224 Affliquilfes of Ntu-'Yo)'k. 



The town of Pompey, in the county of Onondaga, is tlie high- 

 est ground of that countiy, and divides the waters whicli fto\^ 

 into the bay of Chesapeake and the gulf of St. Lawrence. The 

 most elevated parts of the town exhibit the remains of ancierit 

 settlements, and in various Other parts of it, the vestiges of a 

 numerous population appear. About two miles south from Man- 

 lius square, and in the town of Pompey, I examined the remains 

 of a large town, which were obviously indicated by large spots 

 of black mould in regular intervals of a few paces distant, in 

 which I observed bones of animals', ashes^ carbonized beans or 

 grains of Indian corn, denoting the resid*^nce of human beings. 

 This town must have extended at least half a mrle from east to 

 west, and three qt;arlers of a mile from north to south. This ex- 

 tent I could determine with considerable accuracy from my own 

 vii^w, but ! was as.-;uied by a gentleman of veracity, that its 

 length from east 1o west was one mile. A town covering up- 

 ward.-^ of five hundred acres must have contained a population 

 gveatly transcending all'our ideas of credibility. A mile to the 

 east of the settlement there is aburying-ground containing three 

 or four acres, and close to the west end there is another. This 

 town was on elevated ground; about twelve miles distartt from 

 the Salt Springs of Onondaga; rfnd was well calculated for de- 

 fence. On the east side, there is a perpendicular descent of one 

 hundred feet into a deep ravine, through which a fine stream 

 Mows, and on the nonth side, a similar one. There are three old 

 forts distant about eight miles from each other, and forming- a 

 triangle which encloses the town ; one a mile south of the pre- 

 sent village of Jamesville, and the other north-east and south- 

 east in Pompey ; and they were, in all probability, erected to 

 cover the town and to protect the inhabitants against the attacks 

 of an enemy. All these forts are of a circular or elliptical form ; 

 tihere are bones scattered all over the ground ; an ash tree grow- 

 ing, on it was cut down, and the concentric circles showed it to 

 be ninety-three years old. On a heap of mouldered ashes, com- 

 posing the site of a large house, I saw a white pine tree, eight 

 aad a half feet in circumference, and at least one hundred and 

 thii'ty years old. On the line of the north side, the town was- 



