OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 7 



sented. They regard the earth as their cosmogonic mother, and declare 

 their origin to have been in caves, or in some other manner within its 

 depths. They consider themselves, generally, as aborigines. By one 

 authority they climbed up the roots of a large vine from the interior to 

 the surface of the earth ; b)- another, they casually saw light, while 

 imder ground, from the top of a cavern in the earth. Most of the tribes 

 plant themselves on traditions of local origin. Seeing many quadrupeds, 

 Avhich burrow in the earth, they acknowledge a similar and mysterious 

 relatioij. Tecumseh affirmed, in accordance Avith this notion, that the 

 earth A\'as his mother; and Michabon held that the birds and beasts were 

 his brothers. A few of the tribes, North and South, have something of 

 a traditional value to add to these notions, expressive of an opinion of 

 foreign origin. 



Sir Alexander Mackenzie in his voj-^ages among the Arctic tribes relates 

 of the Chepeweyans, that "thej^ have a tradition that they originally 

 came from another country, inhabited by very wicked people, and had 

 traversed a great lake, which was narrow and shallow, and full of islands, 

 where the}'' had suffered great miser}-, it being always winter, with ice and 

 deep snow."' " Their progress (the great Athapasca family) is easterly, and 

 according to their own tradition, they came from Siberia ; agreeing in 

 dress and manners with the people now found upon the coasts of Asia.'' 



John Johnston, for many years agent of the Shawanoes, an Algonquin 

 tribe, says: "The people of this nation have a tradition that their ances- 

 tors crossed the sea. They are the only tribe Avitli which I am acquainted, 

 who admit a foreign origin. Until lately they kept 3'early sacrifices for 

 their safe arrival in this country. From where they came, or at what 

 period they arrived in America, they do not know. It is a prevailing 

 opinion among them that Florida had been inhabited by white people, 

 who had the use of iron tools. Blackhoof (a celebrated chief) affirms 

 tljat he has often heard it spoken of by old people, that stumps of trees, 

 covered with earth, were frequently found, which had been cut down by 

 edged tools." "It is somewhat doubtful," says Johnston at a subsequent 

 ])ag"e, " whether the deliverance which they celebrate has any other refe- 

 ence, than to the crossing of some great river, or an arm of the sea." 



Montezuma^ told Cortez of a foreign connection between the Aztec 

 race and the nations of the Old World. His speech is as follows : "I 

 would have you to understand before you begin your discourse, that we 

 are not ignorant, or stand in need of 3^our persuasions, to believe that the 

 great prince you obey, is descended from our ancient Quetzalcoatl, Lord 

 of the Seven Caves of the Navatlaques, and lawful king of those seven 

 nations which gave beginning to our Mexican empire. By one of his 

 prophecies, which we receive as an infallible truth, and by a tradition of 

 1 History of the Conquest of Mexico. Book ITT. — p. 01. 



