54 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



Two young men climbed Tuscarora hill, north of 

 the Cowanesque, to find the "top of the world/' That 

 was in 1836 and they were about 17 years old. One 

 was Nehemiah French, my father ; the other was John 

 Churchill, my mother's eldest brother. They decided 

 to inquire of Chingachkung, the old Indian at Academy 

 Corners, how to find the peak they sought. The In- 

 dian pondered a while and then began his legend: 

 When the world was young, IMoqua, the ruler of the 

 rivers, dwelt there and raised his children. Cowan, 

 the delighted, departed toward the morning, until he 

 met and wedded Tioghnioga, near our village. Gen- 

 esee went toward the pole-star, fell over the cliffs and, 

 at last, leaped into the arms of the Almighty, Ontario ; 

 Oswayo went to the northwestward and wedded Hon- 

 eyoye; Ohe-Yu novv^ called Allegheny departed on a 

 long journey, toward the evening star, where he met 

 and wedded Gahela, daughter of the mighty Monon of 

 the southern mountains. Tiadaghton went toward the 

 south and was taken for wife of Shamoque, brother of 

 the crooked river — the Susquehanna. The beautiful 

 Hopah, the pigeon, chose to wed with Alanitto, and she 

 dvvelt everywhere. Then the boys found the top of the 

 world, where the rivers start from. 



