274 



NEW YORK STATE .MUSELWl 



There is good reason for ihiiikiiig them part of the Massawomekes of 

 Captain John Smith's narrative. Early ^vriters made these any part of the 

 Five Nations, but later students, to identify them, as in the case of the 

 Entouhonorons, with both Eries and Senecas, these being firm friends until 

 1653. Captain John Smith met these fierce enemies of Powhatan in their 

 bark canoes on Chesapeake bay in 1608. The general description is that of 

 an Iroquois war party, though the name of course is Algonquin. That he 

 did not understand their language makes this almost certain. He bought 

 some of their weapons and increased his reputation by showing these, the 

 Virginia tribes supposing he had taken them by force. But a Maryland 

 trader went to the Massawomekes in 1632, and there remains no doubt that 

 this name included the Eries and the Senecas, then or pre\iously allied. They 

 had palisades of great trees about their villages with galleries at the top. 



Destruction of the Erie. One of the most picturesque and 

 tragic accounts of these people is given in the Relation of 1655-56. 

 It is the story of their destructioir. In the account they are called 

 the Cat Nation (La Nation du Chat). The Jesuit account is with- 

 out doubt essentially correct and differs in many respects from the 

 rather fanciful Seneca tradition. In one particular both accounts 

 agree, and that is that the Erie brought destruction upon themselves 

 by their own folly. 



The account as given in the Thwaite's edition of the Relations 

 follows : 



CAUSE OF WAR AGAINST THE CAT NATION 



The Cat Nation had sent 30 Ambassadors to the Sonnontouahronnons to 

 confirm the peace between them ; but it happened that by some unexpected 

 accident, that a Sonnontouahronnon was killed by a man of the Cat Nation. 

 This murder so incensed the Sonnontouahronnons, that they put to death the 

 Ambassadors in their hands, except five who escaped. Hence the war was 

 kindled lietween those two nations, and each strove to capture and burn more 

 prisoners than its opponent. Two Onnontagehronncns among others were 

 captured by men of the Cat Nation ; one of them escaped and the other, a 

 man of rank, was taken home by the enemy to be burnt. He pleaded his 

 cause so well that he was given to the sister of one of the 30 Ambassadors 

 who had been put to death. She was absent from the village at the time; 

 but the prisoner was nevertheless clothed in fine garments, and feasting and 

 good cheer prevailed, the man being all but assured that he would be sent 

 back to his own country. When she to whom he had been given returned, 

 she was told that her dead brother was to be restored to life, that she must 

 prepare to regale him well, and then to give him a most gracious dismissal. 

 She, however, began to weep and declare that she would never dry her eyes 

 until her brother's death was avenged. The elders showed her the gravity 

 of the situation, which was likely to involve them in a new war; but she 

 would not yield. Finally they were compelled to give up the wretched man 

 to her to do with him as she pleased. All this occurred while he was still 



