HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK HWQUOIS 153 



would have brought succeeding towns well into the Dutch period, 

 and would account for the abundant European ornaments. The 

 earlier ones may have come from the French in Canada. Their 

 vessels haunted the lower St Lawrence, trading with the natives, 

 who carried their wares far inland. There is full proof of this. 



Some time should be allowed for the Mohawks' exodus ; but 

 from Champlain's account their war with the remaining Canadian 

 Indians should be dated about 1570, and the Algonquin expulsion 

 from Montreal varied little. The grandsire of one of the Algon- 

 quins of 1642 had lived there, and 70 years is ample time to allow 

 for this. The dates may then be 1560 for the withdrawal of the 

 Mohawks, a little later for the occupancy of their valley, and 

 some interval may have elapsed before forming the league. It is 

 customar}^ to date the statement of Pyrlaeus from Hudson's 

 voyage, but that explorer probably saw no Mohawks and it 

 seems more reasonable to count from active trade with the 

 Dutch, or the founding of Fort Orange. The true date of the 

 confederacy seems to lie between the years 1570 and 1600. 



One more statement may help us. Bearing in mind the num- 

 bers of the Iroquois and their frequent removals, any experienced 

 person can see that their coming into New York can not be placed 

 very far back, for the number and character of the sites will not 

 allow this. A brief period covers the longest occupation of any 

 early site, but some forts were inhabited but a few weeks. A 

 good observer can sometimes closely determine the time. His- 

 tory aids us a little here. The Iroquois and Hurons were closely 

 related, the Mohawks being a recent ofifshoot of the latter. In 

 the Relation of 1639 it is said of the Hurons : 



The general or common name of these nations, according to 

 the language of the country, is Ouendat ; the individual names 

 are Attignaouantan, Attigneenongnahac, Arendahronons, and 

 Tohontaenrat. The first two are the two most considerable, as 

 having received and adopted the others into their country. The 

 one within fifty years in this, and the other within thirty. The 

 first two speak Avith assurance of the dwelling of their ancestors, 

 and of the different situations of their villages for more than two 

 hundred years, for, as it may be observed in preceding Relations, 

 they are obliged to change their place at least every ten years. 



