﻿134 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  seem 
  to 
  have 
  first 
  settled 
  in 
  that 
  region, 
  as 
  it 
  were 
  coming 
  out 
  of 
  

   the 
  ground, 
  for 
  others 
  of 
  their 
  people 
  followed. 
  This 
  tradition 
  

   is 
  probable 
  and 
  well 
  sustained. 
  They 
  say 
  they 
  came 
  from 
  the 
  

   north, 
  along 
  the 
  St 
  Lawrence, 
  whence 
  straggling 
  bands 
  followed 
  

   their 
  pioneers. 
  In 
  process 
  of 
  time, 
  urged 
  by 
  the 
  war, 
  others 
  came, 
  

   all 
  then 
  seeking 
  the 
  highlands, 
  and 
  were 
  called 
  Onondagas 
  from 
  

   their 
  home 
  on 
  the 
  hills 
  where 
  they 
  found 
  a 
  safe 
  refuge. 
  Their 
  

   further 
  tradition 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  gradual 
  occupation, 
  the 
  Bear 
  

   and 
  Wolf 
  tribes 
  originating 
  near 
  Oswego 
  Falls, 
  the 
  Beaver 
  and 
  

   Heron 
  or 
  Snipe 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario, 
  the 
  Eel 
  and 
  Turtle 
  

   on 
  Seneca 
  river, 
  and 
  the 
  Deer 
  and 
  Hawk 
  on 
  the 
  Onondaga 
  hills. 
  

   An 
  Onondaga 
  chief 
  once 
  testified 
  that 
  they 
  came 
  to 
  Onondaga 
  

   by 
  way 
  of 
  Oriskany, 
  and 
  some 
  may 
  have 
  done 
  so. 
  

  

  Both 
  Clark 
  and 
  Schoolcraft 
  mention 
  a 
  tradition 
  that 
  the 
  

   Oneidas 
  originated 
  with 
  some 
  Onondagas, 
  who 
  left 
  their 
  homes 
  

   and 
  settled 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Oneida 
  creek, 
  removing 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Munnsville, 
  and 
  thence 
  to 
  Oneida 
  Castle. 
  The 
  objec- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Mohawks 
  in 
  every 
  

   way, 
  and 
  that 
  their 
  homes 
  at 
  the 
  lake 
  and 
  Oneida 
  Castle 
  were 
  

   settled 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  18th 
  century, 
  and 
  not 
  before 
  the 
  

   league 
  was 
  formed. 
  

  

  Except 
  the 
  simple 
  one 
  of 
  David 
  Cusick 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  tradition 
  of 
  

   Cayuga 
  origin, 
  but 
  they 
  probably 
  entered 
  New 
  York 
  from 
  the 
  

   west, 
  with 
  or 
  preceding 
  the 
  Senecas. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  Seneca 
  tradition 
  is 
  well 
  known, 
  relating 
  that 
  that 
  

   nation 
  had 
  its 
  first 
  seat 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  hill 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Canandaigua 
  

   lake. 
  No 
  remains 
  of 
  importance 
  are 
  known 
  there, 
  and 
  the 
  serpent 
  

   story 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  Bare 
  hill 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  shore, 
  

   where 
  was 
  an 
  early 
  fort. 
  Briefly 
  the 
  tale 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  curious 
  snake, 
  

   caught 
  and 
  brought 
  home 
  by 
  a 
  boy, 
  which 
  developed 
  an 
  enormous 
  

   appetite 
  and 
  grew 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  size. 
  Lying 
  outside 
  the 
  gate, 
  he 
  

   devoured 
  the 
  inmates 
  as 
  they 
  came 
  forth, 
  till 
  only 
  a 
  boy 
  and 
  

   girl 
  were 
  left. 
  The 
  boy 
  destroyed 
  the 
  monster 
  with 
  a 
  charmed 
  

   arrow 
  and 
  recovered 
  many 
  of 
  his 
  friends, 
  but 
  all 
  sought 
  a 
  new 
  

   home. 
  One 
  explanation 
  of 
  this 
  favorite 
  Iroquois 
  tale 
  is 
  that 
  

   the 
  fort 
  was 
  besieged 
  by 
  a 
  powerful 
  foe, 
  or 
  that 
  something 
  near 
  

  

  