EARTHENWARE OF THE NEW YORK ABORIGINES 8$ 



In another material, a stone pipe from Lake Moira, Canada, closely 

 resembles a slender and peculiar clay pipe from Brewerton, N. Y., 

 the very slender stem projecting at but a slight angle from the 

 bowl. 



A long bowled pipe, with a thin flaring edge^ and horizontal 

 groove in front, has been found in Vermont, and is a frequent New 

 York form. Clay pipes are rare east of Lake Champlain_, but some 

 would be expected there, as it was an early Iroquois hunting 

 ground, and their war parties frequently traversed the lake, but 

 usually on the western side. In fact wherever they went the early 

 Iroquois carried some articles of clay. They possibly gained some- 

 thing from captives, but their distinctive achievement at about the 

 end of the i6th century, and during a score or more of years after- 

 wards, was the decoration of the angles of vessels with human faces 

 or figures. About the same time the Onondagas added to these a 

 few curious and unique pipes. 



For many years we have made a careful record and comparison 

 of even the ornamented fragments of pottery^ placing side by side 

 those from different sites. While there may be a general agree- 

 ment there will often be suggestive differences, sufficient to show a 

 difference in the people or age. At the same time there may appear 

 a close correspondence in certain unusual ornaments, revealing a 

 close relationship in places far apart. We look for these resem- 

 blances and differences in more striking articles or features, but 

 the simple lines, dots and indentations of New York pottery may 

 help us much. 



While giving a sufficient number of typical forms of vessels, neces- 

 sarily much reduced, much attention will be paid to mere ornament 

 in this paper. Representative specimens have been selected from 

 thousands of examples, unique or common, which will give a fair 

 idea of this feature of aboriginal art. Within the proposed limits 

 it can only be representative, but it may lead many to a study which 

 has been too much neglected, and bring about valuable results. In 

 preliminary work of this kind it will happen that some features of 

 interest will not appear, either because unknown or inaccessible. 

 The reader who observes the omission will then understand just 



