ABORIGINAL OCCUPATION OF NEW YORK 21 



etons are contained, and which, except in the absence of remains 

 of European art^ differ in no respect from the cemeteries found 

 in connection with the abandoned modern towns and castles of the 

 Indians. . . I am aware that the remnants of the Indian stock 

 which still exist in the state, generally profess total ignorance of 

 these works. I do not however attach much importance to this 

 circumstance. When we consider the extreme Hkelihood of the 

 forgetfulness of ancient practices^ in the lapse of 300 years, the lack 

 of knowledge upon this point is the weakest of all negative evi- 

 dence." 



The writer is fully in accord with Mr Squier on all these points, 

 and can not forbear quoting a story from Schoolcraft's report on 

 the Iroquois, page 211, "Abraham Le Fort says that Ondiaka was 

 the great chronicler of his tribe. He had often heard him speak 

 of the traditions of his father. On his last journey to Oneida he 

 accompanied him.. As they passed south by Jamesville and Pom- 

 pey^ Ondiaka told him that in ancient times, and before they fixed 

 down at Onondaga; they lived at these spots. That it was before 

 the Five Nations had confederated, but while they kept up a 

 separate existence and fought with each other. At length they 

 confederated, and then the fortifications were no longer necessary 

 and fell into disuse. This is the origin, he believes, of these old 

 works, which are not of foreign origin." They actually passed the 

 villages of 1654 and 1696. Other traditions were still farther out 

 of the way. 



Mr Squier states his change of opinion on pages 11 and 140: 

 ** Misled by statements which no opportunity was afforded of veri- 

 fying, I have elsewhere though in a guarded manner ventured the 

 opinion that the ancient remains of western New York belonged 

 to the same system with those of Ohio and the west generally. . . 

 In full view of the facts before presented, I am driven to a conclu- 

 sion little anticipated when I started upon my exploration of the 

 monuments of the state, that the earthworks of western New York 

 were erected by the Iroquois or their western neighbors, and 

 do not possess an antiquity going very far back of the discovery." 

 He thought the small earthworks of northerrx Ohio belonged to 



