X24 ARCIIyEOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



condition of the Iroquois population ; and to gather from facts and traditions what- 

 ever information could be obtained of their origin and history, the principles of 

 their government, their religious ideas and ceremonies, their arts and sciences, and 

 their military enterprises. To these he added archaeological investigations respect- 

 ing the structures and relics that are found upon their ancient seats. 



Whether the traditionary tales of Cusic, the chronicler of his race, or any of the 

 poetical legends preserved by Mr. Schoolcraft, have in them gleams of historical 

 truth, or no, is a point on which opinions are divided. They have, at least, served 

 to fire the genius of one of our most accomplished poets; and the Lay of Hiawatha, 

 "the Iroquois Quetzalcoatl," has been transferred from the cabin of the savage to 

 the drawing-rooms of literature and fashion, like a captive Indian maiden, with as 

 much of native decoration, and as little of artificial costume, as the conventionalities 

 of civilized taste would permit. 



" With the odors of the forest, 

 With the dew and damp of wigwams, 

 With the rushing of great rivers, 

 With its frequent repetitions, 

 And their wild reverberations 

 As of the thunder of the mountains." 



The " Notes" of Mr. Schoolcraft constitute a comprehensive treatise, uniting all 

 the varieties of illustration, historical, topographical, philological, and anecdotical, 

 that might serve to elucidate his subject; while vestiges of former arts and labors 

 receive a prominent share of consideration and representation. 



The aboriginal remains of New York were, however, deemed of sufficient import- 

 ance to justify a more special and thorough exploration ; and this was subsequently 

 accomplished by Mr. Squier, under the joint auspices of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion and the Historical Society of the State. 1 



Without dwelling on the particulars of his investigation, we may remark that, 

 after examining many, and taking a general observation of others, he estimated 

 the number of works in New York to be two hundred, or two hundred and fifty, 

 all of which he considered to have been intended for defensive purposes. Mounds 

 are not included in this enumeration; and as they are not connected with the mural 

 structures, but are uniformly sepulchral, and similar to the tumuli not unfrequently 

 raised by existing tribes, they were not regarded as deserving special attention. 

 They are said to be far from numerous, and to owe their origin, probably, to the 

 custom, common to many tribes, of collecting, at fixed periods, the bones of their 

 dead, and depositing them together, with solemn ceremonies. 



It is stated that the enclosures are marked by great similarity of position, and 

 are, for the most part, small, including from one to four acres, though sometimes 

 embracing as many as sixteen acres ; that the embankments are slight, and the 

 ditches shallow, the former varying from one foot to four feet in height ; and that 



1 Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York. Comprising the results of Original Surveys 

 and Explorations, with an Illustrative Appendix. By E. G. Squier, A- M. Smithsonian Contribu- 

 tions, Vol. II. 



