﻿AN 
  ERIE 
  INDIAN 
  VILLAGE 
  AND 
  BURIAL 
  SITE 
  527 
  

  

  Lake 
  Erie 
  between 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  Neutrals 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  

   of 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  east 
  to 
  the 
  western 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  Genesee, 
  westward 
  to 
  

   the 
  western 
  watershed 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  and 
  the 
  Miami 
  river 
  and 
  

   southward 
  to 
  the 
  Ohio 
  river. 
  In 
  the 
  Relation 
  of 
  1647-48 
  we 
  find 
  

   the 
  following 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  Erie 
  country: 
  

  

  This 
  lake, 
  called 
  . 
  Erie, 
  was 
  formerly 
  inhabited 
  on 
  its 
  Southern 
  

   shores 
  by 
  certain 
  tribes 
  whom 
  we 
  call 
  the 
  nation 
  of 
  the 
  Cat; 
  and 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  compelled 
  to 
  retire 
  far 
  inland 
  to 
  escape 
  their 
  enemies, 
  

   who 
  are 
  farther 
  to 
  the 
  West. 
  These 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  Cat 
  Nation 
  have 
  

   a 
  number 
  of 
  stationary 
  villages, 
  for 
  they 
  till 
  the 
  soil 
  and 
  speak 
  the 
  

   same 
  language 
  as 
  our 
  Hurons. 
  

  

  Under 
  title 
  of 
  " 
  Description 
  of 
  the 
  Country 
  of 
  the 
  Hurons 
  " 
  in 
  

   the 
  Relation 
  of 
  1653 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  following 
  paragraph: 
  

  

  , 
  Beyond 
  that 
  same 
  neutral 
  nation, 
  in 
  a 
  direction 
  nearly 
  South, 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  lake 
  600 
  miles 
  in 
  circumference, 
  called 
  Herie, 
  formed 
  by 
  

   the 
  fresh-water 
  sea, 
  which 
  discharges 
  into 
  it, 
  — 
  and 
  thence 
  by 
  

   means 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  cataract, 
  into 
  a 
  third 
  lake 
  still 
  greater 
  and 
  

   more 
  beautiful; 
  it 
  is 
  called 
  Ontario 
  or 
  Beautiful 
  Lake, 
  but 
  we 
  were 
  

   wont 
  to 
  call 
  it 
  the 
  Lake 
  of 
  Saint 
  Louis. 
  The 
  former 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  

   lakes 
  was 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  inhabited 
  toward 
  the 
  south 
  by 
  certain 
  peoples 
  

   whom 
  we 
  call 
  the 
  Cat 
  Nation 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  forced 
  to 
  proceed 
  

   further 
  inland 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  escape 
  the 
  enemies 
  whom 
  they 
  have 
  

   toward 
  the 
  West. 
  This 
  Nation 
  has 
  various 
  territories, 
  cultivates 
  

   the 
  fields, 
  and 
  speaks 
  a 
  language 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  Hurons. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Relation 
  of 
  1654 
  there 
  is 
  still 
  further 
  reference: 
  

  

  They 
  (the 
  Iroquois) 
  tell 
  us 
  that 
  a 
  new 
  war 
  has 
  broken 
  out, 
  which 
  

   fills 
  them 
  with 
  fear, 
  that 
  the 
  Eries 
  have 
  taken 
  arms 
  against 
  them 
  

   (we 
  call 
  the 
  Eries 
  the 
  Cat 
  Nation, 
  because 
  there 
  is 
  in 
  their 
  country 
  

   a 
  prodigious 
  number 
  of 
  wildcats, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  our 
  

   tame 
  cats, 
  but 
  having 
  a 
  beautiful 
  and 
  precious 
  fur). 
  They 
  tell 
  us 
  

   that 
  an 
  Iroquois 
  town 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  set 
  on 
  fire 
  and 
  destroyed 
  

   at 
  the 
  first 
  attack; 
  that 
  this 
  nation 
  pursued 
  one 
  of 
  their 
  armies 
  

   which 
  was 
  returning 
  victorious 
  from 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Lake 
  Huron, 
  

   fell 
  upon 
  the 
  rear 
  guard 
  of 
  80 
  picked 
  men 
  and 
  entirely 
  cut 
  it 
  to 
  

   pieces 
  ; 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  their 
  most 
  distinguished 
  chiefs, 
  Annenraes, 
  has 
  

   been 
  taken 
  prisoner; 
  in 
  a 
  word 
  that 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  are 
  inflamed, 
  and 
  

   are 
  arming 
  to 
  repulse 
  the 
  enemy, 
  and 
  are, 
  therefore, 
  obliged 
  to 
  seek 
  

   peace 
  with 
  us. 
  

  

  This 
  Cat 
  Nation 
  is 
  very 
  populous. 
  Some 
  Hurons, 
  who 
  have 
  

   scattered 
  everywhere 
  since 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  their 
  country, 
  have 
  

   ioined 
  them, 
  and 
  excited 
  this 
  war, 
  which 
  alarms 
  the 
  Iroquois. 
  It 
  

   is 
  said 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  2000 
  men, 
  good 
  warriors, 
  though 
  without 
  

   firearms. 
  But 
  they 
  fight 
  like 
  the 
  French, 
  enduring 
  courageously 
  the 
  

   first 
  discharge 
  of 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  who 
  have 
  firearms, 
  and 
  then 
  pouring 
  

   down 
  upon 
  them 
  a 
  hail 
  of 
  poisoned 
  arrows, 
  which 
  they 
  can 
  shoot 
  

   off 
  six 
  or 
  eight 
  times 
  before 
  the 
  others 
  can 
  reload 
  their 
  musket?. 
  

  

  