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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ground on both sides of the foundation, the upper ends of which 

 cross each other and are joined together. In the upper crossing of 

 the palisades they then place the bodies of trees, which makes the 

 work strong and firm. Van der Donck, 5 : 197 



This made a double stockade and required no deep holes. Figure 

 12 shows a section of this form. A shallow trench, or anything to 

 hold the base of the pickets temporarily in position, was all that 

 was needed. The Iroquois favored the double or triple stockade as 

 a rule; but, when they had the white man's tools, it became easier 

 to make a single stockade, as they could then use larger posts and 

 dig deeper holes. So Greenhalgh found some Mohawk towns thus 

 defended in 1677. In 1634 Van Curler mentioned but one stockade 

 among them, that of Tenotoge, the fourth castle or town. Of this 

 he said: 



This castle has been surrounded by three rows of palisades, but I 

 did not see anything peculiar about them, but that six or seven pieces 

 were so thick that it was quite a wonder that savages should be 

 able to do that. Wilson, p.90 



He gave however a good account of the Oneida castle as it 

 appeared that year. He came westward from the lower Mohawk 

 river to that town and said : 



We marched boldly to the castle, where the savages opened to let 

 us pass, and so we marched through them by the gate, which was 

 2^/2 feet wide, and at the top were standing three big wooden images, 

 of cut wood, like men, and with them I saw three scalps fluttering 

 in the wind, that they had taken from their foes as a token of the 

 truth of their victory. This castle has two gates, one on the east 

 and one on the west side. On the east side a lock of hair [scalp] 

 was also hanging ; but this gate was 1 y 2 feet smaller than the other 

 one. . . This castle is situated on a very high hill, and was 

 surrounded with two rows of palisades. It was 767 paces in cir- 

 cumference. Wilson, p.93 



The most interesting of all the Iroquois forts was the one attacked 

 by Champlain in 161 5, and of which he spoke highly, saying it was 

 stronger and better built than those of the Hurons, from which it 

 differed. It was not naturally defended, being on a broad stretch 

 of low land among the hills, and extending into a shallow pond, 

 where holes could not be dug. Perhaps from its accessible position, 

 unusual pains had been taken to strengthen it. 



