THE GRAVE OF THE INDIAN KING. 217 



i!y designated as Romans of the western world. Their league 

 -bled a confederated republic, although they had not advanced 

 much beyond the first stage in the science of government. Their 

 conquests, like those of the Romans, were pushed to a vast extent so 

 that, by the right of inheritance, or of arms, their subject territory 

 extended from the mouth of the Sorel, on the St. Lawrence, up the 

 great chain of lakes to the Mississippi, thence to the junction of the 

 Ohio with this Father of Rivers, thence south to the country of the 

 Creeks and Cherokees, and back on the whole extent, from the ocean 

 to the lakes. Like the Romans, they added to their strength by 

 incorporating their vanquished foes into their own tribes ; and, of 

 the prisoners thus adopted, those who behaved well were treated as 

 though of their own blood. If wise at the council-fire and brave on 

 the war-path, they were advanced to posts of honour. Like the Ro- 

 mans moreover, they were ambitious to extend their conquests, even 

 when their power and influence were on the decline. They cherished 

 a high and chivalrous sense of good faith and honour, according to 

 their own rude notions ; and carried on a war of thirty years for a 

 single infraction of the rights of the calumet. Their power was 

 great, and their name a terror to other savage nations, long after the 

 Whites had planted themselves over a wide space of the country. 

 The grand councils of this powerful confederacy were held in the 

 deep and romantic valley of the Onondaga, where, as they believed, 

 " there was from the beginning a continual fire kept burning. " 



The Five Nations, moreover, being the friends and allies of the 

 English, were consequently much of their time involved in hostilities 

 with the French, then in possession of the Canadas, and also with the 

 Indians, who had been induced to adhere to them by the Jesuits ; for 

 ** The Holy Order of Jesus " had even thus early insinuated its priest- 

 ly emissaries into every tribe. Indeed, their fidelity to the English 

 was sometimes put to the severest trials; and whoever traces their 

 history will find their conduct to have been regulated by an elevated 

 and punctilious regard to honour, and marked by disinterestedness 

 " above all Greek and Roman fame. " " When the Hatchet-makers," 

 said the eloquent Sadekanaghtie to Governor Fletcher, at Albany, in 

 1 694, " first arrived in this country, we received them kindly. Vv hen 

 they were but a small people we entered into a league with them, to 

 guard them from all enemies whatsoever. We were so fond of their 

 society that we tied tho great canoe which brought them, not with a 

 rope made of bark, to a tree, but with a strong iron chain, fastened 

 to a great mountain. Then the great council at Onondaga planted 

 a tree of peace at Albany, whose top will reach the sun, and t3 



