298 THE INDIAN OCCUPANCY 



1829 and 1842 most had removed to reservations granted to 

 them by the Canadian Government. As late as 1850, however, 

 the last deer on Grand Island is said to have been killed by a 

 Missisauga hunter. 



At the present time they number about 800 persons. They 

 live on reservations at Alnwick, New Credit, Scugog Lake, Rice 

 Lake and Chemong Lake. Those at New Credit are skillful 

 farmers. Many others are skilled in the manufacture of articles 

 of birch-bark and sweet-grass, which they ornament artistically 

 with primitive designs in beads and porcupine quills. 



The Eries. 



Our knowledge of the occupation of the Niagara Frontier 

 by the Eries is based upon history and tradition. Excepting 

 possible traders who left no record of their visits, no European 

 seems to have visited their country. What little we know of 

 them came through the Jesuit missionaries, who received their 

 information from their Neutral and Seneca charges. 



The Erie cation is first mentioned by Father Ragueneau. 

 In his relation of 1647 he says: (1) "This lake called Erie was 

 formerly inhabited by certain tribes whom we call the Nation of 

 the Cat; 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". 



By the French, this Erie Nation was called also "Eri", (2) 

 and their country Erie, Rigue and Rique. With the ending 

 "ronon" meaning "nation" we find it spelled Rhierrhonon, Erie- 

 chronon and Errieronon. Cusick calls the nation "Kauneasto- 

 karoneah or Erians". The Hurons called them "Yenresh". 

 The Iroquois called them "Otkon", (3). 



The Eries belonged to the Huron- Iroquois family and spoke 

 a Huron dialect. They lived like their kindred, in stationary 

 villages. They were harassed by enemies on their western fron- 

 tier and in the first half of the 17th century they had already 

 abandoned their homes on the shores of Lake Erie and had 

 moved inland. They were brave and warlike, and though they 



1. Jes. Rels. 1647, Vol. 33, P. 63. Burrows edition. 



2. Hand-book of American Indians, P. 430. 



3. O. H Marshall, Manuscript notes, at Buffalo Hist. Soc Library. 



