GO NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ond bar. The circles vary from one to three, never exceeding 

 the latter number. Many are unstamped. They occur in large 

 numbers in some parts of Canada and New York. Hundreds 

 have been found on Cazenovia creek in Erie county. Large num- 

 bers on Cattaraugus creek, near the lake, kept the early black- 

 smiths supplied with good material, and Mr Obed Edson re- 

 corded large finds in Erie and Chautaucpia counties. Several 

 hundred pounds of these were found on M. B. Crooks's farm 2 

 miles from East Aurora. Miles Bristol paid for two years 

 tillage of his orchard lot with the axes he found at the village 

 of Linui. In anotlier i»hice enough of these were obtained to 

 equip an early sawmill, and Cayuga, Madison, Onondaga and 

 Ontario counties have been equally prolific. After a century's 

 gathering the croj) is not exhausted. Squier said of these: 

 '' Thousands are found in the western counties of the state." 



Their early introduction has been already noted, Champlain 

 seeing them here in KIOI). One or two have been found near 

 the prehistoric fort in the town of ^linden, but not of late 

 years at least within the wall. Squier said that brass kettles 

 and European articles were found inside the bank, but this is 

 usually thought an error. In another place the evidence is 

 clearer, and fig. 87 is probably one of the oldest to which a 

 date can be given. It is 7 inches long and is stamped with two 

 circles of unusual character. The cross is not of the common 

 type, and there are very small circles in three angles of the limbs. 

 This is in a collection at Cazenovia N. Y. with another much 

 larger, and regarding both ^Ir J. T. E. Burr writes: ''The iron 

 axes are from the fort on the Nichols farm, on the Mile Strip in 

 Fenner. I know when they were found, and assure 3'ou they 

 are genuine and properly located." The larger one is 8 inches 

 long, with a cutting edge of -1^ inches. It has three circles 

 close together but each cross has a double bar. The socket is 

 bent and broken. 



It is probable these were used in the siege of the Oneida 

 fort in 1G15 but whether they wcae brought by Champlain's 

 Indians or already owned by the Oneidas is conjectural. The 



