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>91|.08

EXPEDITION

OF THE

SIEUR DE CHAMPLAIN

f ^M

AGAINST THE

ONONDAGAS IN 1615

comprising an inquiry into the route of the expedition, and
the location of the iro^liois fort which was besieged.

Communicated to the N. Y. Historical Society Oct. 1875

ORSAMUS H. MARSHALL

CORKBSl'ONDINi; MEMllKH OP THK SOCimV.

jtn idiliiin of loo itfiii rtfrintid friin advance ihtcti of The HIito-riial ff^ritings

if Ori.tmui H, Marihalt. >

ALBANY, W. J-,

JOEL MUNSELL'S SONS, 81 STATE ST.

1885.

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P97i.08
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EXPLANATION.

The maiJ prefixed is a photo-lithographic fac-simile of the
original which accompanies the edition of the Voyages of Cham-
plain in New France, printed at Paris, in 1632.

The numbers 89, 90, 93 appear in the original, and are thus ex-
plained in a table annexed :

89. Village renferme de 4 pallisades ou le Sieur de Champlain
fut h la guerre contre les Antouhonorons, oii il fut pris plusieurs
prisonniers suavages.

Translation: Village enclosed within 4 palisades, where the
Sieur de Champlain was during the war upon the Antoulionorons>
and where numerous savages were made prisoners.

90. Sault d'eau au bout du Sault Sainct Louis fort hault oil
plusieurs sortes de poissons descendans s'estourdissent.

Translation: A waterfall of considerable height, at the end of
the Sault St. Louis, where several kinds of fish are stunned in their
descent.

93. Bois des Chastaigniers oii il y a forces chastaignes sur le
bord du lac S. Louis et quantity de prairies, vignes et noyers.

Translation: Woods of chestnut trees, with abundance of chest-
nuts and extensive nieadow lands, with vines and walnut trees on
the border of Lake St. Louie.

58863

ti;

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION AGAINST THE ONON-

DAGAS IN 1615.

N the year 1615, there dwelt on the south-eastern
shore of Lake Huron, between Lake Simcoe
and the Georgian Bay, a nation of Indians
who were called in their own language, " Wen-
dats," or " Wyandots," and by the French " Hurons."
There is no record of their having been visited by the
white man prior to the above date. In the same year,
the Sieur de Champlain, the Father of French colonization
in America, who had entered the St. Lawrence in 160S
and founded Quebec five years later, ascended the river
Ottawa as far as the Huron country — Le Caron, the Fran-
ciscan, having preceded him by a few days only. These
adventurous pioneers were seeking, in their respective
spheres, and by concurrent enterprises, the one to explore
the western portions of New France, and the other to
establish missions among the North American Indians.

The Hurons and their Algonkin allies who dwelt on the
Ottawa, being at that time engaged in a sanguinary war
with the confederated Iroquois tribes south of Lake On-
tario, persuaded Champlain to join them in an expedition

«'..*L

4 CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

which they were projecting into the territories of their
enemy. The combined forces set out from Ca-i-ha-gu6,
the chief town of the Hurons, situated between the river
Severn and Matchedash Bay, on the first day of Sep-
tember, 1615.^

Crossing Lake Simcoe in their baric canoes, they made
a short portage to the headquarters of the river Trent,
and descended in its zigzag channel into Lake Ontario.
Passing from island to island in the group which lies in
the eastern extremity of that lake, they safely reached its
southern shore, and landed in the present State of New
York. Concealing their canoes in the adjacent woods,
they started overland for their Iroquois enemies.

In an account of this expedition, read before the New
York Historical Society in March, 1849, and published in
its Proceedings for that year,'^ I endeavored to establish
the precise point where the invaders landed, the route
which they pursued, and the position of the Iroquois fort
which they besieged. The fact that Champlain had, at
that early day, visited the central part of the State of
New York, seemed to have been overlooked by all pre-
vious writers, and was deemed to be an interesting topic
for historical investigation. Taking for my guide the
edition of Champlain's works published in 1632, the only
one then accessible,^ I became satisfied on a careful study

' Champlain's voyages. Edition of 1632, p. 261.

^ Proceedings for 1849, p. 96.

^ The first account of the expedition was published in 1619.

■h

^.i*3;»,»....

f|i*L

■^

AGAfNST THE ONONDAGAS,

of the text alone, the map being lost, that the expedition
landed at or near Point de Traverse, now called " Stony
Point," in Jefferson county, and from thence proceeded in
a southerly direction, and after crossing the Big and Little
Sandy creeks and Salmon and Oneida rivers, reached the
Iroquois fort en Onondaga Lake. I fully stated these con-
clusions in the communication above referred to, and tiiey
were approved and adopted by several of our American
historians.^ Other writers, however, of equal note and
authority, locate the fort as far west as Canandaigua lake."

In view of these considerations, I have been led to re-
examine the subject, aided by additional sources of infor-
mation, particularly by the late Abb^ Laverdi^res recent
edition of all of Champlain's works. My present purpose
is to state, briefly, the result of that re-examination, and
the additional grounds upon which I adhere to my former
conclusions, I will first, for convenient reference, give a
literal translation of that part of Champlain's narrative
which relates to the question. It is taken from the edition
of 1619, which differs in a few unimportant particulars
from that of 1632. After describing the voyage until
their embarkation near the eastern end of Lake Ontario,

* Brodhead's History of New York, Vol. I, p. 69; Clark's History
of Onondaga, Vol. I, p. 253 ; Shea's edition of Charlevoix's New
France, Vol. U, p. 28, note.

* O'Callaghan's Doc. Hist, of New York, Vol. HI, p. 10, note ;
Ferland's Cours D'Histoire du Canada, p. 175; Parkman's Pioneers
of New France, p. 373; Laverdiire'a Works of Champlain, p. 528,
note.

(]

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

a synopsis of which has already been given, our historian
says ; — ^

" We made about fourteen leagues in crossing to the
other side of the Lake, in a southerly direction, towards
the territories of the enemy. The Indians concealed all
their canoes in the woods near the shore. We made by
land about four leagues, over a sandy beach, where I
noticed a very agreeable and beautiful country, traversed
by many small streams, and two small rivers which
empty into the said Lake. Also many ponds and
meadows, abounding in an infinite variety of game,
numerous vines, and fine woods, a great number of chest-
nut trees, the fruit of which was yet in its covering.
Although very small, it was of good flavor. All the
canoes being thus concealed, we left the shore of the Lake,
which is about eighty leagues long and twenty-f^ve wide,
the greater part of it being inhabited by Indians along its
banks, and continued our way by land about twenty-
five or thirty leagues. During four days we crossed
numerous streams and a river issuing from a Lake which
empties into that of the Entouhonormis. This Lake,
which is about twenty-five or thirty leagues in circum-
ference, contains several beautiful islands, and is the place
where our Iroquois enemies catch their fish, which are
there in great abundance. On the 9th of October, our
people being on a scout, encountered eleven Indians
whom they took prisoners, namely, four women, three

' Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 526.

L..!:ij<WL^-^ j/f^K i/i.H^'f.xtft^a

AGAINST THE ONONBAGAS. 7

boys, a girl, and three men, who were going to the fishery,
distant four leagues from the enemies' fort. * * The
next day, about three o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived
before the fort. * * * xheir village was enclosed
with four strong rows of interlaced palisades, composed of
large pieces of wood, thirty feet high, not more than
half a foot apart and near an unfailing body of water.
* * * We were enc imped until the 16th of the
month. * * * As the five hundred men did not
arrive,^ the Indians decided to leave by an immediate
retreat, and began to make baskets in which to carry the
wounded, who were placed in them doubled in a heap,
and so bent and tied as to render it impossible for them to
stir, any more than an infant in its swaddling clothes,
and not without great suffering, as I can testify, having
been carried several days on the back of one of our
Indians, thus tied and imprisoned, which made me lose
all patience. As soon as I had strength to sustain myself,
I escaped from this prison, or to speak plainly, from this
hell.

" The enemy pursued us about half a league, in order
to capture some of our rear guard, but their efforts were
useless and they withdrew. * * * * "phe retreat
was very tedious, being from twenty -five to thirty leagues,
and greatly fatigued the wounded, and those who carried
them, though they relieved each other from time to time.

' A reinforcement they were expecting from the Carantouanais,
who lived on the sources of the Susquehanna.

CHAMPLAIJSr' S EXPEDITION

h I

On the 18th considerable snow fell which lasted but a
short time. It was accompanied with a violent wind,
which greatly incommoded us. Nevertheless we made
such progress, that we reached the banks of the Lake of
the EntouhonoroHSy at the place where we had concealed
our canoes, and which were found all whole. We were
apprehensive that the enemy had broken them up."^

I will now proceed to examine the reasons which have
been assigned in favor of locating the Iroquois fort on or
west of Canandaigua Lake. They are three-fold, and
founded on the following assumptions : 1st. That the
Eniouhonorons, whose territory was invaded, were the
Senecas, then residing on the west of Canandaigua Lake.'
2d. That the route, as laid down on the map of Cham-
plain, which is annexed to the edition of 1632, indicates
that the fort was on Canandaigua Lake, or on a tribu-
tary of the Genesee river, and consequently in the Seneca
country.^ 3d. That the distances traveled by the expe-
dition, as stated by Champlain, prove that the extreme
point he reached must have been in the Seneca country.*

I will notice these propositions in their order. 1st. In
regard to the identity of the Entouhonorons with the

' Champlain's Voyages, Ed. 1632, Part I., pp. 254-263. Laver-
difere's Reprint of the Narrative of 1619, pp. 38-48.

^ Laverdifere's Champlain, Vol. i, p. 521, n. i. Parkraan's Pioneers,
p. 373, n.

^ O'Callaghan, in Doc. Hist. N. Y., Vol. i, p. 10, u. Parkman's
Pioneers, p. 373.

* Laverdi^re's Champlain, Vol. i, p. 518, n.

A GAINST THE ONONDA GAS.

Senecas. One of the arguments urged in favor of this
identity is based on the similarity of name, the Senecas
being called " Sonontoerrhonons " by the Hurons. But
the latter called the Onondagas " Omntaerrhonom" which
bears quite as strong a resemblance to Entouhonorom as
the name they applied to the Senecas. It may be stated
here that O'Callaghan, Parkman, Ferland, and Laverdi^re,
each called the tribe in question " Entouhoro/io?i«,"
whereas, Champlain, in all the editions of his works, refers
to them invariably as " Entoiiho/ioro/is." He never calls
them "EntouhomwoTis" in his text. On the map annexed
to the edition of 1632, they are named " Anioworomm,''
but in the index to the map, " Anioxxhonoron^r'^ It must,
therefore, have been from the map, and not from the
text, that the word " Entouhoronons " was derived. The
other name, as uniformly given by Champlain in his
text, we must assume to be correct, in preference to the
solitary entry on the map.^

It is supposed by some that the edition of 1632, which
contains the map, and is composed of his previous publica-
tions, was not the work of Champlain, and never passed

' Laverdi6re'8 Champlain, Vol. 2, p. 1392.

* If it be assumed that the terminations " ronons " and " norons "
are identical, and mere suffixes, signifying, in the Huron language,
" people," see Father Bruya's Mohawk Dictionary, p. 18, then, if
those terminations are dropped from each of the three words, they
will respectively become " sonontoe,''^ " onontae,^'' and " entouho,''*
and represent the names of the places where those nations resided.
Now it cannot be said that there is any stronger resemblance
between sonontoe and entouho, than between onontae arid entouho,
4

CMAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

II '

under his personal supervision. It is asserted that it was
compiled by his publisher, Claude Collet,^ to whose care-
lessness the error in the name, as contained on the map,
may be attributed. There was no map ' annexed to the
edition of 1619, and the one which accompanied that of
1632 was not constructed until seventeen years after the
date of the expedition, as appears from a memorandum on
its face. It may not have been compiled from authentic
data. One of the discrepancies between it and the text is
its location of the " Autouoronojis," not at the Iroquois
fort, but a long distance west of it, thus making a distinc-
tion between them and the Iroquois who were living at
the fort that is wholly unwarranted by anything con-
tained in the narrative. It is also worthy of note, that
the map is not once referred to by Ghamplain in his text.
Not only was it constructed after all his narratives were
written, but the index to it was evidently added by some
other hand. Another argument urged in favor of the
identity of the Entouhonorona with the Senecas has been
drawn from the existence of a nation, called by Champlain
^' Ghountouarouon" which is undoubtedly a misprint for
" Ohonontouaronon"^ They are described as living be-
tween the Hurons of Canada, and the Garantouanais (or

' Havrisse. Bibliographie de la N. France, p. 66. See also
Laverdi^re's Champlain, pp. 637-8.

'Shea's Charlevoix, Vol. 2, p. 28, n. The letters "n" and "u"
occur frequently in Indian names, and it is quite difficult to dis-
tinguish the one from the other in manuscript. Their being often
mistaken for each other occasions numerous typographical errors.

AGAINST THE ONONBAGAS.

Andastes), on the Susquehanna.* Charaplain says that,
" in going from the one to the other, a grand detour is
necessary, in order to avoid the Ghonontouaronons, which
is a very strong'nation."' From the name and location,
they can be no other than the Senecas.

The Abb4 Laverdiere assumes that the G/iouontouar-
onons and Entouhonorons are one and the same people."'
This cannot be true, for Champlain mentions them both
in almost the same sentence, and gives to each their re-
spective names, without a hint of their identity.* Indeed,
Laverdiere, in support of his theory, is obliged to interpo-
late a word in the text of Champlain, which is entirely
superfluous.^ The identity of the Entouhonorons with the
Senecas, rather than with the Onondagas, cannot therefore
be established by any supposed similarity of name.

2d. The next in order for consideration, is the route
pursued by the expedition, and the site of the Iroquoia
fort, as they are indicated on the map.

A slight examination of the annexed /ac-*imi7e of that
portion of the original map, which relates to this expedi-
tion, will show it to be wholly unreliable as a guide in
any investigation of Champlain's route. It is incorrect in

' Jesuit Relation for 1648. Quebec Reprint, pp. 46-48.

' Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 522.

' Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 521, note i.

^Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 909-910.

• Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 522, note i.

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

most of its details. Although the original exhibits the
general outlines of Lakes Ontario and Huron, Lake Erie
is almost entirely ignored, an irregular strait, bearing
little resemblance to it, being substituted. Lake Ontario,
as shown by the facsimile is erroneously represented as
containing several islands scattered along its northern and
southern shore, and the Niagara river as running due east
into its westernmost extremity. The Great Falls are
located at the very mouth of the river. Everything is
distorted, and in some places it is scarcely recognizable.
The supposed route of Champlain is indicated by a dotted
line, which, crossing Lake Ontario along a chain of imagi-
nary islands, nearly opposite the mouth of the Oswego
river, strikes the southern shore at that point. All evi-
dence that the expedition traversed the " sandy beach "
which stretches along the Lake shore, south of Stony
Point, as referred to in the text, is entirely omitted. From
the mouth of the Oswego, the line pursues a southerly
direction, and after crossing what appears to be the
present Seneca river, and another stream, passes between
two lakes directly to he Iroquois fort. This route, as
thus shown by the map, is highly improbable, unnecessa-
rily circuitous, and cannot possibly be reconciled with the
text of Champlain.^ If the expedition had gone as far

•1

' In the facsimile of Champlain's map, published by Tross, in
Paris, the clotted line, where it should cross Lake Ontario, as shown
by the original map, is omitted. The same portion of the line is
also wanting in the facsimile published by Dr. O'Callaghan, in
Vol. III. of the Documentary History of New York, and by Laver-

A GAINST THE ONON-BA GAS.

west as Canandaigua lake, Champlain would have passed
near to, and have become acquainted with, the existence
of no less than eight of those remarkable inland sheets of
water which form so conspicuous a feature in the scenery
of central New York, not to mention three others a little
further west. Only five lakes are indicated on the map,
and none are mentioned in the narrative, except Oneida
Lake and the one on which the fort was situated. They
would certainly have been as worthy of description as the
" sandy beach," •' the beautiful wooded country," " the
numerous streams," the Oneida '•' lake and river," and
" the small lake," adjacent to the Iroquois fort, which
were met with on the route and noticed in the narrative.

3d. It is urged, as an additional argument against the
location of the Iroquois fort in the Onondaga country,
that the distance of " twenty-five or thirty leagues,"
stated by Champlain to have been traveled by the in-
vaders after they had landed, as well in going to as in re-
turning from the fort, necessarily indicates that they must
have gone at least as far west as Canandaigua Lake. It
may be said that in stating this distance, Champlain in-
tended to exclude the " four leagues " which they traveled
over " a sandy beach," immediately after they had con-
cealed their canoes, thus making from twenty-nine to
thirty-four leagues in all. But this cannot be a fair con-

di^re, in his recent edition of Champlain's works. The islands in
the eastern end of Lake Ontario, as represented on the original map,
are also entirely omitted on Dr. O'Callaghan's/ac-^e/ntVe.

«Mi

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

Btruction of his language. He says, " We made about
fourteen leagues in crossing the lake in a southerly direc-
tion. The Indians concealed all their canoes in the woods
near the shore. We traveled by land some four leagues
over a sandy beach." A little further on he continues :
" All the canoes being concealed, we proceeded by land
about twenty-five or thirty leagues during four days." He
thus includes the " four leagues " in the four days' travel
of " twenty-five or thirty leagues."

The above construction is justified by the further state-
ment, that the same distance of " twenty-five or thirty
leagues" was traveled by the expedition on its return
from the fort to the canoes, referring to the whole dis-
tance. " The retreat," he says, " was very tedious, being
from twenty-five to thirty leagues, and greatly fatigued
the wounded and those who bore them, although they
relieved each other from time to time." Yet this retreat
must have been accomplished in two days, half the time it
took to reach the fort from the landing, for he states they
were encamped before the fort until the 16th of October,
and reached their canoes on the 18th.^ Charlevoix says
they did not stop during their retreat^ — a physical im-
possibiUty, certainly, if they had started from a point as
far west as Canandaigua Lake. This assertion of Charle-
voix does not appear to be warranted by the narrative of

Champlain.

* Laverdi^re's Champlain, p. 526.

* Charlevoix's N. France, Vol. I., p. 241. Edition of 1744.

AGAINST THE ONONDA GAS.

Those writers who, relying on the map, locate the fort
on Canandaigua Lake, lose sight of the fact that it dis-
charges its waters into Lake Ontario through the Clyde,
Seneca and Oswego rivers, whereas the map places the
fort on a stream which empties into Lake Ontario at a
point much further west. In considering the question of
distance, it must be borne in mind, that the attacking
party was on foot, advancing cautiously towards a formid-
able enemy, in a hostile and unexplored country, desti-
tute of roads and abounding in dense forests, numerous
rivers and miry swamps. Under such circumstances,
incumbered as they were with their implements of war
and other effects, their progress must have been slow.
The distances which are given by Champlain, being
measured only by time, are consequently over-estimated.
On their retreat, they had become more familiar with the
country, and under the stimulus of an enemy in the rear,
accomplished their return with much greater rapidity.
From Stony Point where they landed, to Onondaga Lake, '
following in part the beach of Lake Ontario, is fifty-three
miles, by the shortest j^ossible line, as measured on a relia-
ble map. But it would have been impossible for such an
expedition to pursue so direct a course, owing to the
necessity of moving circumspectly, and of seeking the most
convenient and practicable route through an unknown
wilderness. It would not be unreasonable to deduct at
least one-fifth from the number of leagues stated by
Champlain, in order to arrive at the actual air line dis-
tance between the place where he landed and the Iroquois

■wr-

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

fort.^ If, therefore, we take one-fifth from twenty-seven
and a half leagues, which is the mean of the two distances
given by Champlain, it will leave twenty-two leagues, or
fifty-three and a half miles, as the true distance, measured
on an air line. As an example of over-estimates by
Champlain himself, reference may be had to the width of
Lake Ontario, which he says is " twenty-five leagues," an

^ Champlain's distances are stated in "leagues," Several, differ-
ing in length, were used by the French, under that name. Among
them were the " lieiie de 2)oste " of 2-^^^ English miles — the " Ueue
moyenne " of 2-i^^ English miles, and the " Ueue cjeoyra^yhiqm " of
S-^^Tj- English miles. It is important, in discussing this question, to
determine the length of the one used by Champlain. Neither his
narrative, nor his map of 1032, affords any light on the subject.
There is inscribed on a map published in Paris in 1664, entitled :
"Le Canada fait par le Sr. de Champlain * * suivant les Memoires
de P. du Val," a scale of Limes Franccises chacune de 2,500 pas
gioniHriqties." It is fair to presume that the length of the league
as given on this map is identical with the one used by Champlain.
As a geometrical pace is l-^^ French metres, or 3^-,j% English feet,
it follows that Champlain's league must be 2/^ English miles,
differing slightly from the length of tlie Heue de poste as above
stated. This conclusion would account for the discrepancy which
has arisen from calling the old French league equivalent to three
English miles. The English miles, stated in the text, have been
computed on the basis of two and a half to a French league.
Even if there were three, it would not change the result, or carry
the expedition west of Onondaga Lake. By reckoning the league
as equivalent to two and a half miles, many supposed discrepan-
cies of early French travelers in America are reconciled, and their
over-estimates of distances explained.

AGAINST THE ONONDAOAS,

excess of one-fifth.^ Also to the circuraforence of Oneida
Lake, which he statea at twentj-five or tliirty leagues," an
excess of one-fourth. Numerous other examples migiit
be cited.

It may be interesting, in this connection, to compare
Champlain's statement with those of the Jesuit Dablon, who
traveled twice over the same route in 1G55 and 1656, under
much more favorable circumstances for correctly estimating
the distances. He informs us that, in company with
Father Chaumonot, he left Montreal on the 7th day of
October, 1655, for the Onondaga country, and reached
" Otihakvucfui" (the mouth of Salmon river) by canoe on
the 29th of the same month.^ That he landed the next
day, and prepjired to go on foot to Ononthtga. That on
the first day of November, after going ''^ jive (jood Iea</ucs,"
he encamped for the night on the banks of a small stream.
Early the next day he continued his journey for ^' six or
seven leagues and encamped for the night in the open air.
On the third, before sunrise, he resumed his way, and
reached •' Tethlroguen" which he describes as " a river
which issues from Lake Goienho" (Oneida Lake), and "re-
markable as a rendezvous for a great number of fishermen."
Here he passed the night in an Lidian cabin. The distance
traveled this day is not stated, but we may assume it to
have been six leagues, which is about the average of the
other days. On the fourth he went " about six leayues,"

' Laverdifere's Champlain, p. 527.

"^ Relation of 1656, p. 7. Quebec edition.

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

and passed the night in an "open country," ^^four leatfues,''
from Onondaga. On the fifth of November he reached the
latter place,^ having spent five days in traveling from the
mouth of Salmon river, a distance, according to the narra-
tive, of twenty-seven and a- half leagues. Inasmuch, how-
ever, as the Iroquois fort is claimed to have been on Onon-
daga Lake, five leagues north of the ancient village of
Onondaga,^ which the Jesuit reached on the fifth of
November, the said five leagues should, for the purpose of
comparison with Champlain, be deducted from the above
twenty-seven and a-half leagues. To the resulting difter-
ence should be added, for the same reason, six and a-half
leagues, being the distance from Stony Point to the mouth
of the Salmon river, thus making, from the said Point to
the fort, according to the Jesuit narrative, twenty-nine
and a-half leagues, which is a little short of the extreme
distance of thirty leagues stated by Champlain.

Leaving Chaumoiiot at Onondaga, Dahlon set out on his
return to Quebec on the second day of March, 1656," over
nearly the same route, and traveled that day Jive leagues.
On the third he rested on account of the rain. On the
fourth he traveled six leagues to Oneida Lake. Fearing
to venture on the thin ice, he spent the next day on its
banks. On the sixth, it was sufficiently frozen to enable
him to cross at a point where the lake was a league and

' Onondaga was Hituated a few miles south of the present city of
Syracuse.

* Jesuit Relation for 1657, p. 14.
^ Jesuit Relation for 1656, p. 35.

Quebec edition.
Quebec edition.

AGAINST THE ONONDAGAS.

a-half broad. He reached the mouth of Salmon river on
the eighth, a little before noon, consuming in travel, ex-
clusive of detentions, four and a-half day.s. The rate of
progress, after crossing Oneida Lake, is not given, but,
estimating six leagues as an average day's travel, would
make twenty-six leagues from the Onondaga village to the
mouth of Salmon river. After allowing the same deduc-
tions and additions as in the case of his previous trip, it
would leave twenty-seven and a half leagues, which is the
mean of the two distances stated by Champlain. By thus
comparing Champlain's estimates with those of the Jesuit,
it will be readily seen that the expedition of the former
could not possibly have extended west of Onondaga Lake.
Having thus examined tiie reasons which have been
urged in favor of locating the fcn't in question on Seneca
territory, founded on the similarity between the names
which the Hurons bestowed on the Iroquois and tlie En-
touhmown8, and also the reasons for sucii location, based
on the course of the " dotted line " laid down on Cham-
plain's map, between the point where he landed and the
said fort, and on the distances which Champlain states
were traveled by him, between the same points, it now
remains to state and consider the objections whicii exist
against placing the location of the fort as far west as the
Seneca country.

1st. The actual distance between the place of landing
and the foot of Canandaigua Lake, measured on the
shortest possible line, is ninety-six miles, or thirty-eight
and a.half leagues. It would be absurd, however, to

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CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

suppose that the expedition could have followed so direct
a course. On the contrary, in accomplishing the distance
to the fort, it must have passed over, as stated on a pre-
vious page, at least or.v^fifth more than a sUaight line
between the said points. This fact, without allowing
anything for Champlain's over-estimate, would, in case the
objective point were Canandaigua Lake, make the distance
actually traveled at least forty-six leagues, or not less than
one hundred and fifteen miles. If, as is claimed by some
the fort were still further west, on a tributary of the
Genesee,^ it would add several leagues more to the diffi-
culty. 2d. The design of the expedition was to attack an
Iroquois tribe living south of Lake Ontario. The assail-
ants were the Hurons, living on the eastern shore of the
lake which bears their name. They started from their
principal village, which was situated west of Lake Simcoe,
on the borders of the Huron country nearest to the Iro-
quois.**

Now, if it were their object to attack the Senecas, the
shortest and most feasible route to reach them would have
been either in a southerly direction around the western
extremity of Lake Ontario, through the territory of the
friendly Neuter nation, who then lived on both sides of
the Niagara, or by canoe directly across the lake, or by
coasting along its western shore, landing, in either case,

* Laverdifere's Champlain, p. 528, note i.

» Jesuit Relation, 1640, p. 90, Quebec edition. Laverdii^re's Cham-
plain, p. 518, note i.

AGAINST THE ONONDAGAS. 21

near the mouth of the Genesee river. The fiict that the
expedition chose the circuitous and toilsome route by the
river Trent, through crooked hikes and torturous channels,
mvolving numerous portages, and traveled eastward for
the entire length of Lake Ontario, crossing its easteru
extremity in search of an enemy on its south side, affords
a strong presumption that the enemy thus sought was
located near that eastern extremity. 3d. If the object
were to attack the Senecas, the Hurons and their allies
would hardly have chosen a route which would separate
them so far from their canoes, at the risk of being out-
flanked by the watchful and kindred Iroquois tribes whom
they must pass on the way. After crossing the eastern
end of Lake Ontario, it would have been much less hazard-
ous and fatiguing to have coasted along its southern sliore
to Irondequoit he^y, from whence the Senecas could easily
be reached, as they were by Gallin^e in 1669, and by
De Nonville in 1687.

Having examined the arguments which have been urged
m favor of the location of the Iroquois fort in the country
of the Senecas, and noticed a iew of the principal objec-,
tions against it, some of the affirmative proofs, establishing
its site on or near Onondaga Lake, remain to be con-
sidered.

A careful examination of Champlain's narrative will
show that, as before stated, he must have landed on
what has been designated as " Pointe de Traverse " or
" Stony Point," ^ in Jefferson county. It is the nearest
and most feasible landing from the islands which are

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

grouped in the eastern extremity of Lake Ontario, and
along which the expedition undoubtedly passed before
reaching its southern shore .^ It is well known that from
the earliest times the Indians and voyageurs, as they
crossed the Lake in rough weather, availed themselves of
the protection of those islands. They form a continuous
chain, stretching from shore to shore, embracing the
Inner Ducks, Outer Ducks, Great Galloo, Little Galloo,
Calf and Stony Islands. The distances between them
are unequal, in no case exceeding seven miles. The ex-
pedition could not easily have landed directly upon the
point in question, as it presents a perpendicular rocky bluff,
washed at its base by the lake, and forms a bold and in-
surmountable barrier for some distance in either direction.
By passing around the northern extremity of the point,
now called " six town point," a safe and sheltered bay is
accessible, at the bottom of which is the present harbor
of Henderson. This convenient and secluded position
was undoubtedly chosen by Cham plain and his com-
panions as a favorable point for leaving and concealing
their canoes.^ Having accomplished their debarkation,
the invaders followed, for four leagues in a southerly

' Champlain says, " There were large, fine islands on the pas-
sage." — Zaverdiire's Champlain, p. 526.

" A natural landing place of rock formation, existed there in olden
time, known as the "Indian Wharf." A trail or portage road, 300
rods long, led from the landing to Stony Creek. See French's N. Y.
State Gazetteer, p. 358. MS. letter of the Hon. Wm. C. Pierre-
pont, of Pierrepont manor, to the author.

AGAIJ^ST THE ONONBAGAS.

direction, the sandy beach which still borders the lake as
far south as Salmon river. It is about six and a-half
leagues from Stony Point to that river. The many small
streams and ponds mentioned by Champlain can easily be
identified by the aid of a correct map. The " two small
rivers" are undoubtedly those now known as the Big
Sandy creek and Salmon river. The invaders were four
days from the time of their landing in reaching the
Iroquois fort. The narrative states that after passing the
two small rivers above mentioned, " they crossed another
issuing from a lake, which empties into that of the Entou-
honorons."^ This undoubtedly refers to Oneida river and
Lake. " This Lake," says the narrative, " is about
twenty-five or thirty leagues in circumference,'- contains
beautiful islands, and is the place where the Iroquois
catch (heir fish, which are there in abundance." After
crossing Oneida river, the scouts encountered and cap-
tured a party of Iroquois^ " going to the jisher\j, distant
four leagues from the enemy 8 fort" This locates the fort
four leagues south of the outlet of Oneida Lake. The
latter point was always a noted resort for Salmon fishery
in the early history of the country. It is so refened to in
one of Dablona Journals above quoted, and in many other
early narratives.

The expedition must have met the party of Iroquois,
which included women and children, not far from the
fishery and the village, which were only about four

' Lake Ontario.

* These dimensions, are, as usual, over-stated.

•^''rry-His:^

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION

leagues or ten miles apart. They were probably going
from the latter to the former. This was on the 9th of
October. On the next day, at 3 P. M., they reached the
fort. It would have required two or three days more
time, and sixty miles more of hard marching, to have
arrived at Cananduigua Lake.

It is impossible, from the meagre details given by
Champlain, to ascertain the precise locality of the fort.
He places it near a small lake, and there is no site more
probable, nor one which corresponds in more particulars
to Champlain's description, than the banks of Onondaga
Lake. The late Joshua V. H. Clark, author of the
" History of Onondaga," states that traces of an ancient
Indian fortification were discovered by the first settlers,
on the east side of that lake, near the present village of
Liverpool. These may have been the remains of the fort
in question. There is reason to believe that Monsieur
Dupuis and his companions, including several Jesuit
missionaries, occupied the same locality in 1656. It is
described by the Jesuits^ as a beautiful, convenient and
advantageous eminence, overlooking Lake Gannentaa
(Onondaga Lake) and all the neighboring country, and

' On the first settlement of the country, the outlines of a fortifica-
tion at this point were plainly visible, of which a sketch was made
in 1797, by Judge Gedcles, then Deputy Surveyor General of New
York. A copy is given in the second volume of Clark's Onondaga,
page 14V. A spring exists, at the present time, near the site of the
fort, called Gannentaa Spring.

AGAINST THE ONONDAGAS.

abounding in numerous fresh water springs.^ Its dis-
tance from the chief village of the Onondagas, where
burned from time immemorial the ancient council fire of
the Iroquois Confederacy, is stated to be four leagues,
which would indicate that its location must have been
near Liverpool. '

It is also supposed that the Count de Frontenac en-
camped in the same place, when he invaded the Onondaga
country in 1696, and that Col. "Van Schaick occupied the
identical ground while on his expedition against the
Onondagas in 1779.*^ It was a position which undoubtedly
commended itself to the sagacious Iroquois as eminently
suitable for a defensive structure, and was thus early
used for that purpose.

In the discussion of this question, I have endeavored

fully and fairly to present the points, and to give due

force to the arguments which have been urged in favor of

^ the identity of .the Entouhonorons with the Senecas, and

of the location of the Iroquois fort in the territory of the

t latter. It is submitted that the weight of testimony is

decidedly, if not conclusively, against those propositions,

and that we must look on the banks of the Onondaga

i Lake, in the heart of the central canton of the great

Iroquois Confederacy, for the site of that rude fortification

I which, more than two centuries and a half ago, so bravely

' Relation 1657, p. U. Quebec edition.

* Clark's Onondaga; •ypj.-.l{p-:2.5e':\' •{•'•.'.• ■

« 1 1

• • • 4

• • • <

• • • I
• • • • • I

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•'«r%jii**ss:rTi"

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION-

and succeesfully resisted the allied Hurons and Algonkins
of the north-west, aided by Champlaiu and his firearms,
and after repeated assaults and a siege of several days
compelled the assailants to abandon the enterprise, and
retreat ignominiously from the Iroquois country.

• .'. •• '•

• , . . . ■ • • .

>-. i