Notes on the Iroquois; Or, Contributions to American History, Antiquities, and General Ethnology (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 edition. Excerpt: ...his people, and finding that they were in great distress, he determined to grant them relief, and rid them entirely of these barbarous invaders. To accomplish this, he changed himself into one of these giants, and brandishing his heavy club, led them on, under the pretence of finding the Akonoshioni. When they had got near to their strong hold at Onondaga, night coming on, he bid them lie down in a hollow, telling them that he would make the attack at the customary hour, at day hreak. But at day hreak, having ascended a height, he overwhelmed them with a vast mass of rocks, where their forms may yet he seen. Only one escaped to carry the news of their dreadful fate, and he fled towards the north. They were thus relieved, and began to live in more security, but the great Onyarhe, was yet in the country. Alarmed by what Tarenyawagon had done to relieve his people, and fearing for himself, he withdrew to the lakes, where he and his brood were destroyed with thunder bolts, or compelled to retire to deep water. The Five Families were so much molested with giants and monsters, that they were compelled to build forts to protect themselves. The manner of doing it was this; they built fires against trees, and then used their stone axes to pick off the charred part; in this way, by renewing the fire, they soon felled them; and the fallen trunks were burned off in suitable lengths, in the same way, and then set up according to the size and plan of the fort, a bank of earth being piled outside and inside. They left two gates, one to get water, and the other as a sally port. For some time after the great Onyarhe had left the country, they had peace; but in after years a still more terrific enemy came. It had a man's head on the body of a great serpent. This...