HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 339 



The Cayugas, 40 miles beyond, had a pipe for their symbol. 

 The Senecas were the farthest and most numerous of the Iro- 

 quois, with several towns and symbols, of which little could be 

 understood. 



The sachem's authority was greatest in the most distant 

 nations. Nearer by he had but little. Sachems were usually 

 chosen in public assemblies, but some had office by inheritance. 

 The chief sachem was often called king. 



The Indians north of the St Lawrence, west of the Great lakes, 

 on the New England coast and in Ohio, spoke a language radi- 

 cally the same and could communicate ; while the Six Nations 

 in their midst could not convey a single idea to them, or speak 

 a word of their language correctly. They had no letters, but 

 used hieroglyphics, of which he gave instances. Red was a sign 

 of war ; castles were square white figures ; alliances were shown 

 by human figures holding a belt ; a hatchet meant war ; and 

 their totems showed their names or clans. 



The Rev. Charles Inglis had visited Johnson in 1770, and in 

 1771 wrote a memorial to the British prime minister on con- 

 verting and civilizing the Indians, to which Guy Johnson added 

 a map of their country, having many interesting features. The 

 memorial embodied much of Johnson's own experience and 

 ideas. Inglis had this '' copied out fair in a good hand, and in 

 a quarto size ; and having a marble cover, with Col. Johnson's 

 accurate map prefixed, it made a handsome looking pamphlet." 



Meanwhile the Rev. Mr Stuart was preaching acceptably to 



the English, Dutch and Mohawks, and acquiring the Mohawk 



language. The following winter he visited Joseph Brant at 



Canajoharie, who afterward lived with him and aided in new 



, translations and revisions. When they had finished the Gospel 



j of St Mark, part of the Acts, a short history of the Bible, an 



j explanation of the catechism, and some additions to the Mohawk 



i prayer book, Stuart had orders to have them printed in New York 



!at the expense of the S. P. G. The Revolution prevented this, 



!but he took the manuscripts to Canada and gave them to Col. 



Daniel Claus, who afterward took them to England. Part of 



