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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. by errata ned to lent une pelure, fapon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 , JOHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION AGAINST THE ONONDAGQES ■;:/'-■ ■>■ ra 1615 ■I x^f -ca2:,'*f- \ . :] ■ \m* ii.iiini iinii i pin I i:.\Pi:i)iTiON OF TIIK If S I 1^ r \l I) K (MIA M I^ LA I \ , ) u'iAfNSr TJll'. oNo.x i).\(;()i-:s IN ^'U^!PI{1SI^■(, AN IMinUY INTh 'IIIK linITi; < |- Tlii: 1X1 I.Hrj'KiN. AM) ■riiK LOCATIOX or •J'llK UKK^irol.- Fi.KT WIIICH I'l' llKSlKf; Kp. coMMrMcA ri;i) -lo ■iin--, m;w V(H!k iiintokmai, .-(kii/i v. (x idr.i.i;. \s',r,. r.Y (»i;sA.Mi's 11. .MAi;sii.\i.i (■<)i(i;i-.-i'iiN)jlNii Mi:.Mi;i-ii nr thk sm h/j'y. li Ni:\V YORK: PllTNTEJ) FOI{ rili: SOCIETY lN7l'). &»' -? /y-; dots," ii C EI A M PL AIN^S EXPE D ITK )N AGAINST THE OXONDAGOES. In tlio year 1015, there dwcU, on the south-eastern Axorc of r.ake lIuTon. near the (ie()ri>-ian hay, a nation of IndianHi who wei'e •■ailed in tiieir own L'in in loi»o and founded (>nehee live years hiter, ascended the river Ottawa a;s far as the Huron eounti-y. Le (.'arou, the Franeis(;an inissioiuirv, having preceded him bv a few (hws oidy. These adventurous pioneers wei-e seeking, in their respe(^ tive spheres, and hv coiu-urrent enterpi'ises, the one to exph>re the western jiortions of New !•' ranee, and tlie other to estahlisli missions amon.g the Xorth American Indians. The 11 'irons, and their Algoidvin allies who dwelt on the Ottawa, heiiii:; at that time en^-au'ed in a sant!;ninary war with the confederated li-oipiois tribes south of Lake Ontario, per- suaded Champlain to join them in an expedition which they wei'c jn'ojectini;- into the territories of their enemy. The combined forces set out from Ca-i-ha-^MU', the cliief town of the llur(»ns, situated between tlie river Severn and Matchedash bay, on the first day of Septend)er, lOlo/ ('rossihij: Lake Sinu^oe in their l)ark (-aiioes, they jnade a short j»ortaarrl_v rcachi'd its southern shoiv, and landed in the present State of New York. ( ^»neealinL;■ their caiKXJS in the adjacent woods, they started overhind for tlieir Iro(jnois enemies. In an aci-diint of this expedition, read hefore the Xew "^'ork Historical Society in Marcii, l.s4!), and piiblisheil in its i'ro- eeeiie(l, aiiil the position of the li-oijuois fort which they hi'>iei;e(l. The fact that ( liuiiiplaiii had, at that eurlv dav, visited tlie (U'litral [lart of the State of New ^'oi'k, seemed to have been ovei'h>oked hy all previous writers, and was deenii'd to i)e an interesting- t()pic for hi.-torica! iiMpiiry. Takinii' for my ^'uide the edition of Champlaiirs works ])nli- lishetl in ltl.'J2, the only one tiieii ae(;essible,- 1 hecunie satis- lied, on a careful study of the text alone, the map heiiio' lo.'-t, that the expedition laiuled ut or near Traverse, now eallefl "Stony I'oint."' in lelfeisoii c()unty, and from thence |>roceeded in ii S(Uitlierly dii'ecti(»n. ami after crossing' the l)i<;' and Little Sandy creeks and Sulnion and Oneida rivers, reached the iro- quoi> fort oil ( )iioiiila^a Lak(\ I fully stated tlii'se comdiisions in the eommnnieafion al)Ovc referred to. and they were appro\ed and adopted by several of our American historians." Other writers, liowexer. of equal note and authority, deem the locution of thi' fort to have been as far west as C'anandai- ii'iia Lake.' In vit'w of tlie^e considerations. I have been led to recoii- ' Proceedings of the New Yoik Historical Society for 1^49, ]>. 0(t. - The lirst iiceoinit of the fxi>filitiiiii wjis ijutilishet'. in llilit. It differs in au cHsential imrticular from that of 1 . '• Krodhead's History of New Yorlf. Vol. I., ]>. 00 ; Clark's History of Onon- daga. A'ol. 1., J). 25: i ; Shea's edition of Charlevoix's Xew France, Vol. II., p. 2S, note. * O'Callnghan's Doc. Hist, of New York, Vol. III., p. 10. note; Ferland's Cours D'Hi.stoire du Canada, p. 175; Parkman's Pioneers of Xew France, }). ;JT:$ ; Laverdiere's Works of Champlain, p. 52M, note. sidcr tl' ' sulijecf. iiidctl liv iidilitidiiul -(Uii-ce.- of iiil'ormiiriuii. j)articuliirly l>v the Ahlir LiivenJiere's ivci'iitlv i.iil)ii>luMl splendid etlitinii of all of ( "liamiilaiii's woi'k.-. My i>n'sciit |)iir|)os(' is to state, hrietly, the result of that re cxuiiuiiatioii, uiid the i;roiiiid> uiiou whit-h I adhere to my loi-- nier eoii(d\i>ioHs, I will iirst, for eonveineiit rofereiiee, i;ive a literal translation of that part of ('haMi})lain's narrative which iclates to the i[ue.-- tioji. It is taken from the edition of lttL>(i, which difft'rs in a few iinim[)ortant particulars oidy from the >uhM'ipKMit one of li> (»f wliich has already heen u-iven, oiw histoi'ian sii ys : — ' •• Weniadeahont fourteen leairnes in erussln<::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 l»y land ahout four leagues. "over a sandy heaeh, where 1 noticed a very au-reeahle ami "beautiful country, ''I'aversed hy many small streams and two "•small rivers which empty into the said Lake. Also many " i)onds and meadows, ahoundini;' in an intinite variety of u'ame. "numerous vines, and fine woods, a great nundier (d' chestnut " trees, the fruit of wliich was yet in its covering. Although '• very small, it was of good Havor." " AH the canoes being thus concealed, we left the shore of the " Lake, which is al)out eighty leagues longand twi-nty-tive wide, "the greater [lart of it being inhabited by Indians along its '^ banks, and continued onr way by land about L^■')(»r 3<» leagues."' " Duriuii' foui- (lavs we ci'ossed numerous streams and a I'ivcr " issuin'>- from a Lake which empties into that of the Kntouhono- •' /v>y;.s'. This Lake, which is about 2.") or o(> leagues in circum- " ference, contains several beautiful islands, and is the phice •' where our Ircxpiois enemies catch their fisli, which are there " in great abumjance." "On the i»th of October, our ])eople being on a scout, en- " countered eleven Imlians whom they t I'ieces of wood, tliiilv feet " hii;h, not more than half afoot apart and near an unfailiii"^ '' hodv (»f water." ■X- -X- •!•!■ * * * " We were encamped until the Hith of the month.'" » * * * * * "As the 500 iiHMi dill not arrive,' the Indians decided to "leave hy an immeiliate retreat, and heu-aii to make haskets in " which to carry the wounded, who were phuxvl in them douhhid " in a heap, and so hent and tied as to render it im{)ossihle for " them to stir, any moiv than an infant in its swaddlini; (dothes, •'and not without u^reat suftei'ini,^ as L can testify, haviuii; " heen carried several days on the hack of one of our Indians, '• thus tied and im[)risoned. which made me lose all patience. " As soon as I had strenii'th to sustain myself, t escaped from '• this prison, or to .>peak plainly, from this hell.*'' "The enemy pursued us about half a leai^ue, in order to " capture some of our rear g-uard, l)Ut their efforts were useless "and they withdrew.'" * * ^:- •;<- * » " The retreat was very tedious, heiui;' from 25 to 80 leagues, " and g-reatly fatiijued the wounded, and those who cari'ied " them, thoui;-h they clianged from time to time. On the ISth " considerable snow fell which lasted but a short time. It " was accompanied with a violent wind, which n'reatly incom- " nioded us. Nevertheless Ave made such ]»rogress, that we " reached the banks of the Lake ctf the Entoahouoi'oxt^, at the " phxce where we had concealed our canoes, and which were " found all whole. AVe were apprehensive that tlie enemy had " broken them up." " ' A reinforcement they were expecting from the Carantouanais, who lived on the sources of the Sucquchanna. - Champlain's Voyages, El. 1032, Part I., pp. 254-203. Laverdiero's Re- print of the Narrative of 1019, pp. 38-48. ^^''•llliiiW."' I I will iiitw proceed te(inentl\' in the S.mi-ii conntrv. TJi'ird. 'J'hat the distan(;es traveled hv the expedition, as stated l>y ( "hanii>lain, jtrove that the extreme point reached nni.-t have heen in the Si nmi eonnt ry. 1 will notice these j)roposition:- in their order. J''li'>''rr/io)io/hs" hy the Ihiroiis. Ihit they call the ( )nondai;as " Ono/tfifrrr/i't/io/iK," a name whii-h hears quite as stroni:; a resendjlance to I'^ntonhoiioroihs as the one they applied to the Senecas. It nuiv he statetl Ium'c that ( )"('allai:han. Parkniaii, l'\'rland, and La\erdiere. each call the ti-ilie in (piotion " Mntonho/7>- /io/hs\'' whereas Champlain. in all the editions of his works, iv- fei's to them invariahly as " l^ntonho//r//''//^>«■."' He nevei- calls them " Kntollho/vyyK>/^s• " in his A. 'Y. On the //^'/7> annexed to tlu! edition of 1<1.')l>, they ai'e named '' J //tono/v////;//.s',"' hnt in tlu; i/H/f.f to the map. " -.ly/tonho//^>/v'//>.-.*" ' It mn>t thei'cfore have heen fi-om the niaj>. and not fi-om the text, that tlu^ word •* Antonhoronons "' was derived. The other name, as nni- forndv ^'iven hy Chanqilain in his text, we nni>t assume to he correct, in preference to the solitary enti-y on the map. It is snpposed hy some that the edition of Kl-'l^. which con- tains the map, was not the work of Chamiilain. and never ' Laverdiore's Champlain, Vol. II., p. lo!>3. 8 ])ass('(l luiilcr his ])t'is()ii;i1 >iiporvisi(»n. It is asnort"('(l that it was coiiijiikMl In- liis puhlislier, ( "laiuU.' Cdlh't.' to \vh<»s(! carc- Ic'ssiicss tlie error in the iitiiiie, as contained on tlie map, may he attiihuted. There was no map annexed to tlie e(lition of l*il!<', and the one in (jiie>tion was not eonstrueted nntil the edition of l(i.'{'i was pulillslied. seventeen years aftei' the date ol' tlie Expedi- tion, as ai>peai'S from a memorandum made on its face. Jt niav not have hecn eonipiled from aiitluMitie data. One of the discrepancie.-^ I)etw;'en it and the text is its location of the '• Aiit- riit((>\'' and " < /i/hn/io.'^ and ri'present the names of the jihicis wh(>re those nations resided. Xow it cannot he saiil that there is any stron<;-er I'esemhlance hetween noiKUttoe and <.iii(>nlii>, than hetween (nioniae and oifoiilni. '{'he idt'iitity of the l\itfy ( ianiplain " ( '/i(>i(nftnii(ri)l'iin),'^ which is undouhtedly a misprint for "i '/n>iioi)tn>((irity They are described as living betwt'en the ' Havris.se. Bibliographie do la N. France, ]i. (!(>. Seo also Lavorditre's Chaniplain, pp. (i;iT-.s. '^ Tho letters "n" and "u" occur frequently in Indian names, and it is fpiite dilHcult to distinguisli the one from the other in niannse.-ipt. Their be- ing often mistaken for each other occasions numerou.s typographical errorf>. \^ 9 llui'oiis of r;uialain say;*, that " in ooinn- IVoni tlic " one to tlie other, a inland detour is neeessarv. in orcU'r to avoid "the ('/,(iii(>iifn,\\\\\A\ is a very strong; nation." ' Fi'oni the name and h)eation. they can he no otlier than tlie Seneeas. Tlie Ahlx' Laverdierc assumes tiiat the ('hiinviifoHnroHinis. are ich-nlical \vith the /.ntoihoinwuiis:' This cannot he true, forChamplain mentions tlieni hoth in ahnost the same sentence, and nives to eaeli their respe(!tive names, witnout a liint of their identitv.' Iinhrd Lavcidieie,. in >ui>|.oi't of his tlirory, is ()hlii>;ed to intci-polate a word in tlie text of < 'liamplain. wliich is entirely supertluous.' Sc-ond. 'J'he next in oi-cU-r for consideration, is the mufr juirsued hv the expedinon, and the locality of the irocpiois tort, us they are deliiu'ated on Champlain's mai). A sliii'ht examination of the amicxcd _/'"'-•«■''//"'/' of that poi'- tion of the ori^-inal niao, whii'h relates to this ex|.edition. will show such map to lie whollv nnreliahle as a U'uide in any inves- tii;'ation of Chaniplain's route. It is incoi-rect in most, of its details. Although it exhibits the --enei'al outlines of Lakes Ontario and Huron, Lake Krie is almo^t entirely ii-'noi'i'd. an irreii'ular strait, hearinjj; little resend)lauce to it heini; suh.-ti- tuted. Lake Ontario is represented as containini; several island- scattered alonii: its northern and southern shore, and the Niauai'a river as runniuii- due east into its westernmost extremity. 'I lie Oreat Falls are located at the very mouth of the river. Every- thin<<' is distorted, and in some nlaces scarcelv reco^ni/ahle. The su[)iiosed route of Champlain is attemjtted to he indi- cated by 'A(lnffrliore at that point. All evidence that the expedition traversed the "sandy heach "" wot of Stoiiv I'oint, as referred to in the text, and aloii^' which it ' Jesuit Rolatiou f. 11- 1(i4S. QuoIkic reprint. I'l). td- IH. '' Laverdiure.'H (Jhampluin. \>. .'i-'i. ■' Lavenlirre's Chaiiiiilaiii, p. ."i-l, note 1. * Lavcnliere's ClKiiiiplaiii. i>. '.10i)-iM0. " LavL'rditre'M Cliaiuplaiii, p. o'i'.', nolo I. 10 lUKlouhredly passed, /".v cntmiij oinlUid. Fi'Oin tlio mouth of the OswcD^o the line pursues a southei'ly direction, crossing what a})})('iirs to he the piesent Seneca river, and t'runi thence con- tinues southerly, across another stream, and between two hikes, dii'ectly to the Irotpiois fort. 1'hi^ I'oiite. as thus shown hy the v/^^/y>, is hi<^'hly improhahle, unnecessai'ily iain would have passed near to, and have become ac- ipuiinted with, the existence of no less than eii^ht of those re- uiai'kabic iidanrl sheets of water which form so conspicuous a feature in the scenery of central New Vork, not to mention thi'ec others a litth; fui-ther west. Oidy five lakes are indicated on the map, and none are mentioned in the narrative, except Oneida Lake and the one on which the fort M-as situated. It is n(»t sur[>risinijj that the adventurous Fi-enchman was i)e- wildered in the vast forests, amcMii;; the nmnerous streams, extensive ponds and morasses, whi(,'h he en(!< intered on his way. and that he failed to li'ive a more intelli::ible description of the hostile counti-y into which he had pi'iietrated. If he had passed neai- the lakes above referred to. they would (rertainly have been as worthy of description as the ''sandy i)each.'' "the beautiful wooded country.*"' ''the numerous streams,"' the Oneida " Lake and river,"' ''the Small lake." on the banks of which he found the Iroc^uois fort, and the ot':er interestiui^' obje(;ts which he met on his route, and noted in his nai'rativ(>. Tlmd. It is urii;ed, as an additional armiment au'ainst the location of the Ii'otpiois fort in the ( )iioiida or J><> leaj^'ues,'' stated by ('hamplain to have been traveled by the invaders after they had landed, as well in ' 111 thn fdi'-Huiiilr of (Ihainplain's niii]i, nublislied hy Tross, iii I'liris, tlie tlottod line, wliore it sliould cross Lake Ontario, as sliowii !iy tlie orij,''iiial map, is omitted. The same ))ortiou of the line i,s also wanting in the jnc-siunli' |)ul)lislied hy Dr. 0'f!alIaj;han, in Vol. III. of the Documentary History of New Vork, and hy Laverdiere, in his recent edition of Cluimi)laia's works. The islands in the eastern end of Lake Ontario, as represented on the original nuip. are also entirely omitted on Dr. O'VaWaghimsfdc-niinili: SOfiitti iCintY- ♦'•' !V 11 <>'(»iii<^- to as in retui'itiiiii; from tlie I'ort. iiidicatos tliiit tliov must have ii'one as far west as ('aiiaiulaijjjuii Lake. It has been said that in statini:; this distance Cliamplain in- tended to excdnde the "i'onr h-ai^ues ■" whicli lio says tliev traveh'd ovei- "a sandy hcach," innnediately after they had concealed tlieir canoes, thus makini«; from *2!> to .'ll leaii'ues in all. Hut this cannot he a fair coiisti-uctioii of his lanirnaire. He says, " W(^ made ahout foiiileen U'auMies in crossiiii; the '• lake in a southerly direction. The Indians conceale'ues " ti'avel, all of whi(;h, he states, was accomplished in " four days."' after they left tiieii' canoes. Th(> ab()vt' consti'uction is vei'itied by the further stateiueut, that the same distance of " iJ.') oi- ,'!(» IcaiiMics " was travejei] by the e.\]ie(lition on \\^ rif nm from the fort to the canoes, I'e- ferrin<>' to the ir/mli distance. "The i-eti'cat,'" he says, " was very te(lious. bciuu' fi'oin '1'^ to '•yo lc;iu-iies, and li'reatly fatiii'ued the wounded and those w hv> '* boi'c them. alihou<>-h thev cIkuiuhmI from time to time." Yet this I'etreat unist ha\e been accomplished in firo (hn/'<, half the time it took to reach the fort from the landini:-. foi- he states they wt'i'e encamped Itet'ore tlu' iort until the Hith of ( )ctobei\ aud reached tlieii- canoes on the l>ith. ('hai'lesoix says they did not stop on their I'etivut" — a physical imi)ossibility, certainlv — if thev started from as far west as Canaiulaiyua liake. 'J'his assertion of ( 'liai'lexoix is not warranted, howe\er, by the narrative of (hampiain. [n considei'iiin' thi; (piestion of (/ishatCf', it nuist be borne in mind, that tla^ attackinn* pai'ty was on foot, advam-iu<;' cau- tiously towards a formidiible enemy, in a hoi^tile and uiiexplored ' Lavenl lore's Chnm plain. ]>. .')'J(>. • Charlevoix' N. France, Vol. I., p. !.'41. Edition of 1744. ^ 12 couiiti'V, (lostitiidc of roiidrf and .'iboniidiiiir in dense forests, iininerous rivers ;ind itiiry swamps. I'lider such circiiiustiuiees, iiieinuhered as tliey were with their iiii[tl('iiiriits of war and other effects, their [)i'od their I'etui'u witli much greater i-ajtidity. l''i'om Stony Point wliere they hinch-d, to Onornhiira Lake, fol- h»\vinir the l)eac]i of Lake Ontai'io, is tifty-three mik's, hy the ■s//^//'A.v/ jtoxxililr liii(\ as niease.red on a rcliahk; nuip. Ihit it wouhl have heeii impossible for sucii an e.\[)cdition to pursue so direct a coui'se, o\vinlain. As a geonu;trieal )>aee is 1 ,'-,|-'i, French metres, or ;!-|-,h, English feet, it follows that Champlain's league must be 2|''i?i, English miles, differing slightly from the length of tin; liaic
  • are the dis- tances over this same route, and hetween the same points, as furnished hy two independent witnesses, the »Iesiiit l''athers. ('/i(niiii<>ii()t m\(\ J>.) I'cspectively traveled it in Hir),") and ltl5»!, and with every facility for ascertain ini;- the truth. The Jesnit naii'ative iid"orni> ns that Father ('/niiniKuiof leit ]\h>ntre;d on the 7th day of Octohei^. K!.");"), for the ( )nondiii^a Counti'v. and readuMl " ^/'////^/A///''/'/*"' " (tlie mouth of Salmon ]'i\ci-) \)y canoe on the '1\){\\ of the r-ame month." That he di^- end»arked the next day and preiKii'cd to i^'o Ijy land to (himi- ddijii,. 'J'hat he left on the tirst day of Xo'.emher, and after goiiio- ''//'/v i/niii/ /////ji/rN^"' encamjted for the night on the hanks of a small strciini. Karly on the moi-nin.g of the second he contiiiuecl his journey for " si.i' o/' S'-rr/i />■(/(///, s,'^ and encamjied for the night in the open air. On the third, hidore suiu'ist', he resumed his way. and reachei< n^ a I'iver whit-h issues fi-nin Lake Oo!.iit/i(>^' (the outlet of Oneida hake) and which he says "' is rcnnarkalde as a rendezvous i'oi' a great nund)er of lishcu-men." Here he passed the night in ;ni Indian cahin. The distance ti'aveled this day is not stated, I)Ut we may assume it to have heen five leagues, which is al)out the avei'age c»f the otlu'r days. On the fourth, he went ''ahout six leagues," and passed the night in ;in •'open country," '* four leagues" from ( )nondaga. On the following day, the fifth of Xovend)er, he reached the Iatt(!r ])lace. having spent \\\Ki days in traveling from the mouth of Salmon i'iver, a distance', according to the nai'rati ve, of twentv-six leairiies. Inasmuch, howe\er, as the Ii'o(piois fort is claimed to have ' LiivordiCiro's Chuiuplain. p. 527. •' Kelatiou of 105(5, p. T. Quebec Edition. \ m — u Ix'cii on (>iioiidai>;}v lake, wliicli lies i'our leriu'iics north o!:" tlio aiK-ient villai;'0 of Onomlaga," -wliicli C'hannionot readied oi- the liitli of Xoveniber, the s^aid four U'a_ tlie residtin^' diffei-cnce shonld he a(hled, for the same reason, six and a hali' leay,-ues, l)eini:; the distance fi-oni Stonv J*oint to tiie mouth of the Salmon river, tlius makinti'. from the said Point to the foi't, aecoi-dini!; to tlie Jesuit narrative, t\venty-ei«i'ht and a half leairues. which sufficiently corresponds with the distance of " 25 or ^! hagues, which is ahoi.t .;n averai;-e of the distances stated hy Ohamplain. Uy thu Jomparin, betwc'.-n the point where ]ie hvnded and tiie rsjiid fort, and on the distances which Chaniplain states were travek'd by liini, between the sjune pointsi, it now remains to state and consMer tlie objections which I'xist a^-ainst the loca- tion of the fort as far west as the b^eneca Country. T'lr f. The actual distance between the place of landinii- and the foot of ( 'anniMlaiirua hake, nu'asured on an air liiu-, is thirty- two lealiinn' tlu' di>tance to the fort, it luu-t h:i\e passed over, as >iated oii a, previous pai;'e, at least one-third more tliaii a straiu'li! lint' between flu; said points. This fact, without ailowiii:^:' anytliiui;- foi- ( 'liauiplain's over-estimate, woidd, in case the objecti\i; point were ("anaiHiaii;Mui Lake, make tlui di^taiu-e actually traveled, at least forty leaij^ues I If, as is claimed by ii; irilici'ii hoivler, crc)ssini«; its oastern cxtrctnity in searcli )f an enemy (111 its soutli side, aHoi'ds a stroni; presiini|>ti()n tliat ihe enemy thus son^'-Jit was located neai' tliat easteiMi extieniitv. Th'n'il. i'lio Ilnrons and their allies would liuidly lia\e risked themselves so tar from theii- canoes as to choose so circuitous a ]"oute to reach the Sriu'ruK. The danger of heiiiir out-flanivetl I»y the watchful Iro(jnois trihes, who were kindred ti> the Sent cas. and whom they would he ohlii;-ed to pass on tlic \ ay. woidd have foi'hidden so rash and ha/.ardons an under-takint!,-. It may l)e mentioned in this connection, that the Ilurons were intensi-ly hostile to the ( )non(hi^-as, for th'' latter, more ihau eitiier of the other IrocjUois trihes, had vexed and haiassed the former.' The Ilurons would hardly have passed \ts and left so implacalile an enemy in tiieir rear, to attack a less ohnoxious memher of that warlike confederacy. llavinir examined tlu^ aru'uments which ha\i' hecii ur<>'cd in favor of the location of the Innpiois lort in the Country of the Senecas, and considei'ed a few of the princi[)al ohjeclions aii'ai.ist it, I. will now mention some of the atlirmative proofs estahlishing its site on or near ()nondahow that, as hefore stated, he nui^t have landt'il on what has heen desiii-nated as " Tra\erse '' or " Ston v l*oint," in .Jefferson ( 'ountv. It is the neai'est and most feasible landing fi-om the islands Mhich are ai-ouped in the eastern extrcmitv of Lake ( )ntari<-. and along- which the expedition undouhtedly passed hefore reaching its southei-n shore." it is well known that, from the earliest times, the Indians and voyagi'Ui's availed theniM-lxes of the i)i'otection of those islands, as they cimssimI, in I'ough weather, from one side of the lake to the othei". The exiiedi- tion could not easily lia\i' landed directly up(/n the [loint in (piestioii, as it presents a pi'rpi'ndicular I'ocky hinif, washed at its base hy the lake, and forms a hold and insui'niountahle har- rier foi" some distance in either direction. IJy pas>ing ai'ound the north-eastern extremity of the point, a safe and sheltered ' Jexuit Ilt.'latioii, 1G4H, p. 4T. Quebec Edition. '■' Chami)laiii says, " There were large, flue islands on the passage." — Lucer- i/ii'i'tK t'loiinjikiin, p. Ti'M. \ if I 17 l)ay is aceessihle, at tlu' hottoni of \vliicli is tlieprosont Iiiirltor t»f IIi'IkIci'soii. Tiiis WHS \i<\\<^ used as a laiuliiii.'; place in the early hiritorv eclinle Salmon ii\er. It is ahoiit !-i\ and a half leaiines IVoni Stony i'oint tnin<'' ''from a lake, whicth empties into that <• leau'nes in cii'(;nm- '• fereuce." contains beautiful inlands, and i< the place where " the lro(piois luih'li f/i) li' p's/i, wliich aiv there in abundance." After crossing' nnrida I'ivi'r. the scouts encountered and (taptured a party ot" Inxjuois. •' {/<>in(f to tli> pxin nj^ disfiini ftmr le(i(j tics from the t'luiaijis yort." This locates the fort four leaiiMios south of tlie foot of Oneida lake. 'I'lie lattei' point was always a noted place for Salmon iishery in the early liistory ot" the country. It it so I'eferi-ed to in l)(ihlnn''>i .lournal above (pioted and in many othei" eai'ly narratives. It is impossible, fi-om the meayer details ^'iv en by ('hamplain, to ascertain the y^/v-r/.vr locality ot" the Iroipiois b)rt. He places it near a snudl Lake, and we know of no more likely position, nor «,>ne which corresponds in more jtarticulais to ("iuimplaiirs description, than the baidy tlio first se^ftloiri near tlie prosoiif vilhi^^c! of Liverpof)!, a sliort distance iioi-rlieast of Syiaciiso. These may have been the remains of tlie fort in qiierttion, Tlieru is reason to l»elievc that IMonsienr Diipiiis, and liis companions, ineltid- iiii:; several Jesnit mission;"'''' •cuj>ied the same Inciility in l<'>r»*I. It is described by t .nits as a beantifnl, (Convenient and advantai;cons eminence, distant live k'agnes fiMni the vil- lai-'e of the ( )n(iii(hiijas, ovi i-iookini^ Lake (rannentaa (()non- dniiii Lake) and all the neiifhbi)riiiii\e due fonre to the ariruments, which have been urii-ed in favoi- of the identitv of the h'lifiHihonoi'oxNw'xXlx the Si'iH'cas,nn(\ of the location of the Iroquois fort in the territoiy of the latter. It is submitted that the weijjjht of testimony is decidedly, if not conclusively a