78 CLINTON ON THE ANTIQUITIES 
was soon digested, and the time and- manner of attack agreed upon. A 
little before day-break on All saints day, 1669—the little colony, together 
with the Spaniards, were aroused from their slumbers by the roaring of fire 
arms, and the dismal war-whoop of the savages. Every house was immediately 
fired, or broken open; and such as attempted to escape from the flames, only 
met a more untimely death in the tomahawk. Merciless multitudes over- 
powered the little band, and the Europeans were soon either lost in death or 
writhing in their blood—and such was the furious prejudice of the savages 
that not one escaped or was left alive to relate the sad disaster. ‘Thus perish- 
ed the little colony whose labours have excited so much wonder and 
curiosity. 
The French in Canada, on making inquiries respecting the fate of their 
friends, were informed by the Indians that they had gone towards the south 
with a company of people who came from thence, and at the same time 
showing a Spanish coat of arms and other national trinkets, confirmed the 
Canadian French in the opinion that their unfortunate countrymen had in- 
deed gone thither, and in all probability perished in the immense forests. 
This opinion was also measurably confirmed by a Frenchman, who had 
long lived with the Senecas, and who visited the Onondagas at the time 
the Spaniards were at the village, but left before the disaster, and could only 
say that he had seen them there. 
The old fortifications were erected previous to European intercourse. 
The indians are ignorant by whom they were made: and in the wars 
which took place in this country, it is probable that they were occupied as 
strong holds by all the belligerents. And it is likely that the ruins of Eu- 
ropean works of a different construction may be found in he same way that 
Roman and British fortifications are to be seen in the vicinity of each other 
in Great Britain. It is remarkable that our ancient forts resemble the old 
British and Danish. Penant, in his tour in Scotland, says ‘‘ On the hill near 
a certain spot is a circular British entrenchment, and I was told of others of 
a square form at a few miles distance, I suppose Roman.” And in his 
tour through Wales he describes “a strong British post on the summit of 
