BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 279 



Even in the Huron country they were not safe. Ten years 

 later their village was burned by the Iroquois and its people, 

 once more homeless, was scattered. Some fled with the rem- 

 nant of the Hurons. Some were taken captive by the Iroquois 

 war-parties and carried back to New York. Many years later 

 Father Gamier found amongst the Senecas in the mission of St. 

 Michael, an "old man of the Ouenro nation" whom he bap- 

 tized, (1). 



Before leaving their homes on the Niagara Frontier, these 

 Wenrohronons had been in touch to some extent with Europeans. 

 The Jesuits in their Relation of 1653 complained bitterly that 

 the Wenrohronons who had lately come into the country had 

 formerly traded with the "English, Dutch and other heretical 

 Europeans" (2) and that these had warned the Wenrohronons 

 against the ' 'Black-robes' ' who were, they said, ' 'wicked people' ' . 

 Evidently traders from Albany before 1639, had entered their 

 country. 



The exact location of their country can only be inferred. 

 Father Lalement said that they lived on the boundaries of the 

 Neutral Nation "toward the Iroquois". 



The Senecas. 



The Seneca Nation when first known to Europeans, occu- 

 pied a region Eastward of the Genesee River with outposts on 

 that river and west of it. They were of Iroquoian stock and like 

 all the others of that family they were sedentary, warlike, cruel 

 and ambitious. A war, not of their own making finally drove 

 them from their seats on the Genesee River and they settled on 

 the Niagara Frontier. 



The meaning of the name "Seneca" is unknown. The 

 Dutch who first used it probably heard it used by the Algonkins 

 along the Hudson River; and its root seems to be the Algonkin 

 word "sinni", meaning "to eat". It perhaps carries the same 

 grim meaning as does its kindred name "Mohawk", the "eaters 

 of men. This meaning, however, is doubtful. 



The Delawares are alleged to have applied to them the name 

 "Sinako", meaning "Mountain snake", but their Delaware 



i. Jes. Rel., 1673, Vol. 57, P. 197, Burrows ed. 

 2. Jes. Rel. 1653, Vol. 39, P. 141, Burrows ed. 



