Chap. I.] THE IROQUOIS. i 



actors in the events of the ensuing narrative, de- 

 mand a closer attention. 



THE IROQUOIS FAMILY. 



Foremost in war, foremost in eloquence, foremost 

 in their savage arts of policy, stood the fierce peo- 

 ple called by themselves the Hodenosaunee, and 

 by the French the Iroquois, a name which has 

 since been applied to the entire family of which 

 they formed the dominant member.^ They extend- 

 ed their conquests and their depredations from 

 Quebec to the Carolinas, and from the western 

 prairies to the forests of Maine.^ On the south, 

 they forced tribute from the subjugated Delawares, 

 and pierced the mountain fastnesses of the Chero- 



1 A great difficulty in the study of Indian history arises from a redun- 

 dancy ofnames employed to designate the same tnbe ; yet this does not 



nee A;uanu!cio,;i, Aggonnonshioni. Ongwe Honwe, Meogwe, Ma.uas, 

 Mahaquase, Massawomecs, Palenachendch.esktajeet. 



The name of Massawomecs has been apphed to several "l^**" ■»*='] 

 of Mingoes is often restricted toa colony of the Iroquo.s which estahUshed 



""■fFrrncors^^lUknown Indian belonging to the remnant of the Pe- 

 nobsc!;:rng at Old Town> Maine, told me mt.s^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

 that a tradition was cm-rent, among ins P^^t^thm MoTo-st a tribe of 

 ancient times by the Mohawks, or, as - f "^"l^* ^^ ,"„; „,„ ,„<, 

 the Iroquois, who destroyed one of *'='' ™'^''';' , hke apples, before 



with great wrath and earnestness, '' Mohog all devil. 



