14 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



The western edge of the confederacy was located a 4- or 5-day 

 journey (about 30 or 40 leagues) directly south of Huronia, at about 

 the latitude of 42.5 degrees (calculated from Ste. Marie at about 

 44°25'') (JE 20: 95; 21: 189, 205-207; 33: 61-63; S 158). From the 

 westernmost Neutral villages to the mouth of the river of the comitry 

 that emptied into Lake Ontario [Lake St. Louys ( JR 33 : 63) ] was a 

 4-day journey south or southeast. In this area were most of the 

 Neutral villages, although three or four were east of the [Niagara] 

 river (Onguiaahra), ranging from east to west, toward the 

 Nation of the Cat ( JR 21 : 189-191) . The extent of the country men- 

 tioned above was 40 or 50 leagues (JR 33: 63). 



The tribe of Neutrals nearest the Huron was the Aondironnons, a 

 great many of whom were killed in 1647 by the Seneca ( JR 33 : 81-83) . 



One of the associate nations of the Neutral, the Wenrohronon 

 [Ahouenrochrhonons (JR 8: 115), Weanohronons (JR 16: 253), 

 Wenroronons (JR 17: 37), Awenrehronon (JR 21: 233)]", was 

 located near the boundary with the Iroquois and joined the Huron 

 about 1638 (JR 16: 253; 17: 25). This occurred after the Neutral 

 had severed their relationship with the Wenrohronon leaving them 

 prey to their enemies. As they would have been exterminated if they 

 had remained, the Wenrohronon sent a delegation to the Huron to 

 ask if they might join them. The Huron agreed to this, knowing the 

 Wenrohronon would help defend the Huron countiy. As a result of 

 these negotiations, over 600 people, most of whom were women and 

 children, made the journey of more than 80 leagues to Huronia 

 assisted by the Huron, -sdio escorted them, helped carry their house- 

 hold goods and children, and defended them against their enemies. 

 In spite of this, many Wenrohronons died on the way and nearly all 

 of the remainder were sick either when they arrived or shortly there- 

 after. The newcomers were distributed in the principal villages of 

 Huronia, most of them remaining in the village in which the Jesuits 

 lived, one of the largest in the country. In all these villages, they 

 were given the best places in the houses and corn from the granaries 

 ( JR 17 : 25-29) . Five years later the chief of these people led a band 

 of 300 warriors ( JR 26 : 273) . 



Although the Neutrals were neutral in respect to the Iroquois and 

 Huron, they had their bitter enemies, especially the Nation of Fire 

 [Atsistaehronons (JR 20: 61), Athistaeronnon (JR 30: 89), Assita- 

 gueronon, asslsta- meaning 'fire' in Huron and -eronon meaning 

 'tribe' (S 67)] (JR 20: 61; 21: 195; S 157-158). The Fire Nation 

 people were speakers of an Algonquian language, not an Iroquoian one 

 ( JR 21 : 125 ; 27 : 27) and were a large group, larger than all the Neu- 



" Although it would seem likely on the basis of the material in the Jesuit Relations 

 that the Wenrohronon was a tribe in the Neutral League, Hewitt (1907 b: 430-431) 

 thought that it was either an independent tribe or confederated with the Erie. 



