[lighthall] HOCHELAGANS AND MOHAWKS 209 



One of them actually took up a handful of the soil and called attention 

 to its goodness ; and they also directly connected themselves in a positive 

 manner with the Hochelagans by the dates and circumstances indicated 

 in their remai'ks as above interpreted. The use of the term " Algonquin " 

 concerning them is very ambiguous and as they were merged among 

 Algonquin tribes they were no doubt accustomed to use that language. 

 Their Huron-Iroquois name, the fact that they were put forward to 

 intei'pret to the Iroquois in Champlain's first excursion ; and that a 

 portion of them had joined the Iroquois, another portion the Hurons, and 

 the rest remained a little band by themselves, seem to add convincingly 

 to the proof that they were not true Algonquins. Their two names 

 " Onontchataronons " and " Iroquet " are Iroquois. The ending " Onons " 

 (Onwe) means "men " and is not properly part of the name. Charlevoix 

 thought them Iliirons, from their name. They were a very small band 

 and, while mentioned several times in the Jesuit Relations, had dis- 

 appeared by the end of the seventeenth century from active history. 

 It was doubtless imjDossible for a remnant so placed to maintain them- 

 selves against the great Iroquois war parties. 



A minor question to suggest itself is whether there is any connection 

 between the names *• Iroquet" and "Iroquois". Were they originally 

 forms of the same word ? Or were they two related names of divisions 

 of a people ? Certainly two closely related peoples have these closely 

 similar names. They were as clearly used as names of distinct tribes 

 however, in the seventeenth century. The derivation of "Iroquois"' 

 given by Charlevoix from " hiro " — " I have spoken " does not seem at 

 all likely ; but the analogy of the first syllables of the names Er-itS 

 Hur-ons, Hir-oquois, Ir-oquet and Cherokee may have something in it. 



The Iroquets or Hochelagans attributed their gi'eat disaster, — the 

 destruction of their towns and dispossession of their island, — to the 

 Hurons, but Charlevoix' records an Algonquin victory over them which 

 seems to have preceded, and contributed to, that event, though the late- 

 ness of Charlevoix renders the story not so reliable in detail as the per- 

 sonal recollections of the Iroquets above given : His story^ given " on the 

 authority of those most versed in the old histoiy of the country", pro- 

 ceeds as follows : "Some Algonquins were at war with the Onontcharonnons 

 better known under the name of Tribe of Iroquet, and whose former resi- 

 dence was, it is said, in the Island of Montreal. The name they bear pro- 

 claims, they were of Huron speech ; nevertheless it is claimed that it was 

 the Hurons who drove them from their ancient country, and who in part 

 destroyed them. However that may bo, they were at the time I speak 

 of, at war with the Algonquins, who, to finish this war at one stroke, 

 thought oi a stratagem, which succeeded ". This stratagem was an 



1 Journal, Vol. I., pp. 162-4. 



2 Journal Historique d'un Voyage à L'Am., Lettre VI. 



