictly with the law laid down in that section. He "stands by thehearth and speaks a few words to comfort those who are mourning. "

1 _c_. "_It was valued at twenty. _" The interpreters explainedthat by "twenty" was understood the whole of their wampum, whichconstituted all their treasure. A human life was worth the whole ofthis, and they freely gave it, merely to recall the memory of the chiefwho was gone. Among the Hurons, when a man had been killed, and hiskindred were willing to renounce their claim to vengeance on receivingdue satisfaction, the number of presents of wampum and other valuableswhich were to be given was rigidly prescribed by their customarylaw. [Footnote: _Relation_ of 1648, p. 80. ] From this custom wouldeasily follow the usage of making similar gifts, in token of sympathy, to all persons who were mourning the loss of a near relative, 1 _d_. "_Because with her the line is lost. _" The samesentiment prevailed among the Hurons. "For a Huron killed by a Huron, "writes Father Ragueneau in the letter just quoted, "thirty gifts arecommonly deemed a sufficient satisfaction. For a woman forty arerequired, because, as they say, the women are less able to defendthemselves; and, moreover, they being the source whence the land ispeopled, their lives should be deemed of more value to the commonwealth, and their weakness should have a stronger support in public justice. "Such was the reasoning of these heathen barbarians. EnlightenedChristendom has hardly yet advanced to the mark of these opinions. 

I _e. "Where the grave has been made, "_ &c. The recital of FatherRagueneau also illustrates this passage. "Then followed, " he writes, "nine other presents, for the purpose, as it were, of erecting asepulchre for the deceased. Four of them were for the four pillars whichshould support this sepulchre, and four others for the four cross-pieceson which the bier of the dead was to rest. The ninth was to serve as hispillow. "

2. "I will make the sky clear to you. " In this paragraph the speakerreminds the mourners, in the style of bold imagery which the Iroquoisorators affected, that continued grief for the dead would not beconsonant with the course of nature. Though all might seem dark to themnow, the sky would be as clear, and the sun would shine as brightly forthem, as if their friend had not died. Their loss had been inevitable, and equally sure would be the return of the "pleasant days. " Thisreminder, which may seem to us needless, was evidently designed as areproof, at once gentle and forcible, of those customs of excessive andprotracted mourning which were anciently common among the Huron-Iroquoistribes. 

3. _"You must converse with your nephews, "_ &c. The "nephews" are, of course, the chiefs of the younger nations, who are here thecondolers. The mourners are urged to seek for comfort in the sympathy oftheir friends, and not to reject the consolations offered by theirvisitors and by their own people. 

4. _"And now you can go out before the people, and go on with yourduties, "_ &c. This, it will be seen, corresponds with the injunctionsof the Canienga book. (See Section 27, _ante, _ p. 127): "And thenthey will be comforted, and will conform to the great law. "

6. _"Then the horns shall be left on the grave, "_ &c. The samefigure is here used as in the Canienga book, Section 23 (_ante, _p. 125). It is evident that the importance of keeping up the successionof their councillors was constantly impressed on the minds of theIroquois people by the founders of their League. 

7. _"And the next death will receive the pouch. "_ The "mourningwampum, " in modern days, is left, or supposed to be left, with thekindred of the late chief until another death shall occur among themembers of the Council, when it is to be passed on to the family of thedeceased. This economy is made necessary by the fact that only one storeof such wampum now exists, as the article is no longer made. It isprobable that in ancient times the wampum was left permanently with thefamily of the deceased, as a memorial of the departed chief. 

_"Where the fire is made and the smoke is rising, " i. E. , _ when youreceive notice that a Condoling Council is to be held in a certainplace. The kindled fire and the rising smoke were the well-understoodimages which represented the convocation of their councils. In theOnondaga book before referred to (_ante, _ p. 152) a few pages wereoccupied by what might be styled a pagan sermon, composed ofexhortations addressed to the chiefs, urging them to do their duty tothe community. The following is the commencement of this curiouscomposition, which may serve to illustrate both the words now underconsideration and the character of the people. The orthography is muchbetter than that of La Fort's book, the vowels generally having theItalian sound, and the spelling being tolerably uniform. The translationwas made by Albert Cusick, and is for the most part closely literal: Thediscourse commences with a "text, " after the fashion which the paganexhorter had probably learned from the missionaries:--

Naye ne iwaton ne gayanencher:

Onen wahagwatatjistagenhas ne Thatontarho. Onen wagayengwaeten, naye newatkaenya, esta netho tina enyontkawaonk. Ne enagenyon nwatkaonwenjageshanonwe nwakayengwaeten netho titentyetongenta shanonwenwakayengwaeten, ne tokat gishens enyagoiwayentaha ne oyatonwetti. 

Netho hiya nigawennonten ne ongwanencher ne Ayakt Niyongyonwenjage neTyongwehonwe. 

Ottinawahoten ne oyengwaetakwit? Nayehiya, ne agwegehenhonatiwagwaisyonk ne hatigowanes, --tenhontatnonongwak gagweki, --onienshagotino-ongwak ne honityogwa, engenk ne hotisgenrhergeta, oni negenthonwisash, oni ne hongwagsata, oni ne ashonsthateyetigaher neongwagsata; netho niyoh tehatinya agweke sne sgennon enyonnontonnyonhet, ne hegentyogwagwegi. Naye ne hatigowanens neye gagwegi honatiiwayennisha oni nenyotik honityogwa shanya yagonigonheten. Ne tokat gishen nayeenyagotiwatentyeti, negaewane akwashen ne honiyatwa shanityawenih. 

_Translation. _

"The law says this:

"Now the council-fire was lighted by Atotarho. Now the smoke rises andascends to the sky, that everybody may see it. The tribes of thedifferent nations where the smoke appeared shall come directly where thesmoke arises, if, perhaps, they have any business for the council toconsider. 

"These are the words of our law, --of the Six Nations of Indians. 

"What is the purpose of the smoke? It is this--that the chiefs must allbe honest; that they must all love one another; and that they must haveregard for their people, --including the women, and also our children, and also those children whom we have not yet seen; so much they mustcare for, that all may be in peace, even the whole nation. It is theduty of the chiefs to do this, and they have the power to govern theirpeople. If there is anything to be done for the good of the people, itis their duty to do it. "

7 _b. "Now I have finished! Now show him to me!"_ With this laconicexclamation, which calls upon the nation of the late chief to bringforward his successor, the formal portion of the ceremony--thecondolence which precedes the installation--is abruptly closed. 

APPENDIX. 

NOTE A. 

THE NAMES OF THE IROQUOIS NATIONS. 

The meaning of the term _Kanonsionni, _ and of the other names bywhich the several nations were known in their Council, are fullyexplained in the Introduction. But some account should be given of thenames, often inappropriate and generally much corrupted, by which theywere known to their white neighbors. The origin and proper meaning ofthe word _Iroquois_ are doubtful. All that can be said withcertainty is that the explanation given by Charlevoix cannot possibly becorrect. "The name of Iroquois, " he says, "is purely French, and hasbeen formed from the term _hiro, _ 'I have spoken, ' a word by whichthese Indians close all their speeches, and _koue, _ which, whenlong drawn out, is a cry of sorrow, and when briefly uttered, is anexclamation of joy. " [Footnote: _History of New France, _ Vol. I, p. 270. ] It might be enough to say of this derivation that no othernation or tribe of which we have any knowledge has ever borne a namecomposed in this whimsical fashion. But what is decisive is the factthat Champlain had learned the name from his Indian allies before he orany other Frenchman, so far as is known, had ever seen an Iroquois. Itis probable that the origin of the word is to be sought in the Huronlanguage; yet, as this is similar to the Iroquois tongue, an attempt maybe made to find a solution in the latter. According to Bruyas, the word_garokwa_ meant a pipe, and also a piece of tobacco, --and, in itsverbal form, to smoke. This word is found, somewhat disguised byaspirates, in the Book of Rites--_denighroghkwayen, _--"let us twosmoke together. " (_Ante. _ p. 114, Section 2). In the indeterminateform the verb becomes _ierokwa, _ which is certainly very near to"Iroquois. " It might be rendered "they who smoke, " or "they who usetobacco, " or, briefly, "the Tobacco People. " This name, the TobaccoNation (_Nation du Petun_) was given by the French, andprobably also by the Algonkins, to one of the Huron tribes, theTionontates, noted for the excellent tobacco which they raised andsold. The Iroquois were equally well known for their cultivation of thisplant, of which they had a choice variety. [Footnote: "The Senecas stillcultivate tobacco. Its name signifies '_the only tobacco, '_ becausethey consider this variety superior to all others. "--Morgan: _Leagueof the Iroquois, _ p. 375. ] It is possible that their northernneighbors may have given to them also a name derived from thisindustry. Another not improbable supposition might connect the name withthat of a leading sept among them, the Bear clan. This clan, at leastamong the Caniengas, seems to have been better known than any other totheir neighbors. The Algonkins knew that nation as the Maquas, orBears. In the Canienga speech, bear is _ohkwari_; in Onondaga, theword becomes _ohkwai_, and in Cayuga, _iakwai_, --which also isnot far from _Iroquois_. These conjectures--for they are nothingmore--may both be wrong; but they will perhaps serve to show thedirection in which the explanation of this perplexing word is to besought. 

The name of _Mingo_ or _Mengwe, _ by which the Iroquois wereknown to the Delawares and the other southern Algonkins, is said to be acontraction of the Lenape word _Mahongwi_, meaning the "People ofthe Springs. " [Footnote: E. G. Squier: _"Traditions of theAlgonquins, "_ in Beach's Indian Miscellany, p. 28. ] The Iroquoispossessed the headwaters of the rivers which flowed through the countryof the Delawares, and this explanation of the name may therefore beaccepted as a probable one. 

The first of the Iroquois nations, the "oldest brother" of theconfederacy, has been singularly unfortunate in the designations bywhich it has become generally known. The people have a fine, sonorousname of their own, said to be derived from that of one of their ancienttowns. This name is _Kanienke_, "at the Flint. " _Kansen_, intheir language, signifies flint, and the final syllable is the samelocative particle which we find in _Onontake, _ "at the mountain. "In pronunciation and spelling, this, like other Indian words, is muchvaried, both by the natives themselves and by their white neighbors, becoming _Kanieke, Kanyenke, Canyangeh, _ and _Canienga. _ Thelatter form, which accords with the sister names of Onondaga and Cayuga, has been adopted in the present volume. 

The Huron frequently drops the initial _k, _ or changes it to_y. _ The Canienga people are styled in that speech _Yanyenge, _a word which is evidently the origin of the name of _Agnier, _ bywhich this nation is known to the French. 

The Dutch learned from the Mohicans (whose name, signifying Wolves, issupposed to be derived from that of their leading clan) to call theKanienke by the corresponding name of _Maqua_ (or _Makwa_), the Algonkin word for Bear. But as the Iroquois, and especially theCaniengas, became more and more a terror to the surrounding nations, thefeelings of aversion and dread thus awakened found vent in anopprobrious epithet, which the southern and eastern Algonkins applied totheir obnoxious neighbors. They were styled by these enemies_Mowak, _ or _Mowawak_ a word which has been corrupted to_Mohawk. _ It is the third person plural, in the sixth "transition, "of the Algonkin word _mowa_, which means "to eat, " but which isonly used of food that has had life. Literally it means "they eat them;"but the force of the verb and of the pronominal inflection suffices togive to the word, when used as an appellative, the meaning of "those whoeat men, " or, in other words, "the Cannibals. " That the English, withwhom the Caniengas were always fast friends, should have adopted thisuncouth and spiteful nickname is somewhat surprising. It is time thatscience and history should combine to banish it, and to resume thecorrect designation. [Footnote: William Penn and his colonists, whoprobably understood the meaning of the word _Mohawk_ forbore toemploy it. In the early records of the colony (published by thePennsylvania Historical Society) the nation is described in treaties, laws, and other public acts, by its proper designation, a littledistorted in the spelling, --_Canyingoes, Ganyingoes, Cayinkers, etc. _]

The name _Oneida_, which in French became _Onneyoutk_ or_Onneyote_, is a corruption of a compound word, formed of_onenhia_, or _onenya_, stone, and _kaniote_, to beupright or elevated. _Onenniote_ is rendered "the projectingstone. " It is applied to a large boulder of syennite, which thrusts itsbroad shoulder above the earth at the summit of an eminence near which, in early times, the Oneidas had planted their chief settlement. 

As has been already stated, _Onondaga_ is a softened pronunciationof _Onontake_, "at the mountain, "--or, perhaps, more exactly, "atthe hill. " It is probable that this name was unknown when theconfederacy was formed, as it is not comprised in the list of townsgiven in the Book of Rites. It may be supposed to have been firstapplied to this nation after their chief town was removed to the sitewhich it occupied in the year 1654, when the first white visitors ofwhom we have any certain account, the Jesuit Father Le Moyne and hisparty, came among them, --and also in 1677, when the English explorer, Greenhalgh, passed through their country. This site was about sevenmiles east of their present Reservation. I visited it in September, 1880, in company with my friend, General John S. Clark, who has beensingularly successful in identifying the positions of the ancientIroquois towns. The locality is thus described in my journal: "The siteis, for an Indian town, peculiarly striking and attractive. It stretchesabout three miles in length, with a width of half a mile, along thebroad back and gently sloping sides of a great hill, which swells, likea vast oblong cushion, between two hollows made by branches of a smallstream, known as Limehouse creek. These streams and many springs on thehillside yielded abundance of water, while the encircling ridges onevery side afforded both firewood and game. In the neighborhood wererich valleys, where--as well as on the hill itself--the people raisedtheir crops of corn, beans, pumpkins, and tobacco. There are signs of alarge population. " In the fields of stubble which occupied the site ofthis ancient capital, the position of the houses could still be tracedby the dark patches of soil; and a search of an hour or two rewarded uswith several wampum-beads, flint chips, and a copper coin of the lastcentury. The owner of the land, an intelligent farmer, affirmed that"wagon-loads" of Indian wares, --pottery, hatchets, stone implements, andthe like--had been carried off by curiosity seekers. 

The name of the _Cayugas_ (in French _Goyogouin_) is variouslypronounced by the Iroquois themselves. I wrote it as I heard it, atdifferent times, from members of the various tribes. _Koyúkweñ, Koiúkwe, Kwaiúkweñ, Kayúkwe. _ A Cayuga chief made it _Kayúkwa, _which is very near the usual English pronunciation of the word. Of itspurport no satisfactory account could be obtained. One interpreterrendered it "the fruit country, " another "the place where canoes aredrawn out. " Cusick, the historian, translates it "a mountain rising fromthe water. " Mr. Morgan was told that it meant "the mucky land. " We canonly infer that the interpreters were seeking, by vague resemblances, torecover a lost meaning. 

The _Senecas_, who were called by the French _Tsonontouan_ or_Sonnontouan_, bore among the Iroquois various names, but allapparently derived from the words which appear in that appellation, --_ononta_, hill, and _kowa_ or _kowane, _ great. TheCaniengas called them _Tsonontowane_; the Oneidas abridged the wordto _Tsontowana_; the Cayugas corrupted it to _Onondewa_; andthe Onondagas contracted it yet farther, to _Nontona_. The Senecascalled themselves variously _Sonontowa, Onontewa, _ and_Nondewa. _ _Sonontowane_ is probably the most correct form. 

The word _Seneca_ is supposed to be of Algonkin origin, and like_Mohawk_, to have been given as an expression of dislike, or ratherof hostility. _Sinako_, in the Delaware tongue, means properly"Stone Snakes;" but in this conjunction it is understood, according tothe interpretation furnished to Mr. Squier, to signify "MountainSnakes. " [Footnote: _"Traditions of the Algonquins, "_ in Beach's_Indian Miscellany, _ p. 33. ] The Delawares, it appears, wereaccustomed to term all their enemies "snakes. " In this case they simplytranslated the native name of the Iroquois tribe (the "MountainPeople"), and added this uncomplimentary epithet. As the name, unlikethe word Mohawk, is readily pronounced by the people to whom it wasgiven, and as they seem to have in some measure accepted it, there isnot the same reason for objecting to its use as exists in the case ofthe latter word, --more especially as there is no absolute certainty thatit is not really an Iroquois word. It bears, in its present form, aclose resemblance to the honorable "Council name" of theOnondagas, --_Sennakehte, _ "the title-givers;" a fact which mayperhaps have made the western nation more willing to adopt it. 

NOTE B. 

MEANING OF OHIO, ONTARIO, ONONTIO, RAWENNIIO. 

The words _Ohio, Ontario_ and _Onontio_ (or_Yonnondio_)--which should properly be pronounced as if written_Oheeyo, Ontareeyo, _ and _Ononteeyo_--are commonly rendered"Beautiful River, " "Beautiful Lake, " "Beautiful Mountain. " This, doubtless, is the meaning which each of the words conveys to an Iroquoisof the present day, unless he belongs to the Tuscarora tribe. But therecan be no doubt that the termination _io_ (otherwise written_iyo, iio, eeyo_, etc. ) had originally the sense, not of"beautiful, " but of "great. " It is derived from the word _wiyo_ (or_wiio_) which signifies in the Seneca dialect _good, _ but inthe Tuscarora, _great_. It is certain that the Tuscaroras havepreserved the primitive meaning of the word, which the Hurons and theproper Iroquois have lost. When the French missionaries first studiedthe languages of these nations, traces of the original usage wereapparent. Bruyas, in the "Proemium" to his _Radices VerborumIroquaorum_, (p. 14), expressly states that _jo (io)_ incomposition with verbs, "signifies magnitude. " He gives as an example, _garihaioston_, "to make much of anything, " from _garihea_, thing, and _io_, "great, important. " The Jesuit missionaries, intheir _Relation_ for 1641, (p. 22) render _Onontio_ "greatmountain, " and say that both Hurons and Iroquois gave this title to theGovernor of that day as a translation of his name, Montmagny. 

_Ontario_ is derived from the Huron _yontare_, or_ontare_, lake (Iroquois, _oniatare_), with thistermination. It was not by any means the most beautiful of the lakeswhich they knew; but in the early times, when the Hurons dwelt on thenorth and east of it and the Iroquois on the south, it was to both ofthem emphatically "the great lake. "

_Ohio, _ in like manner, is derived, as M. Cuoq in the valuablenotes to his Lexicon (p. 159) informs us, from the obsolete _ohia, _river, now only used in the compound form _ohionha_. _Ohia_, coalescing with this ancient affix, would become _ohiio, _ or_ohiyo, _ with the signification of "great river, " or, as thehistorian Cusick renders it, "principal stream. "

M. Cuoq. In his _"Etudes Philologiques"_ (p. 14) has well explainedthe interesting word _Rawenniio, _ used in various dialectical formsby both Hurons and Iroquois, as the name of the deity. It signifies, ashe informs us, "he is master, " or, used as a noun, "he who is master. "This, of course, is the modern acceptation; but we can gather from theancient Huron grammar, translated by Mr. Wilkie, (_ante_, p. 101)that the word had once, as might be supposed, a larger meaning. Thephrase, "it is the great master, " in that grammar (p. 108) is rendered_ondaieaat eOarontio or eOauendio_. The Huron _nd_ becomes inIroquois _nn_. _EOauendio_ is undoubtedly a form of the sameword which appears in the Iroquois _Rawenniio_. We thus learn thatthe latter word meant originally not merely "the master, " but "the greatmaster. " Its root is probably to be found in the Iroquois _kawen_, or _gawen_ (Bruyas, p. 64), which signifies "to belong to any one, "and yields, in combination with _oyata_, person, the derivatives_gaiatawen_, to have for subject, and _gaiatawenston_, tosubject any one. 

NOTE C. 

THE ERA OF THE CONFEDERACY. 

Mr. Morgan, in his work on "Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of theHuman Family" (p. 151), fixes the date of the formation of the Iroquoisleague at about the middle of the fifteenth ^ century. He says: "As nearas can now be ascertained, the league had been established about onehundred and fifty years when Champlain, in 1609, first encountered theMohawks within their own territories, on the west coast of LakeGeorge. This would place the epoch of its formation about A. D. 1459. "Mr. Morgan, as he informed me, deduced this conclusion from thetestimony of the most intelligent Indians whom he had consulted on thesubject. His informants belonged chiefly to the Seneca and Tuscaroranations. Their statements are entirely confirmed by those of theOnondaga record-keepers, both on the Syracuse Reservation and inCanada. When the chiefs at Onondaga Castle, who, in October, 1875, metto explain to me their wampum records, were asked how long it had beensince their league was made, they replied (as I find the answer recordedin my notes) that "it was their belief that the confederacy was formedabout six generations before the white people came to these parts. "Hudson ascended the river to which he gave his name in September, 1609. A boat from his ship advanced beyond Albany, and consequently intothe territories of the League. "Frequent intercourse, " says Bancroft, inhis account of this exploration, "was held with the astonished nativesof the Algonquin race; and the strangers were welcomed by a deputationfrom the Mohawks. " If we allow twenty-five years to a generation, theera of the confederacy is carried back to a period a hundred and fiftyyears before the date of Hudson's discovery, --or to the year 1459. Thisstatement of the Onondaga chiefs harmonizes, therefore, closely withthat which Mr. Morgan had heard among the other nations. 

I afterwards (in 1882) put the same question to my friend, Chief JohnBuck, the keeper of the wampum-records of the Canadian Iroquois. Hethought it was then "about four hundred years" since the League wasformed. He was confident that it was before any white people had beenheard of by his nation. This opinion accords sufficiently with the moredefinite statement of the New York Onondagas to be deemed a confirmationof that statement. 

There are two authorities whose opinions differ widely, in oppositedirections, from the information thus obtained by Mr. Morgan andmyself. David Cusick, in his _"Sketches of Ancient History of the SixNations, "_ supposes that the League was formed "perhaps 1000 yearsbefore Columbus discovered America. " His reasons for this supposition, however, do not bear examination. He makes Atotarho the hereditarytitle of a monarch, like Pharaoh or Caesar, and states that thirteenpotentates bearing that title had "reigned" between the formation of theconfederacy and the discovery of America by Columbus. The duration ofeach of these reigns he computes, absurdly enough, at exactly fiftyyears, which, however, would give altogether a term of only six hundredand fifty years. He supposes the discovery of America to have takenplace during the reign of the thirteenth Atotarho; and he adds that theconquest and dispersion of the Eries occurred "about this time. " Thelatter event, as we know, took place in 1656. It is evident thatCusick's chronology is totally at fault. As an Iroquois chief was neversucceeded by his son, but often by his brother, it is by no meansimprobable that thirteen persons may have held successively the title ofAtotarho in the term of nearly two centuries, between the years 1459 and1656. 

On the other hand, Heckewelder, in his well-known work on the "History, Manners and Customs of the Indian Nations. " cites a passage from amanuscript book of his predecessor, the Rev. C. Pyrlaeus, formerlymissionary among the Mohawks, from which a comparatively recent datewould be inferred for the confederation. The inference, however, isprobably due to a mistake of Heckewelder himself. The passage, as itstands in his volume, [Footnote: P. 56 of the revised edition of 1875, published by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. ] is as follows:--

"The Rev. C. Pyrlaeus, in his manuscript book, p. 234, says: 'Thealliance or confederacy of the Five Nations was established, as near ascan be conjectured, one age (or the length of a man's life) before thewhite people (the Dutch) came into the country. Thannawage was the nameof the aged Indian, a Mohawk, who first proposed such an alliance. '"

The words which Heckewelder has here included between parentheses arcapparently explanations which he himself added to the original statementof Pyrlaeus. The first of these glosses, by which an "age" is explainedto be the length of a man's life, is doubtless correct; but the second, which identifies the "white people" of Pyrlaeus with the Dutch, isprobably wrong. The white people who first "came into the country" ofthe Huron-Iroquois nations were the French, under Cartier. It was in thesummer of 1535 that the bold Breton navigator, with three vesselscommissioned to establish a colony in Canada, entered the St. Lawrence, and ascended the great river as far as the sites of Quebec and Montreal. He spent the subsequent winter at Quebec. The presence of thisexpedition, with its soldiers and sailors of strange complexion andarmed with terrible weapons, must have been known to all the tribesdwelling along the river, and would naturally make an epoch in theirchronology. Assuming the year 1535 as the time when the white peoplefirst "came into the country, " and taking "the length of a man's life"at seventy-five years (or three generations) we should arrive at theyear 1460 as the date of the formation of the IroquoisLeague. [Footnote: There is an evident difference between the expressionused by my Onondaga informants and that which is quoted by Heckewelderfrom Pyrlaeus. The latter speaks of the time before the white people"came into the country;" the Onondagas referred to the time before they"came to these parts. " The passage cited from Bancroft seems to indicatethat the white men of Hudson's crew presented no novel or startlingaspect to the Mohawks. The French had been "in the country" beforethem. ]

The brief period allowed by Heckewelder's version is on many accountsinadmissible. If, when the Dutch first came among the Iroquois, theconfederacy had existed for only about eighty years, there must havebeen many persons then living who had personally known some of itsfounders. It is quite inconceivable that the cloud of mythologicallegends which has gathered around the names of these founders--of whichClark, in his "Onondaga, " gives only the smaller portion--should havearisen in so short a term. Nor is it probable that in so brief a periodas has elapsed since the date suggested by Heckewelder, a fourth part ofthe names of the fifty chiefs who formed the first council would havebecome unintelligible, or at least doubtful in meaning. Schoolcraft, whowas inclined to defer to Heckewelder's authority on this point, did sowith evident doubt and perplexity. "We cannot, " he says, "withoutrejecting many positive traditions of the Iroquois themselves, refuse toconcede a much earlier period to the first attempts of these interestingtribes to form a general political association. " [Footnote: "_Notes onthe Iroquois_ p. 75, "]

In view of all the facts there seems no reason for withholding credencefrom the clear and positive statement of the Iroquois chroniclers, whoplace the commencement of their confederate government at about themiddle of the fifteenth century. 

NOTE D. 

THE HIAWATHA MYTHS. 

While many of the narratives of preternatural events recounted by Clark, Schoolcraft and others, in which the name of Hiawatha occurs, are merelyadaptations of older myths relating to primitive Iroquois or Algonkindeities, there are a few which are actual traditions, though muchconfused and distorted, of incidents that really occurred. Among theseis the story told by Clark, of the marvelous bird by which Hiawatha'sonly daughter was destroyed. Longfellow has avoided all reference tothis preposterous tale; but to Mr. Clark, if we may judge from thefullness and solemnity with which he has recorded it, it appeared veryimpressive. [Footnote: _"Onondaga"_ Vol. I, p. 25. ] According tohis narrative, when the great convention assembled at the summons ofHiawatha, to form the league of the Five Nations, he came to it incompany with his darling and only daughter, a girl of twelve. Suddenly aloud rushing sound was heard. A dark spot appeared in the sky. Hiawathawarned his daughter to be prepared for the coming doom from the GreatSpirit, and she meekly bowed in resignation. The dark spot, rapidlydescending, became an immense bird, which, with long and pointed beakand wide-extended wings, swept down upon the beautiful girl, and crushedher to atoms. Many other incidents are added, and we are told, what wemight well believe, that the hero's grief for the loss so suddenly andfrightfully inflicted upon him was intense and long protracted. 

That a story related with so much particularity should be utterlywithout foundation did not appear probable. It seemed not unlikely thata daughter of Hiawatha might have been killed at some public meeting, either accidentally or purposely, and possibly by an Indian belonging toone of the bird clans, the Snipe, the Heron, or the Crane. But furtherinquiry showed that even this conjecture involved more of what may bestyled mythology than the simple facts called for. The Onondaga chiefson the Canadian Reserve, when asked if they had heard anything about astrange bird causing the death of Hiawatha's daughter, replied at oncethat the event was well known. As they related it, the occurrence becamenatural and intelligible. It formed, indeed, a not unimportant link inthe chain of events which led to the establishment of theconfederacy. The catastrophe, for such it truly was, took place not atthe great assembly which met for the formation of the league, but at oneof the Onondaga councils which were convened prior to that meeting, andbefore Hiawatha had fled to the Caniengas. The council was held in anopen plain, encircled by a forest, near which temporary lodges had beenerected for the Councillors and their attendants. Hiawatha was present, accompanied by his daughter, the last surviving member of hisfamily. She was married, but still lived with her father, after thecustom of the people; for the wife did not join her husband in his ownhome until she had borne him a child. The discussions had lasted throughthe day, and at nightfall the people retired to their lodges. Hiawatha'sdaughter had been out, probably with other women, into the adjacentwoods, to gather their light fuel of dry sticks for cooking. She wasgreat with child, and moved slowly, with her faggot, across thesward. An evil eye was upon her. Suddenly the loud voice of Atotarho washeard, shouting that a strange bird was in the air, and bidding one ofhis best archers shoot it. The archer shot, and the bird fell. A suddenrush took place from all quarters toward it, and in the rush Hiawatha'sdaughter was thrown down and trampled to death. No one could prove thatAtotarho had planned this terrible blow at his great adversary, but noone doubted it. Hiawatha's grief was profound; but it was then, according to the tradition of the Canadian Onondagas, --when the last tieof kindred which bound him to his own people was broken, --that the ideaoccurred to him of seeking aid among the eastern nations. [Footnote:This account of the events which immediately preceded Hiawatha's flightdiffers somewhat from the narrative which I received from the New YorkOnondagas, as recorded in the Introduction (p. 22). The difference, however, is not important; and possibly, if it had occurred to me toinquire of these latter informants about the incident of the bird, Imight have heard from them particulars which would have brought the twoversions of the story still nearer to accord. The notable fact is thatthe reports of a tradition preserved for four hundred years, in twodivisions of a broken tribe, which have been widely separated for morethan a century, should agree so closely in all importantparticulars. Such concurrence of different chroniclers in the mainnarrative of an event, with some diversity in the details, is usuallyregarded as the best evidence of the truth of the history. ]

Clark's informants also told him much about a snow-white canoe in whichHiawatha--or, rather, Ta-oun-ya-wa-tha--made his first appearance tohuman eyes. In this canoe the demigod was seen on Lake Ontario, approaching the shore at Oswego. In it he ascended the river and itsvarious branches, removing all obstructions, and destroying all enemies, natural and preternatural. And when his work was completed by theestablishment of the League, the hero, in his human form of Hiawatha, seated himself in this canoe, and ascended in it to heaven, amid "thesweetest melody of celestial music. "

The nucleus and probable origin of this singular story is perhaps to befound in the simple fact that Hiawatha, after his flight from theOnondagas, made his appearance among the Caniengas a solitary voyager, in a canoe, in which he had floated down the Mohawk river. The canoes ofthe Caniengas were usually made of elm-bark, the birch not being commonin their country. If Hiawatha, as is not unlikely, had found orconstructed a small canoe of birch-bark on the upper waters of thestream, and used it for his voyage to the Canienga town, it mightnaturally attract some attention. The great celebrity and high positionwhich he soon attained, and the important work which he accomplished, would cause the people who adopted him as a chief to look back upon allthe circumstances of his first arrival among them with specialinterest. That the canoe was preserved till his death, and that he wasburied in it, amid funeral wails and mournful songs from a vastmultitude, such as had never before lamented a chief of the Kanonsioani, may be deemed probable enough; and in these or some similar events wemay look for the origin of this beautiful myth, which reappears, withsuch striking effect, in the closing scene of Longfellow's poem. 

NOTE E. 

THE IROQUOIS TOWNS. 

The list of towns comprised in the text contains twenty-three names. Ofthis number only eight or nine resemble names which have been in usesince the Five Nations were known to the whites; and even of this smallnumber it is not certain that all, or indeed any, were in these morerecent times applied to their original localities. My friend, GeneralJohn S. Clark, of Auburn, N. Y. , who has made a special study of thepositions of the Indian tribes and villages, and whose notes on thissubject illustrate the excellent work of Dr. Hawley on the early historyof the Cayuga nation, [Footnote: _Early Chapters of CayugaHistory:_ By Charles Hawley, D. D. , President of the Cayuga HistoricalSociety. ] has favored me, in a recent letter, with the following briefbut valuable summary of what is known in regard to the Iroquois towns:--

"When the Mohawks were first known, they occupied three principal townson the south side of the Mohawk river, between Ganajoharie and Schohariecreeks. The most eastern was that of the "Turtles" (or Tortoise clan), and was usually designated as such, and by the Dutch as the Lower orFirst Castle. The Middle or Second Castle was commonly termed thevillage of the "Bears;" while the Third or Upper Castle was generallycalled Teonnondoge or Tionnontogen, a name apparently having referenceto the 'two mountains' near which the original town stood. After thesetowns were destroyed by the French, in 1666, their people removed to thenorth side of the river, --those of the lower town retreating a few milesup the stream to the rapids; and then for a hundred years this wasgenerally known Caughnawaga (_Kahnawake_) "At the Rapids. " TheMiddle or Second Castle was called Gandagaro in 1670, Kanagiro in 1744, etc. The third appears to have retained its old name in all positions. "

"When the Oneidas were first known they occupied a position on theheadwaters of the Oneida inlet, and afterward gradually drew northwardtoward the lake. Their great town was usually called by the name of thetribe, as Onneiot, Onoyut, etc. One site, occupied about 1700, wascalled and known generally as Kanowaroghare, said to signify 'a head ona pole. '"

"The Onondagas, first known in 1615, occupied several sites, from apoint south of the east end of Oneida lake, where they were when firstknown, to the Onondaga valley; but in all cases the chief town, whennamed, was called Onondaga, from the name of the tribe. Their greatvillage in the Onondaga valley, according to Zeisberger, was known in1750 as Tagochsanagecht, but this was a form derived from the name ofthe Onondagas as used in council. In all ages this chief town, whereverlocated, had other minor towns within from two to five miles, but theyare rarely named. The great town was also divided into districts, onefor each clan, each of which must have been known by the clan name, butthis is seldom referred to. This rule held good also in all the largetowns. A 'Bear village' was not occupied exclusively by members of theBear clan; but these predominated and exercised authority. "

"The Cayugas in 1656 occupied three villages, --Onnontare, on a hill nearthe Canandaigua river, --Thiohero, near the foot of Cayuga lake ('By theMarsh, ' or, 'Where the Rushes are'), --and a third, which generally tookthe name of the tribe, Cayuga, but was occasionally divided into threedistricts, like the other large towns. "

"The Senecas, when visited by the Jesuits, occupied two great towns, andseveral minor villages. The eastern of the two towns, near Victor, wascalled Gandougarae. The western, on Honcoye creek, nearly always, in alllocalities, took the name of the stream, which signifies 'bending. ' Itis said that when the League was first formed, it was agreed that thetwo great Seneca towns should be called by the names of two principalsachems; but I am unable to find that this was carried out inpractice. In La Hontan's narrative of the De Nonville expedition, thegreat western town was separated into two parts, Thegaronhies andDanoncaritowi, which were the names of two important chiefs; while DeNonville's and other accounts describe it as Totiakton, 'at the bend. 'This discrepancy, however, is found in all cases where the several townsare mentioned, as it was quite common to speak of them by the name ofthe principal chief. Thus, Cayuga in 1750 was called Tagayu, fromTogahayu, the well-known chief sachem; Onondaga was called Canasatago'stown, etc. "

The frequent changes in the positions and names of Indian towns, thuswell explained and exemplified, will account; for the fact that so fewof the ancient names in the list which the tenacious memories of therecord-keepers retained have come down in actual use to moderntimes. The well-known landmark of the Oneida stone seems to havepreserved the name of the town, --_Onenyute, _ "the projectingrock, "--from which the nation derived its usual designation. _Deserokenh_, or, as the Jesuit missionaries wrote it, _Techiroguen_, was situated near the outlet of the Oneida lake, atthe point where the great northern trail crossed this outlet. A villageof some importance is likely to have been always found at or near thatlocality. The same may be said of _Deyuhhero, _ or _Tiohero, _where the main trail which united all the cantons crossed the riveroutlet of Lake Cayuga. 

In other cases, though the identity of names is clear, that of thelocalities is more doubtful. The _Kaneghsadakeh_ of the list, the"Hill-side town, " may be the _Kanasadaga_ of the Senecas; but, asGeneral Clark remarks, the name might have been applied to any town onthe side of a mountain. In like manner _Deyughsweken_ (or_Deyohsweken_), which is said to mean "flowing out, " may have beenthe town from which the Oswego river took its name, or a town at themouth of any other river; and _Deyaokenh, _ "the Forks, " may havebeen Tioga, or any other village at the junction of twostreams. _Fonondese_ ("it is a high hill") is perhaps the same nameas Onontare, which in Charlevoix's map appears as Onnontatacet;[Footnote: See _"Early Chapters of Cayuga History, "_ p. 48. ] butthe name may well have been a common one. A few other apparentcoincidences might be pointed out; but of most of the towns in the listwe can only say that no trace remains in name or known locality, andthat in some cases even the meaning of the names has ceased to beremembered. General Clark sums up his conclusions on this point in thefollowing words: "They appear to belong to a remote--I may say a veryremote--age, and not to be referred to any particular known localities;and this, as it appears to me, is more to the credit of the manuscriptas an archaic work. "

NOTE F. 

THE PRE-ARYAN RACE IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. 

[The following is the concluding portion of an essay on "IndianMigrations, as evidenced by Language, " which was read at the Montrealmeeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, inAugust, 1882, and published in the "American Antiquarian" for Januaryand April, 1883. As the views set forth in this extract have a bearingon the subjects discussed in the present work, the author takes theopportunity of reproducing them here for the consideration of itsreaders. ]

It will be noticed that the evidence of language, and to some extentthat of tradition, leads to the conclusion that the course of migrationof the Indian tribes has been from the Atlantic coast westward andsouthward. The Huron-Iroquois tribes had their pristine seat on thelower St. Lawrence. The traditions of the Algonkins seem to point toHudson's Bay and the coast of Labrador. The Dakota stock had its oldestbranch east of the Alleghenies, and possibly (if the Catawba nationshall be proved to be of that stock), on the Carolinacoast. Philologists are well aware that there is nothing in the languageof the American Indians to favor the conjecture (for it is nothing else)which derives the race from eastern Asia. But in western Europe onecommunity is known to exist, speaking a language which in its generalstructure manifests a near likeness to the Indian tongues. Alone of allthe races of the old continent the Basques or Euskarians of northernSpain and southwestern France have a speech of that highly complex andpolysynthetic character which distinguishes the Americanlanguages. There is not, indeed, any such positive similarity, in wordsor grammar, as would prove a direct affiliation. The likeness is merelyin the general cast and mould of speech; but this likeness is so markedas to have awakened much attention. If the scholars who have noticed ithad been aware of the facts now adduced with regard to the course ofmigration on this continent, they would probably have been led to theconclusion that this similarity in the type of speech was an evidence ofthe unity of race. There seems reason to believe that Europe--at leastin its southern and western portions--was occupied in early times by arace having many of the characteristics, physical and mental, of theAmerican aborigines. The evidences which lead to this conclusion arewell set forth in Dr. Dawson's recent work on "Fossil Man. " Of thisearly European people, by some called the Iberian race, who wereultimately overwhelmed by the Aryan emigrants from central Asia, theBasques are the only survivors that have retained their originallanguage; but all the nations of southern Europe, commencing with theGreeks, show in their physical and mental traits a large intermixture ofthis aboriginal race. As we advance westward, the evidence of thisinfusion becomes stronger, until in the Celts of France and of theBritish Islands it gives the predominant cast to the character of thepeople. [Footnote: "The Basque may then be the sole surviving relic andwitness of an aboriginal western European population, dispossessed bythe intrusive Indo-European tribes. It stands entirely alone, no kindredhaving yet been found for it in any part of the world. It is of anexaggeratedly agglutinative type, incorporating into its verb a varietyof relations which are almost everywhere else expressed by anindependent word. "--"The Basque forms a suitable stepping-stone fromwhich to enter the peculiar linguistic domain of the New World, sincethere is no other dialect of the Old World which so much resembles instructure the American languages. "--Professor Whitney, in _"The Lifeand Growth of Language"_ p. 258. ]

If the early population of Europe were really similar to that ofAmerica, then we may infer that it was composed of many tribes, scattered in loose bands over the country, and speaking languages widelyand sometimes radically different, but all of a polysyntheticstructure. They were a bold, proud, adventurous people, good hunters andgood sailors. In the latter respect they were wholly unlike theprimitive Aryans, who, as was natural in a pastoral people of inlandorigin, have always had in the east a terror of the ocean, and in Europewere, within historic times, the clumsiest and least venturous ofnavigators. If communities resembling the Iroquois and the Caribs onceinhabited the British islands and the western coasts of the adjacentcontinent, we may be sure that their fleets of large canoes, such ashave been exhumed from the peat-deposits and ancient river-beds ofIreland, Scotland, and France, swarmed along all the shores andestuaries of that region. Accident or adventure may easily have carriedsome of them across the Atlantic, not merely once, but in manysuccessive emigrations from different parts of western Europe. Thedistance is less than that which the canoes of the Polynesians wereaccustomed to traverse. The derivation of the American population fromthis source presents no serious improbability whatever. [Footnote: Thedistance from Ireland to Newfoundland is only sixteen hundred miles. Thedistance from the Sandwich Islands to Tahiti (whence the natives of theformer group affirm that their ancestors came) is twenty-two hundredmiles. The distance from the former islands to the Marquesas group, thenearest inhabited land, is seventeen hundred miles. The canoes of theSandwich Islands (as we are assured by Ellis, in his _"PolynesianResearches"_) "seldom exceed fifty feet in length. " In the river-bedsof France, ancient canoes have been found, exceeding forty feet inlength. One was more than forty-five feet long, and nearly four feetdeep. See the particulars in Figuier's _"Primitive Man, "_Appleton's edit. , p. 177. See also Prof. D. Wilson's _"PrehistoricMan, "_ 2d edit. , p. 102, for a full discussion of this question, withinstances of long canoe voyages. ]

On the theory which seems thus rendered probable, that the earlyEuropeans were of the same race as the Indians of America, we are ableto account for certain characteristics of the modern nations of Europe, which would otherwise present to the student of anthropology aperplexing problem. The Aryans of Asia, ancient and modern, as we knowthem in the Hindoos, the Persians, and the Armenians, with the evidenceafforded by their history, their literature and their present condition, have always been utterly devoid of the sentiment of politicalrights. The love of freedom is a feeling of which they seemincapable. To humble themselves before some superior power--deity, king, or brahmin--seems to be with them a natural and overpoweringinclination. Next to this feeling is the love of contemplation and ofabstract reasoning. A dreamy life of worship and thought is the highestfelicity of the Asiatic Aryan. On the other hand, if the ancientEuropeans were what the Basques and the American Indians are now, theywere a people imbued with the strongest possible sense of personalindependence, and, resulting from that, a passion for political freedom. They were also a shrewd, practical, observant people, with little tastefor abstract reasoning. 

It is easy to see that from a mingling of two races of such oppositedispositions, a people of mixed character would be formed, very similarto that which has existed in Europe since the advent of the Aryanemigrants. In eastern Europe, among the Greeks and Sclavonians, wherethe Iberian element would be weakest, the Aryan characteristics ofreverence and contemplation would be most apparent. As we advancewestward, among the Latin and Teutonic populations, the sense ofpolitical rights, the taste for adventure, and the observing, practicaltendency, would be more and more manifest; until at length, among thewestern Celts, as among the American Indians, the love of freedom wouldbecome exalted to an almost morbid distrust of all governing authority. 

If this theory is correct, the nations of modern Europe have derivedthose traits of character and those institutions which have given themtheir present headship of power and civilization among the peoples ofthe globe, not from their Aryan forefathers, but mainly from this otherportion of their ancestry, belonging to the earlier population which theAryans overcame and absorbed. That this primitive population wastolerably numerous is evident from the fact that the Aryans, particularly of the Latin, Teutonic, and Celtic nations lost inabsorbing it many vocal elements and many grammatical inflections oftheir speech. They gained, at the same time, the self-respect, the loveof liberty, and the capacity for selfgovernment, which were unknown tothem in their Asiatic home. Knowing that these characteristics havealways marked the American race, we need not be surprised when modernresearches demonstrate the fact that many of our Indian communities havehad political systems embodying some of the most valuable principles ofpopular government. We shall no longer feel inclined to question thetruth of the conclusion which has been announced by Carli, Draper, andother philosophic investigators, who affirm that the Spaniards, in theirconquest of Mexico, Yucatan, and Peru, destroyed a better form ofsociety than that which they established in its place. The intellectualbut servile Aryans will cease to attract the undue admiration which theyhave received for qualities not their own; and we shall look with a newinterest on the remnant of the Indian race, as possibly representingthis nobler type of man, whose inextinguishable love of freedom hasevoked the idea of political rights, and has created those institutionsof regulated self-government by which genuine civilization and progressare assured to the world. 

CANIENGA GLOSSARY. 

The following Glossary comprises all the words of the Canienga text. Themeanings of these words are given as they were, received from theinterpreters. For most of them these definitions are confirmed by thedictionaries of Bruyas and Cuoq. Some of the words, which are eitherarchaic forms or peculiar to the Council ceremonies, are not found inthose dictionaries; and in a few instances the precise purport of thesewords must be considered doubtful. In some cases, also, the force of agrammatical inflection or of an affix may not have been correctlyascertained; but it is believed that the vocabulary will be found, ingeneral, sufficiently accurate to be of service to the student who maydesire to acquire some knowledge of the Canienga speech. 

When the words of John Buck's copy differ in orthography from those ofthe Johnson MS. , the former are added in brackets. Words cited from thedictionary of Bruyas are distinguished by the letter B; those from thelexicon of M. Cuoq by C. 

A. 

Aerengh [orenh], far. _Heren, ahiren_, B. , far; _heren, aheren_, C. , far away. 

Aesahhahiyenenhon [ahesahhahiyenennyonhon], if thou hadst fallen (orperished) by the way. _Aha, oha, ohaha_, road, path;_gaienneñon_, B. , to fall. 

Aesayatyenenghdon [ahesayatyenendon], thou mightest have beendestroyed. _Gaienneñon_, B. , to fall; _gaien_nenton_, tocause to fall. _Aesaiatienenton_ is in the perf. Subj. Passive. 

Aghsonh, scarcely, hardly, while. 

Ai (excl. ), hail! oh!

Aihaigh (excl. ), hail! ah! oh! More commonly pronounced _haihai_. 

Akare, until. 

Akayongh [akcayon], ancient. _Akaion_, C. , old, ancient, antique. 

Akonikonghkahdeh, they are suffering. _Onikonhra_, mind, and_oga'te_, B. , raw. , _i. E. _, having a sore mind. 

Akotthaghyonnighshon, one who belongs to the Wolf clan. See_Sathaghyonnighshon_. 

Akwah, indeed, truly, very, yea. 

Akwekon, all. 

Are, again, sometimes. 

Ayakawen, one would have said. _En_, B, to say (perf. Subj. ). 

Ayakaweron, one would have thought. _Eron_, B. , to think, to wish. 

Ayakotyerenhon, one would be startled, surprised. From _katyeren_, to wonder, be startled. 

Ayawenhenstokenghske [ayawenhensthokenske], may it be true. _Enon, iaweñnon_, B. , --_iawens_, C. , to happen; _togenske_, B. , _tokenske_, C. , it is true. "May it happen to be true!"

Ayuyeukwaroghthake [ayoyenkwarodake], there might have been tobaccosmoke (apparent). , _Oienkwa_, C. , tobacco; _garst_, B. , tosmoke (ppf. Subj. ). 

D. 

Da-edewenhheye [dahedewenheyeh], we may all die. _Genheion, genheie_, B. , to die (subj. Mood). 

Daghsatkaghthoghseronne [dasatkahthoseronne], thou mightest keepseeing. See _Tesatkaghthoghserontyc_. _Tasatkahthoseronne_(as the word would be spelt in modern orthography) appears to be theaorist subjunctive of _atkahthos_, to see, in the cislocative andfrequentative forms. 

Daondayakottondeke, that they may hear. _Athonde_, to hear. 

Deghniwenniyu, joint ruler; lit. , they two are masters. See_Rawenniyo_. 

Deghsewenninekenne, thou mayest speak. See _Entyewenninekenneh_. 

Dendewatenonghweradon, in our mutual greetings. See_Dewadadononweronh_. 

Denghsatkaghdonnyonheke [densatkatonhnyonsekeh], thou wilt be lookingabout thee. _Atkahthos_, to see. 

Denighroghkwayen [dehnihrohkwayen], let us two smoke. _Garoksa_, B. , _une pipe, touche de petun_. It is conjectured that the nameIroquois, _i. E. _, "Tobacco-people, " may have been derived fromthis word. See Appendix, Note A. 

Dentidewaghneghdoten, we will replace the pine-tree. _Ohnehta_, pine. _Oten_, as a suffix (according to M. Cuoq), "serves toexpress the condition, the manner, the kind, the nature of a thing. "

Denyakokwatonghsaeke [tenyakokwennhendonghsaeke], he will bedying. _Desakkèatouch_, Onon. Dict. , I am dying;_kanonèenton_, B. , sick. 

Denyontadenakarondako, they shall take off his horns. _Onakara_, horn. 

Desahahishonne, thou art coming troubled. 

Desakaghsereutonyonne, thou comest weeping. _Gagasera_, B. , tear. 

Desanyatokenh, in thy throat. _Oniata, _ C. , throat, neck. 

Desawennawenrate, thy voice coming over. From _owenna, _ C. , _gauenda_ or _gauenna, _ B. , voice, speech, word, and_auenron, _ B. , to pass over. The cislocative prefix _de (te)_gives the sense of "hither. "

Deskenonghweronne [deskenonweronne], I come again to greet andthank. _Kannonhueron, _ B. , to salute any one;_kannonhueronton, _ to salute or thank by, or for, anything. See_ante, _ page 149, for an analysis of this word. 

Detkanoron [detkanorons], all but, almost. From _kanoron, _ costly, important, difficult. 

Dewadadenonweronh [dewadatenonweron], mutual greeting. _Kannonhueron, _ B. , to salute any one. 

Dewaghsadayenhah, in the shade. _Asatagon, _ B. , in secret;_asatakon, _ C. , in the dark. 

Deyakodarakeh, the two clans. _Ohtara, _ C. , tribe, band. (Dual orduplicative form. )

Deyakonakarondon, wearing horns, _i. E. , _ being chiefs. _Onnagara, _ B. , horn; _kannagaront, _ having horns;_gannagaronni, _ B. , _être considerable. _

Deyughnyonkwarakda [deyohnyonkwaraktah], at the wood's edge; near thethicket. _Onnionguar, _ B. , thorn-bush, bramble; _akta, _ C. , beside, near to. The word applies to the line of bushes usually found onthe border between the forest and a clearing. With the cislocativeprefix _de_ it means "on this side of the thicket. "

Deyughsihharaonh [deyohsiharaonh], there is a stoppage. _Gasiharon, _ B. , to stop up, to close. 

Deyunennyatenyon, hostile agencies, opposing; forces. _Gannenniani, _ B. , to surprise or defeat a band; _gannennaton, ib. , _ to seek to destroy. 

Deyunhonghdoyenghdonh [deyonhonghdoyendonh], mourning wampum. This wordappears to be composed of three of Bruyas' radices, viz. , _gaionni, _ wampum belt (_collier deporcelaine_), --_gannonton, _ to throw wampum for the dead, --and_gaienton, _ to strike, whence _skaienton, _ to return the like, to strike back, and _gaientatonton, _ to give satisfaction for anyone wounded or killed; and the meaning will be "wampum given as asatisfaction or consolation for a death. "

Dhatkonkoghdaghkwanyon. [thatkonkohdakwanyon], in goingthrough. _Ongóon, _ B. , to penetrate, to pass through;_atongotahkon, _ B. , the place through which one passes. 

Doghkara [dohkara], only a few. _Tohkara, _ C. , only occasionally, afew, a small number of. 

Doka, if, perhaps, either, or. _Toka, _ C. , or, if; I don't know. 

Donghwenghratstanyonne [donwenratstanyonne], comingover. _Asenron, _ B. , to pass over. 

E. 

Eghdejisewayadoreghdonh [eghdetsisewayadorehdonh], this ye considered, ye deliberated about this. _Kaiatefreton, _ B. , to examine, tothink, to deliberate about anything. 

Eghdeshotiyadoreghton, they again considered. (See the preceding word. )

Eghnikatarakeghne [eghnikadarakene], such were the clans. _Ehni--, _C. , for _ethoni, _ there are, so, it is thus that; _ohtara, _clan, band. 

Eghnikouh, thus, in this way. 

Eghnonweh, thither, yonder. 

Eghtenyontatitenranyon, they will condole with one another, or, therewill be mutual condolence. _Gentenron, _ B. , _kitenre, _ C. , topity any one. _Atatitenron, _ B. , to deplore one's misery. 

Eghyendewasenghte, we will let it fall. _Aseñon, _ B. , to fall;_asenhton, ib. , _ to cause to fall. 

Eghyesaotonnihsen, this was his uncle. See _yeshodonnyk. _

Endewaghneghdotako, we will pull up a pine tree. From _onehta, _pine, and _gataksan, gatako, _ to draw out, B. , _sub voce At. _

Enghsitskodake, thou wilt be resting, thou wilt remain. _Gentskote, _ B. , to be in any place. 

Entyewenninekenneh, the words which will be said. From _Kawenna, _word (q. V. ) and _en, _ B. , to say. 

Enjerennokden (or enyerennokden), they will finish the song; or, thehymn will be finished. _Karenna, _ song, hymn; _okte, _ B. , theend; to finish. 

Enjeyewendane [enjewendane], they will be comforted. _Ganeienthon, _ B, to be calm. (This word should probably be written_enjeyeweyendane. _)

Enjondatenikonghketsko, they will comfort, lit. , will raise themind. _Onikonhra, _ mind, spirit, temper, and _gagetskuan, _ B. , to raise up. 

Enjondentyonko. See _Enyonghdentionko. _

Enjonkwakaronny, it will cause us trouble. _Gagaronnion, _ B. , to doharm to any one, to cause him some loss. 

Enjonkwanekheren, we shall suffer a loss. _Wakenekheren, _ C. , notto know, not to recognize (_i. E. _, we shall cease to see some one). 

Enskat, one, once. 

Entkaghwadasehhon, will be vexed, excited. _Gahuatase, _ B. , totwist, turn round. 

Enwadon, it will be allowed. _Watons, _ fut. _enwaton, _ C. , tobe possible, feasible, allowed. 

Enwadonghwenjadethare, will make a hole through the ground. See_Onwentsia. _

Enyairon, they will say, one will say. From _en, _ B. , fut. _egiron, _ to say. 

Enyakaonkodaghkwe [enyakaonkohdakwe], they shall havepassed. _Ongóon, _ B. , to penetrate, pass through; _ongotanni, _to cause to penetrate, etc. 

Enyakodenghte, they (or one) will be miserable. _Genthenteon, _ B. , to be deserving of pity. 

Enyakodokenghse [enyakodokenseh], they (or one) willdiscover. _Gatogeñon, gatogens, _ B. , to know. 

Enyakohetsde [enyakohetste], he (or one) will go on. _Kohetstha, _C. , to pass beyond. 

Enyakonewarontye, they (or one) will be surprised. _Gannesaron, _B. , to surprise. 

Enyeharako, they will carry it. _Gaha, _ B. , to carry off. 

Enyeken, they will see. _Gagen, _ B. , to see. 

Enyenikonghkwendarake, they will be mourning. _Onikonhra. _ (q. V. )and _gagsentaron, _ stretched on the ground (_i. E. , _ the minddejected). 

Enyerennokden. See _Enjerennokden. _

Enyerighwanendon [enyerihwanondon], they will ask (or, willwonder). From _karihwa_ (q. V. ) and _gannendon, _ B. , towonder, or _annonton, _ to seek. _Garihwanonton, _ B. , to askthe news. 

Enyerighwawetharho, the business will be closed. _Karihwa_ (q. V. )and _otarhon, _ B. , to grasp; _kotarhos, _ C. , to grasp, to stopby grasping. 

Enyonderennoden, they will sing it thus. _Karenna, _ q. V. And--_oten, _ C. , which "serves to express the condition, manner, kind, or nature of a thing. "

Enyonghdentyonko, he will walk to and fro. _Atention, _ B. , to goaway. 

Enyononghsaniratston, it will strengthen the house. _Kanonsa, _house, and _ganniraton, _ B. , to strengthen. 

Enyontsdaren, they will weep. _Katstaha, _ C. , to weep, to shedtears. 

Enyontyerenjiok, they will be startled. From _katyeren, _ to wonder, to be surprised. 

Enyurighwadatye [enyorihwadatye], it will continue: the affair will goon. From _kariwa_ (q. V. ) as a verb, in the progressive form andfuture tense. 

Etho, thus, so. 

Ethone, then. 

Ethononweh, thither. 

H. 

Hasekenh, because. _Aseken, _ C. , for, because. 

Henskerighwatoate [enskerighwatonte], I will frustrate theirpurposes. From _karihwa_ (q. V. ) and _atoneton, _ B. , to causeto lose, to mislead. 

Henyondatsjistayenhaghse [henyondatstsistayenhase], they will hold acouncil, lit. , they will make a council fire. From _katsista, _fire; _gatsistaien, _ B. , to hold council, to light the councilfire. 

Hone, also. See _Ony. _

I. 

Ie [iih], I. 

Iese [ise], thou, ye. 

Iesewengh, ye have said. _En, _ B. , to say. 

Issy [hissih], yonder, there, _Isi, _ C. , there. 

J. 

Jadadeken, thy brother (or brothers). _Tsiatatekenha, _ C. , ye twoare brothers. 

Jadakweniyosaon (or jatagweniyosaon), thou wert the ruler, or, ye werethe rulers. See _Jadakweniyu. _

Jadakweniyu, thou art the ruler, or, ye are the rulers. See note tosec. 28, _ante, _ p. 152. 

Jatatawhak, father and son, lit. , son of each other. _Gahawak, _B. , to have for child (reciprocal form). 

Jathondek (or jatthontek), listen! hearken thou. Imperative sing. Of_kathontats, _ C, _athantaton, _ B. , to hear. 

Jatthontenyonk, keep listening! continue to hear! The frequentative formof _jatthontek. _

Ji [tsi], that, that which, wherein. See _Jini. _

Jidenghnonhon [jidennon], as, like as. _Tennon, _ C. , and also, but. 

Jinayawenhon, the consequences, the results, lit. What wouldhappen. _Eñon, _ B. , --_iawens, _ C, to happen. 

Jinesadawen [tsinesadawen]. See _Jinisadawen. _

Jini [_tsini_], that which, such, so, so much. 

Jinihotiyerenh, what they did. From _Jini_ (q. V. ) and--_kierha, --wakieren, _ C. , to act, do, say. This verb is alwayspreceded by some particle, such as _kenni_ (see how), _tsini_(that which) and the like. 

Jinikawennakeh, these the words. See _Jini_ and _kawenna. _

Jinisayadawen [tsinesayadawenh], that which has befallenyou. _Eñon, _ B. , to happen; _gaiataseñon, _ to happen to someone. 

Jiniyuneghrakwah [tsiniyohnerakwa], this solemn event. _Gonneragoon, _ B. , to wonder; _jonneragsat, _ that iswonderful. See _yuneghrakwah. _

Jinonweh [tsinonweh], thither, whereto. 

Jiratighrotonghkwakwe [tsiradirohtonhkwakwe], where they used tosmoke. _Garst, _ B. , to smoke; _otonkwa, _ C. , flame. "Wherethey lighted their pipes. "

Jisanakdade [tsisanakdate], from thy seat. See _Kanakta. _

Jiyudakenrokde [tsiodakenrokde], by the fireplace, near theashes. _Akenra_, ashes; _okte_, end, edge. 

Jiyathondek, listen! hearken! Imperative dual of _kathontats_, Ihear. See _Jathondek_. 

Jodenaghstahhere, they made additions to a house; they added aframe. _Gannasta_, B. , poles for making a house; _onasta_, C. , a framework; _kaheren_, B. To be upon. 

Joskawayendon, there is again wilderness, waste ground. _Gaienthon_, B. , to have fields. 

K. 

Kadon, I say, I speak. _Igatonk_ (_sub voce En_), B. , I say;_katon_, C. , to say. 

Kady [kadi], therefore, then. _Kati_, C. , then, consequently. 

Kadykenh, because. See _Katykenh_. 

Kaghnekonyon, floods. From _ohneka_, water, in the frequentativeform. _Gannegonnion_, B. , there is much water. 

Kaghyaton, it is written. _Kiatons_, C. , to write. M. Cuoq says:"the perfect participle takes an _h: kahiaton_, written, it iswritten. " _Gaiatare_, B. , to paint. 

Kajatthondek, listen! See _Jathondek_. 

Kakeghrondakwe, they were collected; were assembled. _Gageron_, B. , to be together, or, to put things or persons somewhere. 

Kanaghsdajikowah [kanastatsikowah], great framework, greatbuilding. From _kanasta_, frame, and _kowa_, great. 

Kanakaryonniha, on a pole. _Gannagare_, B. , pole, long stick. 

Kanakdakwenniyukeh, on the principal seat. From _kanakta_ (q. V. )and _atakwenniio, _ C, principal. 

Kanakdiyuhake, the place (or seat) may be good. From _kanakta, _place, seat, and--_iyu, _ good (subjunctive mood). 

Kanakta, mat, --hence couch, bed, seat, place. 

Kaneka, where, somewhere. 

Kanekhere, I believe, I suppose; surely, certainly. Probably from_eron, igere, _ B. , to think, or suppose. 

Kanhonghdakdeh [kanonhdakdeh], by the wall, or side of thehouse. _Onnhonta, _ wall of house, of a cabin; _akte, _ beside, athwart. 

Kanikonrashon, the minds, a plural form of _Onikonhra_ (q. V. )

Kanikonrakeh, in mind. See _Onikonhra. _

Kanonghsakdatye [kanonsakdatye], outside the house. _Kanonsakta, _near the house; from _Kanonsa, _ house, and _akta, _ near, beside. The progressive affix _tye_ gives the meaning of "passingnear the house. "

Kanonghsakonshon [kanonsakonshon], in the house. 

Kanonsa, house. 

Kanoron, important, valuable, serious, difficult, painful, afflicting. 

Karenna, song, hymn, chant. 

Karighwakayonh, in ancient times. From _Karihwa_ (q. V. ), and_akaion_, old. See _Orighwakayongh. _

Karighwatchkwenh [karihwahtehkonh], this word, which the interpretersrendered simply ceremony, probably means "the fire-kindling act, " from_Karihwa_ (q. V. ), and _atchken, _ or _atekha_ (_ategen, ateza, _ B. ), to burn. 

Karihwa or karighwa (_garihsa, _ B. , _kariwa, oriwa, _ C. ), thing, affair, business, action, news, word. This word, in its root-formof _rihwa_ (_riwa_) or _rihow_ enters largely intocompounds having reference to business, law, office, news, belief, andthe like. 

Karonta, tree, log, trunk, post. 

Kathonghnonweh [kathonnonweh], I fail, I lose my way. _Atonon_, B. , to lose one's self, to go astray. 

Kathonghdeh, away, out of sight. _Atonhton_, B. (sub voce_atonon_), to cause to lose, to mislead. 

Katykenh [kadikenh], how then? _Kati_, C. , then (done); _ken_, interrogative particle. 

Kawenna (_gauenda, gattenna_, B. ; _owenna_, C. ), word, voice, language, speech. 

Kayanerenh, peace, goodness, justice, law, league. _Wakianere, ioianere_, C. , to be good, right, proper (_i. E. _, noble);_roianer_, he is a chief. _Kaianerensera_, law, government, rule, decree, ordinance. See _ante_, p. 33. 

Kayanerenghkowa, great peace, great law, the greatleague. _Kayanerenh_ (q. V. ) and _kowa_, great. 

Kehaghshonha, kehhasaonhah, recent, lately. 

Ken (for kento) here. 

Kendenyethirentyonnite, here we will place them. See_Kenderentyonnih_. 

Kenderentyonnih, this is lying here. Probably from _Garenton_, B. , to hang down, and _ionni_, to be extended or laid out. 

Kendonsayedane (?) returning here, (qu. , pausing here). _Gasaien_, B. , to be slow; _gasaiatanne_, to make slow. 

Kenenyohdatyadawenghdate, one shall be murdered here. _Aaenthon_, B. , to kill; _Katawenthos_, C, to kill many people, to massacre. 

Kenhendewaghnatatsherodarho, we will attach a pouch. _Gannata_, B. , little bag; _otarhon_, to grasp. 

Kenkaghnekonyon, here floods. See _kaghnekonyon_. 

Kenkarenyakehrondonhah, being hidden here among logs. _Gagarennion_, B. , to remove away; _Karonta_, tree, log. 

Kenkine [kenki], thus, in this way. 

Kenkisenh [kenhkense], thus, in this way. 

Kenkontifaghsoton, here things lying in ambush. 

Kenne, thus. 

Kennikanaghsesha, small strings of wampum. _Kenni--ha_, C. , small, _kanahses_, (?) a string of wampum. 

Kensane, but, however. 

Kentekaghronghwanyon [kondekahronwanyon], here obstacles. _Garonhon_, B. , to place (or to be) athwart. 

Kentewaghsatayenha, here in the dark. _Asatagon_, C. , in thedarkness; _asatagon_, B. , in secret. 

Kenteyurhoton, here to this opening (or cleared space in aforest). _Karha_, forest. 

Kenthoh (_kento_, C. ), here. 

Kenwaseraketotanese, here the uplifted hatchet, From _ken_, here, _wasera (asera, osera)_, hatchet, and _gagetut_, B. , to beshown, to appear above. 

Kenwedewayen, we place it here. From _ken_, here, and _gaien_, B. , to put in any place. 

Kenyoteranentenyonhah, there is a crevice here. From _ken_, here, and _ateronnonte_, B. , having space, or showing light between twothings not well joined. 

Kenyutnyonkwaratonnyon, here many thorns. From _ken_, here, and_onniongar_, B. , thorns, brambles. The word is in thefrequentative form. 

Konnerhonyon [konneronyon], they keep thinking. _Eron_, B. , tothink, to will. (Frequentative form. )

Konyennetaghkwen [konyennedaghkwen], my child, my offspring. From_ennet_, B. , to hold an infant in one'sbosom. "_Gonyennetakan_, says the Canienga to the Oneida, "B. _Konyennetakkwen_ is properly a verb of the third conjugation, in the imperfect tense, and the 1:2 transition: "I nursed thee as achild. " Here it is used idiomatically as a noun. 

Kowa, kowane, great. 

N. 

Nadehhadihne, it was their number. See _Natejonhne_. 

Nadekakaghneronnyonghkwe [nedekakanneronnyonkwe], it was commonly lookedat. _Kagannere_, B. , to see (frequentative form, imperfect tense). 

Nai (exclam. ), hail! oh! ah! (It is the exclamation _ai_ or_hai_, with the particle _ne_ prefixed. )

Nakonikonra, their mind. See _Onikonhra_. 

Nakwah, (?) indeed. See _Akwah_. 

Natehotiyadoreghtonh, they decided on. _Kajatoreton_, B. , toexamine, think, deliberate about anything. 

Natejonhne, it was your number; this was the size of yourclass. _Teionihes_, C. , large, wide; "_ken ok nateionhes_, notlarger than that. "

Nayakoghstonde [nayakostonde], by reason of, the pretextbeing. _Gastonton_, B. , to make a pretext of anything. 

Nayawenh, it may be. _Eñon, yaweñon_, B. , --_iawens_, C. , tohappen. See _Nenyawenne_. 

Nayeghnyasakenradake, (?) having a white neck. _Onniasa_, B. , neck;_gagenrat_, B. , white. 

Ne, the, this, that, who, which (rel. ). A demonstrative and relativeparticle, variously used, but always giving a certain emphasis to theword which it precedes. 

Nedens, either, or. 

Nekenne (or _ne kenh ne_), thus. 

Nene, the, this, that, these, those, etc. (an emphatic reduplication of_ne_). 

Nenyakoranne, they will keep on, persist, go so far as. _Garaon, garannne_, B. , to find any one; _keras, kerane_, C. , to approachany one, to come to him. 

Nenyawenne, it may be; it will happen; it shall be done. Future of_Nayawenh_, q. V. 

Nenyerighwanendon, they will inquire. See _Enyerighwanendon_. 

Neok, nok, and, also. (Contracted from _ne_ and _ok_. )

Neony [neoni], also. See _Ne_ and _Oni_. 

Niateweghniserakeh, every day. From _niate_, each, every, and_wehnisera_, (or _wennisera_) day, with the locativeparticiple _ke_. 

Nitthatirighwayerathaghwe [nithariwayerathakwe], they used to do thework. From _karihwa_, business, and _gaieren_, B. , todo. (Imperfect tense. )

Nityakwenontonh, they search, inquire, pry into. _Annonton, gannenton_, B. , to seek, search, interrogate. 

Niutercnhhatye (?) it was startling. From _katyeren_, to wonder, tobe startled. 

Niwa, extent, size, number. 

Niyakoghswathah, they are mischievous, troublesome. _Gasaton_, B. , _étre méchant_. 

Niyawehkowa [niawenhkowa], great thanks. _Niawen_, C. , thanks;_kowa_, great. 

Niyawennonh, it happened. See _Nayawenh_. 

Niyenhhenwe [niyenhhenwe], in the future. --_nenwe_ relates to thefuture, C. 

Niyieskahhaghs, being borne. _Gaha_, B. , to carry away. 

Niyonsakahhawe, he is carried. _Gahawi_, B. , to bring. 

Noghnaken, hereafter, afterwards, in later times. See _Oghnaken_. 

Nonkenh, it may be. _Enon_, B. , to happen. 

Nonkwaderesera, our grandchildren. See _Saderesera_. 

Nonwa, now. 

Nyare, while, previously. _Niare_, C. , beforehand. 

O. 

Oghentonh, in the first place, foremost, firstly. _Gahenton_, B. , to go first; _ohenton_, C, before, foremost, formerly. 

Oghnaken [onaken], afterwards. _Ohnaken_, C. , behind, backwards, afterwards. 

Oghniyawenhonh, what has happened. From _ohni_, C. , what? and_iawens_, to happen. 

Oghnonekenh, dismayed (?) _Kannonhiannion_, B. , to fear, to bealarmed. 

Oghseronnih [onhseronni]; together. _Oseronni_, C. , together. 

Oghsonteraghkowa [aghsonderahkowah], disease, pestilence. 

Ohhendonh; see _Oghentonh_. 

Ok, and, also, indeed. 

Okaghserakonh [okaserakonh], an tears. _Gagasera_, B. , tears. 

Okaghsery [okaseri], tears. _Okaseri_, C. , tear, from_Okahra_, eye, and _keri_, liquid. 

Onakara, horn. 

Onekwenghdarihenh, in crimson (_i. E. _, in blood). _Onigentara, _ B. , red; onnigensa, blood. 

Onenh [onen]. Now; at last; finally. 

Onghteh [onhteh], perhaps, probably. 

Onghwa, now, at present. _Onwa_, C. , now. (Same as _Nonwa_. )

Onghwajok, presently. 

Onghwenjakonh [onwenjakon], into the earth. See _Onwentsia. _

Onidatkon, deadly. 

Onikonhra, mind, character, disposition, thought, opinion, sentiment. _Gandigonra_, B. , _esprit, pensée_. 

Onkwaghsotshera [onkwasotsera], our forefathers. The root is _sot_, meaning grandparent. _Rak'sotha_, C. , my grandfather;_ak'sotha_, my grandmother; _onkwa_, our; _sera_, the"crement, " generalizing the word. 

Onkwaghsotsherashonhkenha, our deceased forefathers. See_Onkwaghsotshera, Shon (son)_ is the plural suffix; _kenha_, deceased, "the late" (the French _feu_). 

Onok, and, and then. See _Ony, Ok_ and _Neok_. 

Onokna, and then. 

Onwa, now. See _Onghwa_. 

Onwentsia, earth, land, field, ground. 

Ony [oni], also. See _Neony_. 

Orighokonha, few words. From _karihwa_ (q. V. ), and _okonha_, an affix indicating a restricted plural. 

Orighwakayongh [oriwakayon], in ancient times. See _Karihwa_ and_Akayongh_. 

Orighwakwekonh [oriwakwekon], all business, all matters, all therules. See _Karihwa_ and _Akwekon_. 

Owenna. See _Kawenna_. 

Oya [oyah], another, another thing. 

Oyata (or oyada), body, person, some one, self. _Oiata_, C. , body, person; _gaiata_, B. , living thing. 

Oyenkondonh, men, warriors (obsolete). 

R. 

Radiyats. See _Ratiyats_. 

Rakowanenh, he is chief (lit. He is a great one). From _kowanen_, to be great; root, _kowa_, great. 

Ranyaghdenghshon [ranyadenhshon], he is of the Tortoiseclan. _Keniahten, C. , to be of the Tortoise band. 

Ratikowanenghskwe, they were great. 3d person, plural, imperfect of_kowanen, _ to be great. See _Rakowanenh. _

Ratiyanarenyon [radiyanaronnyon], their many footmarks, ortraces. _Gaianna, _ B. , _oiana, _ C, track, trace (frequentativeform). _Gaiannaronyon, _ B. , there are many tracks. 

Ratiyats, they call it. 3d person, plural, of _Gaiason, _ B. , toname, to call. 

Raweghniseronnyh [rawenniseronni], he appoints (lit. Makes) theday. From _weghnisera, _ day, and _konnis, _ C. , to make. 

Rawenniyo [rawenniyoh], God (lit. He is a master). _Keweniio, _ C. , to be master. See Appendix, note B. 

Raxhottahyh, my forefathers. _Rak sotha, _ C. , my grandfather. 

Roghskenrakeghdekowah, he is a war-chief. _Oskera, _ C. , war;_roskenrakehte, _ warrior; _kowa, _ great. 

Rodighskenrakeghdethaghkwe [rodiskenrakedetahkwe], they werewarriors. 3d pers. Pl. Imperfect of _roskenrakehte, _ he is awarrior. 

Rokhawah, his son. _Gahaak, _ B. , to have for child;_nihaak, _ my child. 

Rokwahhokowah, he is the great wolf. _Okwaho, _ wolf; _kowa, _great. 

Ronarasehsen, they are cousins. See _Yeshonarase. _

Ronatennossendonghkwe [rondennoshentonhkwe], they used to meet (lit. , tofraternize). 3d pers. Pl. Imperfect of _atennossen, _ to be brotherand sister. 

Ronenh, they said. _En, _ B. To say (used only in the preterite). 

Roneronh, they thought. _Eron, _ B. , to think. 

Ronkeghsotah, my forefathers. See _Onkwaghsotshera_ and_Raxhottahyh. _

Roskerewake, he is of the Bear clan. _Akskerewake_, C. , to be ofthe band of the Bear. 

Rotirighwison, they made the rule, they decided. See_Karihwa_. _Gariheison_; B. , to finish a matter, to conclude. 

S. 

Saderesera, thy grandchildren. _Atere_, grandchild; _sera_, the crement, generalizing the word. See _Onkwaghsotshera_. 

Sahondakon, in thy ears. _Ahonta_, B. , ear. 

Sanekenh, although, yet, nevertheless. 

Sanekherenhonh, thou art losing. 

Sanheghtyensera, thy women, thy womankind. _Gannhetien_, B. , woman;_sera_, the generalizing affix. See _Saderesera_. 

Sanikonra, thy mind. See _Onikonhra_. 

Sathaghyonnishon, thou art of the Wolf clan. _Tahionni_, one of theWolf clan. 

Senirighwisaanonghkwe, ye two were the founders. See_Sewarighwisaanonghkwe_. 

Seniyatagweniyohkwe, ye two were the principals. See _Jadakweniyu_;the affix _kwe_ indicates the past tense. 

Sewarighwisaanonghkwe [sewarihwisahanonkwe], ye established, ye were thefounders. From _karihwa_, q. V. , and _gason_, B. , to finish, to consummate. _Garihwisaani_, B. , to accomplish a work, tocomplete a business. 

Sewatarighwakhaonghkwe, ye were combined in the work, ye joined heartilyin the business. From _karihwa_, (q. V. ) and _gagaon_, B. , tofind good; _gariheagáon_, B. , to like the affair. 

Seweghne [sewenghne], ye said. _En_, B. , to say. 

Seweghniserathagh, for a time, lit, for a day. See _Weghniserade. _

Seweryenghskwe, ye who were comrades. (?) Probably from _Oeri, _ C. , friend, comrade, --here a verb in the imperfect tense. 

Shehaweh [shehawa], thy child, or children. See _Rohhawah. _

Shekonh, yet, still. _Sekon, _ C. , still, moreover. 

Shihonadewiraratye, they with their children (lit. , they kept onproducing young ones). From _yodewirare, _ a fowl hatching. 

Skaendayendon, again a waste place. _Oyente, _ B. , woods;_gaienthon, _ to have fields. (Reiterative form). 

Skarenhesekowah, a lofty tree; lit. , a great tree-top. From_garenha, _ B. , tree-top, _ese_ (suffix) long, high, and_kowa, _ great. 

Skennen, well, easily, peacefully, pleasantly. 

Skennenji, quite well, very peacefully, safely. From _skennen_ and_tsi, _ C. An augmentative affix. 

T. 

Tehhodidarakeh, the two clans. See _Tekadarakehne. _

Tehotyatakarorenh, acting in two capacities (lit. , a persondivided). From _oiata, _ person, and _tioren, _ B. , to split. 

Tekadarakehne, there were two clans, or, of the two clans. From_otara_ or _katara, _ clan or totem (in the reduplicate formand past tense). 

Tesatkaghthoghserontye [tesatkahthohserontye], thou sawest incoming. _Katkathos, _ C. , to see, look. The cislocative, frequentative, and progressive forms are all combined in this expressiveword--"you kept seeing as you came. "

Thadenyedane (?), he will stand. _Gataon, _ B. , to raise himselfupright. 

Thadenseghsatkaghthonnyonheke [thadensehsatkatonnyonheke], thou mayestlook about thee. _Katkathos, _ C. , to look (frequentative form, subjunctive mood). 

Thadetyatroghkwanekenh, let us two smoke together, From _garoksa, _B. , _kahrokwa, _ C, a pipe. Bruyas gives the derivative form_tsatrokoannegen, _ but does not explain it; it evidently means, "let us (pl. ) smoke together. "

Thensadondeke, thou wilt hear. _Athonte, athontaton, _ B. , _kathontats, _ C. , to hear, obey, consent. 

Thienkahhawe, will carry. _Gahawi, _ B. , to bring. 

Thisayatatirhehon [thisayadadirhehon], thou arrivest. 

Thisennekwakenry, thou art sitting in blood. _Gannegse, _ B. , blood, and _gagenrion, _ to roll, to wallow. 

Thiwakwekonh [ohtihwakwekonh], all around. 

Thiyaensayeken, they will see it again. _Gagen, _ B. , to see. 

Thiyenjidewatyenghsaeke [thienjidewatyenseke], we shall have reachedhome; lit. , we shall have taken a seat. _Atient, atien, _ B. , tosit down. 

Tsini; see _Jini. _

Tsisaronkatah, thy hearing. _Arongen, _ B. , to hear, to listen;_arongaton, _ B. , to hear by anything. 

Tyewenninekenne, he will speak some words. See_Entyewenninekenneh. _

Tyeyadakeron, bodies are lying. _Oyata, _ body; _gageron, _ B. , to be in any place. 

Tyoghnawatenghjihonh [dyonawaghdehtsihonh], a swiftcurrent. _Ohnawa, _ C. , current, swift stream of water;_gannasteton, _ B. , swift river; _tsihon, _ an augmentativesuffix, --"exceedingly swift. "

W. 

Waahkwadewayendonh, taking care, carefully. _Ateseyenton, _ B. , totake care, to do well. 

Waghontenhnonterontye, or Wahhondennonterontye, they were as brothersthenceforth. _Atennonteron_, to be brothers. The word is in theaorist indicative, 3d pers. Pl. , progressive form (indicated by thetermination _tye_). 

Wahhoronghyaronnon, he put away the clouds. From _aronhia_, sky, heaven, cloud. 

Wakarighwakayone [wakarihwakayonne], it has become old. See_Karighwakayonh_. 

Wakatyerenkowa, I was greatly surprised. From _katyeren_, towonder, or be startled, and _kowa_, greatly. 

Wakonnyh [wakonnikih], woman, womankind. (Obsolete. )

Wakwenekwenghdarokwanyon, we have washed off thebloodstains. _Garagsentara_, B. , blood, and _garagsan_, totake away, or _garagsegan_, to efface. 

Wakwennyonkoghde, I have stopped for you (as tears). Probably from_ganniong_, B. , the nose; _kannionkon_, to bleed from thenose, _i. E. _, flowing from the nose. 

Watidewennakarondonyon, we have put the horns on him (_i. E. _, madehim a chief). _Onnagara_, B. , horn; _gannagaronni_, B. , _être considérable_. 

Watyakwasiharako, we have removed the obstruction, we haveunstopped. _Gasiharongsan_, B. , to unstop (_desboucher_). 

Watyonkwentendane, we have become wretched, or poor. _GenOenteon_, B. , to be worthy of compassion. 

Wedeweyennendane (see under Wete--). 

Wedewennakeraghdanyon (see under Wete--). 

Weghniserade [wenniserade], to-day. _Enniscra_, B. , day; _nonwawenniserate_, C. , to-day. 

Wetewayennendane, we have finished. _Gaweyennentáon_, B. , to rest, to cease from working. 

Wetewennakeraghdanyon [wedewennakeratanyon], we have made the signs, wehave gone through the ceremonies. _Ganneraton_, B. , "_se servirde règle_. "

Y. 

Yadayakonakarondatye, he may be going with horns. From _onakara_, horn (progressive form, subjunctive mood). 

Yadehninhohhanonghne, they two guarded the door, they two were thedoorkeepers. _Gannhoha_, B. , door; _gannonna_, to guard. 

Yaghdekakoghsonde [yaghdegagonhsonde], invisible, (lit. , without face);from _yahte_, not, and _kakonhsa_ (_okonsa_) face. 

Yaghnonwenh, never. _Iah-nonwenton_, C. , never. From _Iah_(_yah_) not, and _nonwa_ or _onwa_, now. 

Yakwenronh, we say. _En_, B. , to say. 

Yatehhotinhohhataghkwen, they were together at the doorway(_i. E. _, they were the doorkeepers). _Gannhoha_, B. , door;_atakon_, B. (_sub voce At_), "_ce dans quoi il y a_. "

Yatenkarighwentaseron, to finish the business. From _karihwa_(q. V. ) and _awentas_, to finish. 

Yejisewahhawitonh, ye have taken it with you. _Gahal_, B. , tobring; _gahalton_, to take away. 

Yejisewatkonseraghkwanyon, ye have it as a pillow. _Esakonseraka_, B. , thou wilt use as a pillow. 

Yejisewayadkeron [yetsisewayatakeron], ye are laidtogether. _Gageron_, B. , to be together, to place together. 

Yejodenaghstahhere, they added a frame. See _Jodennaghstahhere. _

Yendewanaghsende, we will drop (or let fall) into it. _Aseñon_(?), B. , to fall; _asenhton, _ to cause to fall. 

Yenjontahidah, they will follow. _Gatazori, gatazi, _ B. , to run. 

Yenyontatenoutshine, they are to be led by the hand. Probably from_gannonna, _ B. , to keep, and _atsi, _ comrade. 

Yenyontatideron, they shall be placed. _Genteron, _ B. , to put anyanimate thing in any place. 

Yeshodonnyh, or Yeshotonnyh, his uncle (properly, "his father's youngerbrother"); also, as pl. , his uncles. _'Atonni, _ C. , a relative onthe father's side. The prefix _yes, _ in which the signs of thetranslocative and reiterative forms are combined, gives the sense of"the next younger (uncle) but one. "

Yeshohawah, or Yeshohawak, his next younger child but one. See_Rohhawah, _ and _Yeshodonnyh. _

Yeshonadadekenah, or Yeshondadekenah, they arebrothers. _Rontatekenha, _ C. , they are brothers together. Thisword is made up of the prefix _ye, _ the sign of the translocativeform; _s, _ of the reiterative form (see _Yeshodonnyh_);_ron_ or _rona, _ the plural pronoun (they); _tate, _ thesign of the reciprocal form; _ken, _ younger brother; and _ha, _an affectionate diminutive affix, generally added to words expressingrelationship. 

Yeshonarase, his second cousin (lit. , they are cousins). _Arase, _cousin. See _Yeshodonnyh. _

Yeshonaraseshen, he was their cousin. See _Yeshonarase. _

Yeshotiriwayen, they have again referred the business. From_karihwa, _ q. V. 

Yetsisewanenyadanyon, ye are in your graves. Perhaps from _onenya_, stone, --ye are under the stones. 

Yetsisewanonwadaryon, ye have taken your intellects (lit. , brains) withyou. _Ononwara_, C. , brain, head. 

Yetsisewennitskagwanion, ye have placed it under you. _Ennitskare_, B. , to be seated on anything. 

Yondonghs, it is called; they call it. _Katon_, C. , to say. 

Yonkwakaronny, they are wasting, or injuring, us. _Gagaronnion_, B. , to do harm to any one; to cause him some loss. 

Yonkwanikonghtaghkwenne [yonkwennikondakwenne], we depended on them. 

Yontkwatkennison, we are assembled. _Atkennison_, B. , to beassembled. 

Yotdakarahon [yotdarahon], things falling on one. _Ga'r¨¢on_, B. , to fall upon. 

Yoyanere, it is good, it is well. From the root _yaner_, noble. See_Kayancrenh_. 

Yuneghrakwah, solemn event. See _Jiniyuneghrakwah_. 

INDEX. 

(_Names of authors are printed in small capitals; of races and tribesin italic. _)

Adoption of conquered Enemies

_Agnier, _ French for Canienga

Akahenyonk, Cayuga chief, Tekahenyonk in chant

_Algonkin_ stock

_Algonkins, _ a nomadic people, their war with the Alligewi, friendly to the Hurons, western (Ojibways), the Lenapes, Allegheny mountains

Allegheny river

Alliances of Iroquois

_Alligewi, _ or Moundbuilders

_Andastes, _ or _Conestogas, _ among the Iroquois

_Aryans, _ their character, in Europe and Asia

Ataensic, a Huron divinity

Atotarho, Onondaga chief, meaning of name, his opposition to Hiawatha, joins the League, myths relating to, political kinship, legend of poisonous bird, story of Hiawatha's daughter, his name in the chant, his aids in council, succession of Atotarhos, _Attiwandaronks, _ or _Neutrals, _ their country, their history, among the Hurons, their mortuary customs, cause of their overthrow, Ball clan, _Basques, _ their language, their character

Bear clan

Bearfoot, Rev. Isaac

Beaver clan

Book of Rites, its contents, its origin, its name, addresses of condolence, Canienga text, translation, Onandaga book, translation, notes on Canienga book, notes on Onondaga book

Brant, Joseph

BREBEUF, on the Huron character

BRINTOS, D. G. 

BRUYAS, his Iroquois dictionary

Buck, George, Onondaga chief

Buck, Chief John

Canandaigua, Lake

Canasatego, Onondaga chief, rebukes the Delawares

_Canienga, _ meaning of

_Caniengas, _ or _Mokawks, _ their country, their language, the oldest Iroquois nation, war with Mohegans, their ancient chiefs

_Caniengas_, remove to Canada their clans their name in council their councillors their towns

Canoe voyages

Cartier, J. 

CATLIN, G. 

_Cayuga_, meaning not known

Cayuga Lake

_Cayugas_, their country their origin assailed by Atotarho join the League remove to Canada their clans a "younger nation" their name in council their councillors their towns

Champlain in the Huron country assails the Iroquois

Champlain, Lake

_Ckerokees_ their language reject the League

_Chicasas_

Chief, office of installation of succession of war-chief

Chief matron, her function

_Chippeways_, See _Ojibways_, _Choctaws_

Clans, Iroquois origin of number of See _Ball, Bear, Beaver, Deer, Eel, Hawk, Heron, Snake, Snipe, Tortoise, Wolf_, CLARK, J. S. 

CLARKE, P. D. 

CLARKE, J. V. H. 

Classes in Council

Colden, C. 

Condoling council proceedings in

Condoling song explanation of text of versified

_Conestogas_, See _Andastes_, Confederacy, See _Iroquois_ and _League_, Conquered tribes, treatment of

Convention of Founders

Council of League its formation number of members unanimity required classes in induction of members held at Onondaga in 1657 composing quarrels held in Philadelphia in 1742

Council Fire

Councillors number of how selected name of list of clans and classes of

COPWAY, G. 

_Credit River Indians_

Cruelties of Indians of civilized nations

CUOQ, J. A. His philological works his Iroquois dictionary

Cusick, Albert

CUSICK, D. 

DAWSON, J. W. 

David of Schoharie

Deer clan

Dekanawidah, Canienga chief his origin joins Hiawatha has no successor his claims as founder

_Delawares_, or _Lenapes_ their clans their subjection a band received into the League

DE SCHWEINITZ, E. 

_Doorkeepers_ (_Senecas_)

Eel clan

Elder nations

ELLIS, "Polynesian Researches"

Era of Iroquois confederacy

Erie, Lake

_Eries_, a Huron-Iroquois nation their origin their overthrow among the Iroquois

_Euskarians_, or _Basques_

Feast of the Dead

Female suffrage

Fidelity to allies

FIGUIER, L. 

_Five Nations_, See _Iroquois_

Founders of League

Funeral usages

Genesee river

Georgian bay

Grand River Reserve

_Great-Tree People_ (_Oneidas_)

_Great-Pipe People_ (_Cayugas_)

Greenhalgh at Onondaga

Hawk clan

HAWLEY, C. 

Hayonwatha, See _Hiawatha_

HECKEWELDER, J. 

Heron clan

Hiawatha, his history meaning of name orthography of name his projected league his flight to the Caniengas reception by Dekanawidah made a Canienga chief myths relating to his reforms his motives his name in the chant his daughter his white canoe

Hill, Abram, Oneida chief

Historical chant

Historical traditions framers of the League Hiawatha's daughter

Hochelaga

Horns, as insignia origin of custom

Horse clan

Hudson, voyage of

Hudson river

_Huron-Iroquois nations_ their original country war with the Alligewi their dispersion

_Hurons_, or _Wyandots_ their history among the Iroquois their mortuary customs their deities their character their flight to the Ojibways cause of their overthrow their language

Hymn, national, See _Condoling Song_

_Iberians_

Indian character misconception of

Indian social system

Indians and whites

Installation of chiefs

Iroquois, their country when first known to whites [Footnote: The date as printed is an error. "Sixteenth century" should be "seventeenth. "] their migrations conquer the Eries expel the Hurons conquer the Attiwandaronks their League formation of League date of the confederacy name of League League broken up

Iroquois, in Canada, their towns, See _Towns, Iroquois, _ their clans, See _Clans, Iroquois, _ their classes, See _Classes in Council, _ their national hymn, See _Condoling Song, _ their women, their chiefs, succession of, their chief divinity, their character, their love of peace, their foreign policy, object of their League, their alliances, causes of their wars, treatment of subject tribes, adoption of enemies, their language, See _Language, Iroquois, _ meaning of "Iroquois, "

Jesuit missionaries, Jesuit "Relations, "

Johnson, Chief George, Johnson, Chief J. Smoke, his office, preserves the Book of Rites, Johnson, Sir William, Jones, Chief Philip, Juskeha, Huron divinity, _Kanienke, _ See _Canienga, _

_Kanonsionni, _ meaning of, spelt Kanonghsyonny, Kanyadanyo, Seneca chief, Skanyadariyo in chant, Karenna, See _Condoling Song, _

Kayanerenh, meaning of, LAFITAU, La Fort, Daniel, Lamentations, Language, Iroquois, its origin and dialects, description of, Brebeuf and Max Mtiller on, works on phonology, grammar, abstract nouns, verbal forms, permanence of, analysis and synthesis, Laws of the League, as to succession of chiefs, as to intertribal homicide, as to mortuary usages, a "Great Reformation, "

LAWSON, J. , League, See _Iroquois_ and _Laws, _

Leagues common among Indians, Le Mercier at Onondaga, Le Moyne at Onondaga, _Lenapes, _ See _Delawarts, _

LONGFELLOW, H. V. , Long-house, Manabozho, Ojibway divinity, _Maqua, _ meaning of, Matron, Chief, See _Chief Matron, _

MAX MÜLLER, F. , _Mengwe, _ See _Mingo, _

Migrations, Iroquois, Indian, _Mingo, _ meaning of, Missionaries, English, Jesuit, See _Jesuit Missionaries, _

_Mississagas, _ received by Iroquois, Mississippi river, _Mohawk, _ meaning of, Mohawk river, _Mohawks, _ See _Caniengas, _

_Mohegans_, or _Mohicans, _ war with the Iroquois, protected by Iroquois, Montreal, Morgan, L. H. 

Mortuary customs, _Moundbuilders_, See _Alligewi, _ acquainted with wampum, Mourning Council, See _Condoling Council, _

Mourning customs, See _Funeral usages, _

_Name-carriers_ (_Onondagas_), _Nanticokes_, admitted into the League, _Neutral Nation, _ See _Attewandaronks_, _Nihatirontakowa_, See _Oneidas, name in council, _

Notes on the Canienga Book, Notes on the Onondaga Book, Odatshehte, Oneida chief, Ohio, meaning of, Ohio River, _Ojibways_, allies of Iroquois, war with, treaty with, _Oneida_, meaning of, _Oneidas_, their country their origin war with Mohegans join the League their clans a "younger nation" their name in Council their Councillors their towns, _Onondaga_, meaning of, Onondaga castle, _Onondogas_, their country, their origin, ruled by Atotarho, join the League, a part remove to Canada, Reservation near Syracuse, N. Y. Their Book of Rites, orthography of Book, _Onondagas_, their language, their clans, _et seq. _ an "elder nation, " their name in Council their councillors site of their former capital their towns, Oswego river, Oyander, title of

PARKMAN, F. 

Peace, preservation of; how restored love of

Pennsylvania Historical Society, Personification, Pictures, Indian, Political kinship, POWELL, J. W. 

Pre-Aryans in Europe and America, Preliminary ceremony, the, Proper names, obsolete, Protection of weak tribes by Iroquois, _Tuteloes_, _Delawares_, _Nanticokes_, _Mohegans_, _Mississagas_, PYRLAEUS, C. , Quebec, Rawenniyo, name of deity, meaning of, Record-keepers, Relations, See _Jesuit Relations, _

Religious sentiment, RENAN, E. , Roanoke River, _Ronaninhohonti_, Door-keepers, See _Senecas, name in council, _

_Rotisennakehte_, name-carriers, See _Onondagas, name incouncil, _

Royaner, title of, Sachem, an Algonkin word, Sakayengwaraton, See _Johnson, J. S. _

_Saponies_, or _Saponas_

Scandawati, See _Skanawati_, SCHOOLCRAFT, H. R. 

_Seneca_, meaning of

Seneca, Lake

_Senecas_, their country their origin assailed by Atotarho their ancient chiefs join the League remain in New York their clans an "elder nation" their name in council their language their councillors their duty as door-keepers their towns

Sermon, a pagan

Shadekaronyes, Seneca chief

Six Nations, See _Iroquois_, Six Nations' Reserve, See _Grand River_, Skanawati, Onondaga chief Scandawati's suicide

Skeneateles Lake

SMITH, Mrs. E. A. 

Smoking in council

Snake clan

_Sonontowane_, meaning of

_Sonontowans_, See _Senecas_, _Sotinonnawentona_ See _Cayugas_, name in council, Spanish clan

Speaker of council

SQUIER, E. G. 

Stadaconé

STONE, W. L. 

_Talligewi_, See _Alligewi_, Taronhiawagon, Iroquois divinity

Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha

_Tehadirihoken_ See _Caniengas_, name in council, Tekarihoken, Canienga chief meaning of

_Tionontates_, or _Tobacco Nation_

Tobacco, Indian

_Tobacco Nation_, See _Tionontates_, Tortoise clan divided

Towns, Iroquois list of, in Book of Rites deserted sites

Treaty of Iroquois with the Dutch

Treaty of Iroquois with the English

Treaty of Iroquois with the Ojibways

TROMBULL, J. H. 

Turkey clan

_Tuscaroras_, their origin their migrations join the Iroquois their clans a "younger nation"

_Tuteloes_ received by Iroquois

Wampum known to Moundbuilders mourning

Wampum-keepers

Wampum-records, reading of

Wampum-strings

War-chief

Wars of self-defence

Wars of extermination

WHITNEY, W. D. 

WILKIE, J. 

WILSON, D. 

Wolf clan

Women, condition of as peacemakers regard for

_Wyandots_, See _Hurons_, Yondennase, See _Condoling Council_, Younger nations

Zeisberger