savages, they resemble a slow and wasting disease, which gradually undermines the vital principle, and destroys the whole system.

Before their acquaintance with the man of Europe, they were visited by dreadful diseases, which depopulated whole countries. Just before the settlement of New-England, some whole nations were swept off by a pestilence. The whites introduced that terrible enemy of barbarous nations, the small pox, as well in the north of Asia as in America. Kamschatka was very populous until the arrival of the Russians-a dreadful visitation of the small pox, in 1767, nearly exterminated its inhabitants.* In 1779 and 1780, the small pox spread among the Killistinoes, or Kanisteneaux, and Chepewyans, "with a baneful rapidity that no flight could escape, and with a fatal effect that nothing could resist." Nine tenths of the northern Indians, so called by Hearne, were cut off by it. In 1670, this disease depopulated the north of Canada. § A whole nation, called the Attetramasues, were destroyed. The vicinity of the Confederates to the European settlements, and their constant intercourse, have exposed them continually to its visitations; and their method of cure being the same in all diseases, immersion in cold water after a vapor bath, has aggravated its ravages. Their imitation of the European dress, has also substituted a lighter mode of clothing in lieu of warm furs; by which, and their exposure to the elements, they are peculiarly subjected to consump tions and inflammatory complaints. Longevity is however by no means uncommon among them. In their settlements you see some very old people,

Need I add to this melancholy catalogue, the use of spirituous liquors, which has realized among them the fabulous effects of the Bohon-Upas, which has been to them "the Hydra of calamities-the seven-fold death,"* and which has palsied all their energies, enfeebled their minds, destroyed their bodies, rendered them inferior to the beasts of the forest, and operated upon them as destructively as

famine-war, or spotted pestilenoe, Baneful as death and horrible as hell."

At the treaty held in Lancaster in 1744, the Five nations addressed the colonies of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, as follows: "We heartily recommend union and a good agreement between you our brethren. Never disagree, but preserve a strict friendship for one another; and thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger. Our wise forefathers established amity and friendship among the Five Nations. This has made us formidable, and has given us great weight and authority with the neighbouring nations We are a powerful .confederacy; and by your observing the same means which our wise forefathers pursued, you will acquire fresh strength and power. Therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out with one another." This antient and cementing principle of union and fraternity, which connected them in friendship, and which was the basis of their power and the pillar of their greatness, has been entirely driven from them. The fury of discord has blown her horn, and rendered them the prey of the most ferocious and unrelenting passions. Party, in all its forms and violence, rages among them with uncontrolled sway.

• Young's Revenge. † Rowe's Jane Shore. $2 Colden, p. 115.

son

Their nations are split up into fragments-the is arrayed against the father-brother against brother-families against families-tribes against tribes-and canton against canton, They are divided into factions, religious, political and personal-Christian and Pagan-American and British-the followers of Cornplanter and Sagoua-Ha-of Skonadoi and Capt. Peter. The minister of destruction is hovering over them, and before the passing away of the present generation, not a single Iroquois will be seen in this state.

It would be an unpardonable omission, not to mention, while treating on this subject, that there is every reason to believe, that previous to the occupancy of this country by the progenitors of the present nations of Indians, it was inhabited by a race of men, much more populous, and much further advanced in civilization. The numerous remains of ancient fortifications, which are found in this country, commencing principally near the Onondaga River, and from thence spreading over the Military Tract, the Genesee country, and the lands of the Holland Land Company, over the territory adjoining the Ohio and its tributary streams, the country on Lake Erie, and extending even west of the Mississipi, demonstrate a population far exceeding that of the Indians when this country was first settled.

I have seen several of these works in the western parts of this state. There is a large one in the town of Onondaga; one in Pompey, and another in Manlius; one in Camillus, 8 miles from Auburn; one in Scipio, six miles; another one mile; and one, half a mile from that village. Between the Seneca and Cayuga Lakes there are several; three within a few miles of each other. Near the village of

Canadaigue there are three. In a word, they are scattered all over that country.*

These forts were, generally speaking, erected on the most commanding ground. The walls or breastworks were earthen. The ditches were on the exterior of the works. On some of the parapets, oak trees were to be seen, which from the number of the concentric circles, must have been standing 150, 260, and 300 years; and there were evident indications, not only that they had sprung up since the erection of those works, but that they were at least a second growth. The trenches were in some cases deep and wide, and in others shallow and narrow; and the breast works varied in altitude from three to eight feet. They sometimes had one, and sometimes two entrances, as was to be inferred from there being no ditch at those places. When the works were protected by a deep ravine, or a large stream of water, no ditch was to be seen. The areas of these forts varied from two to six acres; and the form was generally an irregular ellipsis: and in some of them fragments of earthen ware and pulverized substances, supposed to have been originally human bones, were to be found.

These fortifications, thus diffused over the inte

* On the subject of these ancient fortifications, see 1 Charlevoix, b. 11. p. 533. -3 Charlevoix, Letter 23, p. 333.-6 American Museum, p. 29-233.-3 vol. Massachusetts historical Collections, p. 23-4th vol. Massachusetts Historical Collections, p. 101-107.-Imlay's Kentucky, p. 379.-Herriot's Canada, p. 14 to 26,-1 Belknap's American Biography. p. 194-169.-History of Virginia, anonymous, published London, 1722, p. 149.-Carver's Travels, p. $7.-Volney's United States, p. 486.-Barton's Medical and Physical Journal, 1 vol. part 1, p. 97-Barton's Medical and Physical Journal, vol. 1, part 2, p. 80. -Barton's Medical and Physical Journal, vol. 2, part 1, p. 187.-Adair's Indians, p. 377.-New-York Magazine, January 1793, p. 23-Michaux's Trav els to the westward of the Allegany Mountains in 1802, vol. 1.-Columbian Magazine for 1787, 1 vol. No. 9-Shultz's Inland Voyage, 1 vol. p. 146.6 vol. American Philosophical Transactions, p. 182.-Medical Repository, 3 Hexade, 2 vol. No. 2. p. 146,-Rogers's Concise Account of North America, 247.-Harris's Tour in 1808 into the State of Ohio, p. 149, &c.-Hubbard's Narrative of the Indian Wars in New-England, p. 32, 106.-Williamson on the Climate, &c. of America, p. 189.

fior of our country, have been generally considered as surpassing the skill, patience and industry of the Indian race; and various hypotheses have been advanced to prove them of European origin.

An American writer of no inconsiderable repute, pronounced some years ago, that the two forts at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, one covering forty and the other twenty acres, were erected by Ferdinand de Soto, who landed with 1000 men in Florida in 1539, and penetrated a considerable distance into the interior of the country. He allotted the large fort for the use of the Spanish army; and after being extremely puzzled how to dispose of the small one in its vicinity, he at last assigned it to the Swine, that generally, as he says, attended the Spaniards in those days; being in his opinion very necessary, in order to prevent them from becoming estrays, and to protect them from the depredations of the Indians.

When two ancient forts, one containing six and the other three acres, were found near Lexington in Kentucky, another theory was propounded, and it was supposed that they were erected by the descendants of the Welch colony, who are said to have migrated under the auspices of Madoc to this country, in the twelfth century; that they formerly inhabited Kentucky; but being attacked by the Indians, were forced to take refuge near the sources

of the Missouri.

Another suggestion has been made, that the French in their expeditions from Canada to the Mississipi were the authors of these works: but the most numerous are to be found in the territory of the Senecas, whose hostility to the French was such, that they were not allowed for a long time to have any footing among them.* The fort at Nia

• 1 Colden, p. 61.