238 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



City and Mr William Blueskye of the Cattaraugue reservation. The 

 new site chosen, called Double Wall Fort, was, like the former one, 

 situated on the Cattaraugus Indian reservation. Not only was it the 

 most available of the sites in the vicinity, but it is one of the best 

 preserved aboriginal earthworks in the State of New York. Beau- 

 champ mentions it, 1 but there is no trace of previous exploration 

 nothing but a few small holes dug near the wall of the fort. The 

 Indians, however, report the finding of celts and other implements 

 in the vicinity. 



This site occupies the top of a high bluff on the farm of David 

 Patterson, a Seneca Indian, on the south side of Cattaraugus creek, 

 about iy 2 miles downstream from the little village of Versailles, 

 Cattaraugus county. Almost opposite but a little farther down- 

 stream is the mouth of Clear creek; back of the site and a few 

 hundred yards distant is the " Jackson Schoolhouse " known also as 

 " Indian School No. 10." 



The bluff or plateau is a part of the south terrace of Cattaraugus 

 creek which, in the form of bold bluffs of gravel or slaty cliffs, 

 extends from the vicinity of Gowanda nearly to Irving, broken only 

 by occasional ravines where some stream enters the main creek. Far 

 across the broad flood plains,- iJ/ miles distant, may be seen the 

 opposite or northern line of similar terraces, from the direction of 

 which the silver ribbon of Clear creek comes winding to join the 

 Cattaraugus. Between the two lines of terraces lie the rich alluvial 

 fields of the Seneca Indians. 



The ancient stronghold lies on a long flat-topped point almost 

 separated from the rest of the terrace by a deep ravine in the bottom 

 of which flows a small brook, entering the Cattaraugus at a very 

 acute angle in such a way that the point is directed downstream. 



The whole terrace at this point is composed of coarse gravel and 

 sand, underlaid at the creek's edge by blue clay. In spite of their 

 being sandy the banks are steep and the ascent of the point is very 

 difficult, either from the creek or the gully. The top of the bluff 

 is about 50 feet or more above the creek level. Between the Cat- 

 taraugus and the bluff proper is a broad talus slope, becoming flat at 

 the creek side. 



This narrow strip of flat land is, according to the Indians, the rem- 

 nant of what was a good sized field once lying at the foot of the 

 bluff but since washed away by the creek in its wild spring freshets. 

 The only easy access to the top of the promontory is by means of 



1 Beauchamp, Aboriginal Occupation of New York, p. 34. 



