Conclusion.--Review of her Life.--Reflections on the loss of
Liberty.--Care she took to preserve her Health.--Indians' abstemiousness
in Drinking, after the French War.--Care of their Lives, &c.--General
use of Spirits--Her natural Strength.--Purchase of her first Cow.--Means
by which she has been supplied with Food.--Suspicions of her having been
a Witch.--Her Constancy.--Number of Children.--Number Living.--Their
Residence.--Closing Reflection.
When I review my life, the privations that I have suffered, the
hardships I have endured, the vicissitudes I have passed, and the
complete revolution that I have experienced in my manner of living;
when I consider my reduction from a civilized to a savage state, and the
various steps by which that process has been effected, and that my life
has been prolonged, and my health and reason spared, it seems a miracle
that I am unable to account for, and is a tragical medley that I hope
will never be repeated.
The bare loss of liberty is but a mere trifle when compared with the
circumstances that necessarily attend, and are inseparably connected
with it. It is the recollection of what we once were, of the friends,
the home, and the pleasures that we have left or lost; the anticipation
of misery, the appearance of wretchedness, the anxiety for freedom, the
hope of release, the devising of means of escaping, and the vigilance
with which we watch our keepers, that constitute the nauseous dregs of
the bitter cup of slavery. I am sensible, however, that no one can pass
from a state of freedom to that of slavery, and in the last situation
rest perfectly contented; but as every one knows that great exertions
of the mind tend directly to debilitate the body, it will appear obvious
that we ought, when confined, to exert all our faculties to promote our
present comfort, and let future days provide their own sacrifices. In
regard to ourselves, just as we feel, we are.
For the preservation of my life to the present time I am indebted to
an excellent constitution, with which I have been blessed in as great a
degree as any other person. After I arrived to years of understanding,
the care of my own health was one of my principal studies; and by
avoiding exposures to wet and cold, by temperance in eating, abstaining
from the use of spirits, and shunning the excesses to which I was
frequently exposed, I effected my object beyond what I expected. I have
never once been sick till within a year or two, only as I have related.
Spirits and tobacco I have never used, and I have never once attended an
Indian frolic. When I was taken prisoner, and for sometime after that,
spirits was not known; and when it was first introduced, it was in small
quantities, and used only by the Indians; so that it was a long time
before the Indian women begun to even taste it.
After the French war, for a number of years, it was the practice of the
Indians of our tribe to send to Niagara and get two or three kegs of
rum, (in all six or eight gallons,) and hold a frolic as long as it
lasted. When the rum was brought to the town, all the Indians collected,
and before a drop was drank, gave all their knives, tomahawks, guns, and
other instruments of war, to one Indian, whose business it was to bury
them in a private place, keep them concealed, and remain perfectly
sober till the frolic was ended. Having thus divested themselves, they
commenced drinking, and continued their frolic till every drop was
consumed, If any of them became quarrelsome, or got to fighting, those
who were sober enough bound them upon the ground, where they were
obliged to lie till they got sober, and then were unbound. When the
fumes of the spirits had left the company, the sober Indian returned
to each the instruments with which they had entrusted him, and all went
home satisfied. A frolic of that kind was held but once a year, and
that at the time the Indians quit their hunting, and come in with their
deer-skins.
In those frolics the women never participated. Soon after the
revolutionary war, however, spirits became common in our tribe, and
has been used indiscriminately by both sexes; though there are not so
frequent instances of intoxication amongst the squaws as amongst the
Indians.
To the introduction and use or that baneful article, which has made such
devastation in our tribes, and threatens the extinction of our people,
(the Indians,) I can with the greatest propriety impute the whole of my
misfortune in losing my three sons. But as I have before observed, not
even the love of life will restrain an Indian from sipping the poison
that he knows will destroy him. The voice of nature, the rebukes of
reason, the advice of parents, the expostulations of friends, and the
numerous instances of sudden death, are all insufficient to reclaim
an Indian, who has once experienced the exhilarating and inebriating
effects of spirits, from seeking his grave in the bottom of his bottle!
My strength has been great for a woman of my size, otherwise I must long
ago have died under the burdens which I was obliged to carry. I learned
to carry loads on my back, in a strap placed across my forehead, soon
after my captivity; and continue to carry in the same way. Upwards of
thirty years ago, with the help of my young children, I backed all the
boards that were used about my house from Allen's mill at the outlet
of Silver Lake, a distance of five miles. I have planted, hoed, and
harvested corn every season but one since I was taken prisoner. Even
this present fall (1823) I have husked my corn and backed it into the
house.
The first cow that I ever owned, I bought of a squaw sometime after the
revolution. It had been stolen from the enemy. I had owned it but a few
days when it fell into a hole, and almost died before we could get it
out. After this, the squaw wanted to be recanted, but as I would not
give up the cow, I gave her money enough to make, when added to the sum
which I paid her at first, thirty-five dollars. Cows were plenty on the
Ohio, when I lived there, and of good quality.
For provisions I have never suffered since I came upon the flats; nor
have I ever been in debt to any other hands than my own for the plenty
that I have shared.
My vices, that have been suspected, have been but few. It was believed
for a long time, by some of our people, that I was a great witch; but
they were unable to prove my guilt, and consequently I escaped the
certain doom of those who are convicted of that crime, which, by
Indians, is considered as heinous as murder. Some of my children had
light brown hair, and tolerable fair skin, which used to make some say
that I stole them; yet as I was ever conscious of my own constancy,
I never thought that any one really believed that I was guilty of
adultery.
I have been the mother of eight children; three of whom are now living,
and I have at this time thirty-nine grand children, and fourteen
great-grand children, all living in the neighborhood of Genesee River,
and at Buffalo.
I live in my own house, and on my own land with my youngest daughter,
Polly, who is married to George Chongo, and has three children.
My daughter Nancy, who is married to Billy Green, lives about 80 rods
south of my house, and has seven children.
My other, daughter, Betsey, is married to John Green, has seven
children, and resides 80 rods north of my house.
Thus situated in the midst of my children, I expect I shall soon leave
the world, and make room for the rising generation. I feel the weight
of years with which I am loaded, and am sensible of my daily failure in
seeing, hearing and strength; but my only anxiety is for my family. If
my family will live happily, and I can be exempted from trouble while I
have to stay, I feel as though I could lay down in peace a life that has
been checked in almost every hour, with troubles of a deeper dye, than
are commonly experienced by mortals.
APPENDIX.
An account of the destruction of a part of the British Army, by the
Indians, at a place called the Devil's Hole, on the Niagara River, in
the year 1763.
It is to be regretted that an event of so tragical a nature as the
following, should have escaped the pens of American Historians, and
have been suffered to slide down the current of time, to the verge
of oblivion, without having been snatched almost from the vortex
of forgetfulness, and placed on the faithful page, as a memorial of
premeditated cruelties, which, in former times, were practised upon the
white people, by the North American Savages.
Modern History, perhaps, cannot furnish a parallel so atrocious in
design and execution, as the one before us, and it may be questioned,
even if the history of ancient times, when men fought hand to hand, and
disgraced their nature by inventing engines of torture, can more than
produce its equal.
It will be observed in the preceding narrative, that the affair at
the Devil's Hole is said to have happened in November, 1759. That Mrs.
Jemison arrived at Genesee about that time, is rendered certain from a
number of circumstances; and that a battle was fought on the Niagara in
Nov. 1759, in which two prisoners and some oxen were taken, and brought
to Genesee, as she has stated, is altogether probable. But it is equally
certain that the event which is the subject of this article, did not
take place till the year 1763.
In the time of the French war, the neighborhood of Forts Niagara and
Sclusser, (or Schlosser, as it was formerly written,) on the Niagara
river, was a general battle-ground, and for this reason, Mrs. Jemison's
memory ought not to be charged with treachery, for not having been able
to distinguish accurately, after the lapse of sixty years, between the
circumstances of one engagement and those of another. She resided on
the Genesee at the time when the warriors of that tribe marched off to
assist in laying the ambush at the Devil's Hole; and no one will doubt
her having heard them rehearse the story of the event of that nefarious
campaign, after they returned.
Chronology and history concur in stating that Fort Niagara was taken
from the French, by the British, and that Gen. Prideaux was killed on
the 25th of July, 1759.
Having obtained from Mrs. Jemison a kind of introduction to the story, I
concluded that if it yet remained possible to procure a correct account
of the circumstances which led to and attended that transaction,
it would be highly gratifying to the American public, I accordingly
directed a letter to Mr. Linus S. Everett, of Buffalo, whose ministerial
labor, I well knew, frequently called him to Lewiston, requesting him to
furnish me with a particular account of the destruction of the British,
at the time and place before mentioned. He obligingly complied with my
request, and gave me the result of his inquiries on that subject, in the
following letter:--
Copy of a letter from Mr. Linus S. Everett, dated Fort Sclusser, 29th
December, 1823.
_Respected and dear friend_,
I hasten, with much pleasure, to comply with your request, in regard to
the affair at the Devil's Hole. I have often wondered that no authentic
account has ever been given of that bloody and tragical scene.
I have made all the inquiries that appear to be of any use, and proceed
to give you the result.
At this place, (Fort Sclusser,) an old gentleman now resides, to whom
I am indebted for the best account of the affair that can be easily
obtained. His name is Jesse Ware--his age about 74. Although he was not
a resident of this part of the country at the time of the event, yet
from his intimate acquaintance with one of the survivors, he is able to
give much information, which otherwise could not be obtained.
The account that he gives is as follows:--In July, 1759, the British,
under Sir William Johnston, took possession of Forts Niagara and
Sclusser, which had before been in the hands of the French. At this
time, the Seneca Indians, (which were a numerous and powerful nation,)
were hostile to the British, and warmly allied to the French. These
two posts, (viz.) Niagara and Sclusser, were of great importance to the
British, on the account of affording the means of communication with the
posts above, or on the upper lakes. In 1760, a contract was made between
Sir William Johnston and a Mr. Stedman, to construct a portage road from
Queenston landing to Fort Sclusser, a distance of eight miles, in order
to facilitate the transportation of provision, ammunition, &c. from
one place to the other. In conformity to this agreement, on the 20th of
June, 1763, Stedman had completed his road, and appeared at Queenston
Landing, (now Lewiston,) with twenty-five portage wagons, and one
hundred horses and oxen, to transport to Fort Sclusser the king's
stores.
At this time Sir William Johnston was suspicious of the intentions of
the Senecas; for after the surrender of the forts by the French, they
had appeared uneasy and hostile. In order to prevent the teams, drivers
and goods, receiving injury, he detached 300 troops to guard them
across the portage. The teams, under this escort, started from Queenston
landing--Stedman, who had the charge of the whole, was on horse back,
and rode between the troops and teams; all the troops being in front.
On a small hill near the Devil's Hole, at that time, was a redoubt
of twelve men, which served as a kind of guard on ordinary occasions,
against the depredations of the savages. "On the arrival of the troops
and teams at the Devil's Hole," says a manuscript in the hands of my
informant, "the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Seneca Indians,
sallied from the adjoining woods, by thousands, (where they had been
concealed for some time before, for that nefarious purpose,) and falling
upon the troops, teams and drivers, and the guard of twelve men before
mentioned, they killed all the men but three on the spot, or by driving
them, together with the teams, down the precipice, which was about
seventy or eighty feet! The Indians seized Stedman's horse by the
bridle, while he was on him, designing, no doubt, to make his sufferings
more lasting than that of his companions: but while the bloody scene was
acting, the attention of the Indian who held the horse of Stedman being
arrested, he cut the reins of his bridle--clapped spurs to his horse,
and rode over the dead and dying, into the adjacent woods, without
receiving injury from the enemy's firing. Thus he escaped; and besides
him two others--one a drummer, who fell among the trees, was caught by
his drum strap, and escaped unhurt; the other, one who fell down the
precipice and broke his thigh, but crawled to the landing or garrison
down the river." The following September, the Indians gave Stedman a
piece of land, as a reward for his bravery.
With sentiments of respect, I remain, sir, your sincere friend, L. S.
EVERETT.
_Mr. J. E. Seaver_.
* * * * *
A particular account of General Sullivan's Expedition against the
Indians, in the western part of the State of New-York, in 1779.
It has been thought expedient to publish in this volume, the following
account of Gen. Sullivan's expedition, in addition to the facts related
by Mrs. Jemison, of the barbarities which were perpetrated upon Lieut.
Boyd, and two others, who were taken, and who formed a part of his army,
etc. A detailed account of this expedition has never been in the
hands of the public; and as it is now produced from a source deserving
implicit credit, it is presumed that it will be received with
satisfaction.
John Salmon, Esq. to whom we are happy to acknowledge our indebtedness
for the subjoined account, is an old gentleman of respectability and
good standing in society; and is at this time a resident in the town of
Groveland, Livingston county, New-York. He was a hero in the American
war for independence; fought in the battles of his country under the
celebrated Morgan; survived the blast of British oppression; and now, in
the decline of life, sits under his own well earned vine and fig-tree,
near the grave of his unfortunate countrymen, who fell gloriously, while
fighting the ruthless savages, under the command of the gallant Boyd.
In the autumn after the battle at Monmouth, (1778,) Morgan's riflemen,
to which corps I belonged, marched to Schoharie, in this state of
New-York, and there went into winter quarters. The company to which I
was attached, was commanded by Capt. Michael Simpson; and Thomas Boyd,
of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, was our Lieutenant.
In the following spring, our corps, together with the whole body of
troops under the command of Gen. Clinton, to the amount of about 1500,
embarked in boats at Schenectady, and ascended the Mohawk as far as
German Flats. Thence we took a direction to Otsego lake, descended the
Susquehanna, and without any remarkable occurrence, arrived at Tioga
Point, where our troops united with an army of 1500 men under the
command of Gen. Sullivan, who had marched through a part of New-Jersey,
and had reached that place by the way of Wyoming, some days before us.
That part of the army under Gen. Sullivan, had, on their arrival at
Tioga Point, found the Indians in some force there, with whom they had
had some unimportant skirmishes before our arrival. Upon the junction
of these two bodies of troops, Gen. Sullivan assumed the command of the
whole, and proceeded up the Tioga. When within a few miles of the place
now called Newtown, we were met by a body of Indians, and a number of
troops well known in those times by the name of Butler's Rangers, who
had thrown up, hastily, a breastwork of logs, trees, &c. They were,
however, easily driven from their works, with considerable loss on their
part, and without any injury to our troops. The enemy fled with so
much precipitation, that they left behind them some stores and camp
equippage. They retreated but a short distance before they made a stand,
and built another breastwork of considerable length, in the woods, near
a small opening. Sullivan was soon apprized of their situation, divided
his army, and attempted to surround, by sending one half to the right
and the other to the left, with directions to meet on the opposite
side of the enemies. In order to prevent their retreating, he directed
bomb-shells to be thrown over them, which was done: but on the shells
bursting, the Indians suspected that a powerful army had opened a heavy
fire upon them on that side, and fled with the utmost precipitation
through one wing of the surrounding army. A great number of the enemy
were killed, and our army suffered considerably.
The Indians having, in this manner, escaped, they went up the river to
a place called the Narrows, where they were attacked by our men, who
killed them in great numbers, so that the sides of the rocks next the
river appeared as though blood had been poured on them by pailfulls. The
Indians threw their dead into the river, and escaped the best way they
could.
From Newtown our army went directly to the head of the Seneca lake;
thence down that lake to its mouth, where we found the Indian village at
that place evacuated, except by a single inhabitant--a male child about
seven or eight years of age, who was found asleep in one of the Indian
huts. Its fate I have never ascertained. It was taken into the care of
an officer of the army, who, on account of ill health, was not on duty,
and who took the child with him, as I have since understood, to his
residence on or near the North river.
From the mouth of Seneca lake we proceeded, without the occurrence of
any thing of importance, by the outlets of the Canandaigua, Honeoye, and
Hemlock lakes, to the head of Connissius lake, where the army encamped
on the ground that is now called Henderson's Flats.
Soon after the army had encamped, at the dusk of the evening, a party of
twenty-one men, under the command of Lieut. Boyd, was detached from the
rifle corps, and sent out for the purpose of reconnoitering the ground
near the Genesee river, at a place now called Williamsburg, at a
distance from the camp of about seven miles, under the guidance of
a faithful Indian pilot. That place was then the site of an Indian
village, and it was apprehended that the Indians and Rangers might be
there or in that vicinity in considerable force.
On the arrival of the party at Williamsburg, they found that the Indian
village had been recently deserted, as the fires in the huts were still
burning. The night was so far spent when they got to their place of
destination, that Lieutenant Boyd, considering the fatigue of his men,
concluded to remain during the night near the village, and to send two
men messengers with a report to the camp in the morning. Accordingly,
a little before daybreak, he despatched two men to the main body of the
army, with information that the enemy had not been discovered.
After day-light, Lieut. Boyd cautiously crept from the place of his
concealment, and upon getting a view of the village, discovered two
Indians hovering about the settlement: one of whom was immediately shot
and scalped by one of the riflemen, whose name was Murphy. Supposing
that if there were Indians in that vicinity, or near the village, they
would be instantly alarmed by this occurrence, Lieut. Boyd thought it
most prudent to retire, and make the best of his way to the general
encampment of our army. They accordingly set out and retraced the steps
which they had taken the day before, till they were intercepted by the
enemy.
On their arriving within about one mile and a half of the main army,
they were surprized by the sudden appearance of a body of Indians, to
the amount of five hundred, under the command of the celebrated Brandt,
and the same number of Rangers, commanded by the infamous Butler, who
had secreted themselves in a ravine of considerable extent, which lay
across the track that Lieut. Boyd had pursued.
Upon discovering the enemy, and knowing that the only chance for
escape was by breaking through their line, (one of the most desperate
enterprizes ever undertaken,) Lieut. Boyd, after a few words of
encouragement, led his men to the attempt. As extraordinary as it may
seem, the first onset, though unsuccessful, was made without the loss of
a man on the part of the heroic band, though several of the enemy were
killed. Two attempts more were made, which were equally unsuccessful,
and in which the whole party fell, except Lieut. Boyd, and eight others.
Lieut. Boyd and a soldier by the name of Parker, were taken prisoners on
the spot, a part of the remainder fled, and a part fell on the ground,
apparently dead, and were overlooked by the Indians, who were too much
engaged in pursuing the fugitives to notice those who fell.
When Lieut. Boyd found himself a prisoner, he solicited an interview
with Brandt, whom he well knew commanded the Indians. This Chief, who
was at that moment near, immediately presented himself, when Lieut.
Boyd, by one of those appeals which are known only by those who have
been initiated and instructed in certain mysteries, and which never fail
to bring succor to a "distressed brother," addressed him as the only
source from which he could expect a respite from cruel punishment or
death. The appeal was recognized, and Brandt immediately, and in the
strongest language, assured him that his life should be spared.
Lieut. Boyd, and his fellow-prisoner, Parker, were immediately conducted
by a party of the Indians to the Indian village called Beard's Town, on
the west side of Genesee river, in what is now called Leicester. After
their arrival at Beard's Town, Brandt, their generous preserver, being
called on service which required a few hours absence, left them in the
care of the British Col. Butler, of the Rangers; who, as soon as Brandt
had left them, commenced an interrogation, to obtain from the prisoners
a statement of the number, situation and intentions of the army
under Gen. Sullivan; and threatened them, in case they hesitated or
prevaricated in their answers, to deliver them up immediately to
be massacred by the Indians, who, in Brandt's absence, and with the
encouragement of their more savage commander, Butler, were ready to
commit the greatest cruelties. Relying, probably, on the promises which
Brandt had made them, and which he undoubtedly meant to fulfil, they
refused to give Butler the desired information. Butler, upon this,
hastened to put his threat into execution. They were delivered to some
of their most ferocious enemies, who, after having put them to very
severe torture, killed them by severing their heads from their bodies.
The main army, immediately after hearing of the situation of Lieut.
Boyd's detachment, moved on towards Genesee river, and finding the
bodies of those who were slain in Boyd's heroic attempt to penetrate
through the enemy's line, buried them in what is now the town of
Groveland, where the grave is to be seen at this day.
Upon their arrival at the Genesee river, they crossed over, scoured the
country for some distance on the river, burnt the Indian villages on
the Genesee flats, and destroyed all their corn and other means of
subsistence.
The bodies of Lieut. Boyd and Parker were found and buried near the bank
of Beard's creek, under a bunch of wild plum-trees, on the road, as it
now runs, from Moscow to Geneseo. I was one of those who committed to
the earth the remains of my friend and companion in arms, the gallant
Boyd.
Immediately after these events the army commenced its march back, by the
same route that it came, to Tioga Point; thence down the Susquehanna to
Wyoming; and thence across the country to Morristown, New-Jersey, where
we went into winter quarters.
Gen. Sullivan's bravery is unimpeachable. He was unacquainted, however,
with fighting the Indians, and made use of the best means to keep them
at such a distance that they could not be brought into an engagement. It
was his practice, morning and evening, to have cannon fired in or near
the camp, by which the Indians were notified of their speed in marching,
and of his situation, and were enabled to make a seasonable retreat.
The foregoing account, according to the best of my recollection is
strictly correct.
JOHN SALMON.
Groveland, January 24, 1824.
Esq. Salmon was formerly from Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and
was first Serjeant in Capt. Simpson's and Lieut. Boyd's company.
Tradition of the Origin of the Seneca Nation.--Their Preservation
from utter extinction.--The Means by which the People who preceded the
Senecas were destroyed--and the Cause of the different Indian Languages.
The tradition of the Seneca Indians, in regard to their origin, as
we are assured by Capt. Horatio Jones, who was a prisoner five years
amongst them, and for many years since has been an interpreter, and
agent for the payment of their annuities, is that they broke out of the
earth from a large mountain at the head of Canandaigua Lake, and that
mountain they still venerate as the place of their birth; thence they
derive their name, "Ge-nun-de-wah," [Footnote: This by some is spoken
Ge-nun-de-wah-gauh.] or Great Hill, and are called "The Great Hill
People," which is the true definition of the word Seneca.
The great hill at the head of Canandaigua lake, from whence they sprung,
is called Genundewah, and has for a long time past been the place where
the Indians of that nation have met in council, to hold great talks, and
to offer up prayers to the Great Spirit, on account of its having been
their birth place; and also in consequence of the destruction of a
serpent at that place, in ancient time, in a most miraculous manner,
which threatened the destruction of the whole of the Senecas, and barely
spared enough to commence replenishing the earth.
The Indians say, says Capt. Jones, that the fort on the big hill, or
Genundewah, near the head of Canandaigua lake, was surrounded by a
monstrous serpent, whose head and tail came together at the gate. A long
time it lay there, confounding the people with its breath. At length
they attempted to make their escape, some with their hommany-blocks, and
others with different implements of household furniture; and in marching
out of the fort walked down the throat of the serpent. Two orphan
children, who had escaped this general destruction by being left some
time before on the outside of the fort, were informed by an oracle of
the means by which they could get rid of their formidable enemy--which
was, to take a small bow and a poisoned arrow, made of a kind of willow,
and with that shoot the serpent under its scales. This they did, and
the arrow proved effectual; for on its penetrating the skin, the serpent
became sick, and extending itself rolled down the hill, destroying all
the timber that was in its way, disgorging itself and breaking wind
greatly as it went. At every motion, a human head was discharged, and
rolled down the hill into the lake, where they lie at this day, in a
petrified state, having the hardness and appearance of stones.
To this day the Indians visit that sacred place, to mourn the loss
of their friends, and to celebrate some rites that are peculiar to
themselves. To the knowledge of white people there has been no timber
on the great hill since it was first discovered by them, though it lay
apparently in a state of nature for a great number of years, without
cultivation. Stones in the shape of Indians' heads may be seen lying
in the lake in great plenty, which are said to be the same that were
deposited there at the death of the serpent.
The Senecas have a tradition, that previous to, and for some time after,
their origin at Genundewah, this country, especially about the lakes,
was thickly inhabited by a race of civil, enterprizing and industrious
people, who were totally destroyed by the great serpent, that afterwards
surrounded the great hill fort, with the assistance of others of the
same species; and that they (the Senecas) went into possession of the
improvements that were left.
In those days the Indians throughout the whole country, as the Senecas
say, spoke one language; but having become considerably numerous, the
before mentioned great serpent, by an unknown influence, confounded
their language, so that they could not understand each other; which was
the cause of their division into nations, as the Mohawks, Oneidas, &c.
At that time, however, the Senecas retained their original language,
and continued to occupy their mother hill, on which they fortified
themselves against their enemies, and lived peaceably, till having
offended the serpent, [Footnote: The pagans of the Senecas believe that
all the little snakes were made of the blood of the great serpent, after
it rolled into the lake.] they were cut off as before stated.
* * * * *
OF THEIR RELIGION--FEASTS--AND GREAT SACRIFICE.
Perhaps no people are more exact observers of religious duties than
those Indians among the Senecas, who are denominated pagans, in
contradistinction from those, who, having renounced some of their
former superstitious notions, have obtained the name of Christians. The
traditionary faith of their fathers, having been orally transmitted to
them from time immemorial, is implicitly believed, scrupulously adhered
to, and rigidly practised. They are agreed in their sentiments--are
all of one order, and have individual and public good, especially among
themselves, for the great motive which excites them to attend to those
moral virtues that are directed and explained by all their rules, and in
all their ceremonies.
Many years have elapsed since the introduction of Christian Missionaries
among them, whom they have heard, and very generally understand the
purport of the message they were sent to deliver. They say that it is
highly probable that Jesus Christ came into the world in old times,
to establish a religion that would promote the happiness of the white
people, on the other side of the great water, (meaning the sea,) and
that he died for the sins of his people, as the missionaries have
informed them: But, they say that Jesus Christ had nothing to do
with them, and that the Christian religion was not designed for their
benefit; but rather, should they embrace it, they are confident it would
make them worse, and consequently do them an injury. They say, also,
that the Great Good Spirit gave them their religion; and that it is
better adapted to their circumstances, situation and habits, and to
the promotion of their present comfort and ultimate happiness, than any
system that ever has or can be devised. They, however, believe, that
the Christian religion is better calculated for the good of white people
than theirs is; and wonder that those who have embraced it, do not
attend more strictly to its precepts, and feel more engaged for its
support and diffusion among themselves. At the present time, they are
opposed to preachers or schoolmasters being sent or coming among them;
and appear determined by all means to adhere to their ancient customs.
They believe in a Great Good Spirit, (whom they call in the Seneca
language Nau-wan-e-u,) as the Creator of the world, and of every good
thing--that he made men, and all inoffensive animals; that he supplies
men with all the comforts of life; and that he is particularly partial
to the Indians, whom they say are his peculiar people. They also believe
that he is pleased in giving them (the Indians) good gifts; and that he
is highly gratified with their good conduct--that he abhors their vices,
and that he is willing to punish them for their bad conduct, not only
in this world, but in a future state of existence. His residence,
they suppose, lies at a great distance from them, in a country that is
perfectly pleasant, where plenty abounds, even to profusion. That there
the soil is completely fertile, and the seasons so mild that the corn
never fails to be good--that the deer, elk, buffalo, turkies, and other
useful animals, are numerous, and that the forests are well calculated
to facilitate their hunting them with success--that the streams are
pure, and abound with fish: and that nothing is wanting, to render
fruition complete. Over this territory they say Nauwaneu presides as an
all-powerful king; and that without counsel he admits to his pleasures
all whom he considers to be worthy of enjoying so great a state of
blessedness.
To this being they address prayers, offer sacrifices, give thanks for
favors, and perform many acts of devotion and reverence.
They likewise believe that Nauwaneu has a brother that is less powerful
than himself, and who is opposed to him, and to every one that is or
wishes to be good: that this bad Spirit made all evil things, snakes,
wolves, catamounts, and all other poisonous or noxious animals and
beasts of prey, except the bear, which, on the account of the excellence
of its meat for food, and skin for clothing, they say was made by
Nauwaneu. Besides all this they say he makes and sends them their
diseases, bad weather and bad crops, and that he makes and supports
witches. He owns a large country adjoining that of his brother, with
whom he is continually at variance. His fields are unproductive; thick
clouds intercept the rays of the sun, and consequently destructive
frosts are frequent; game is very scarce, and not easily taken; ravenous
beasts are numerous; reptiles of every poisoned tooth lie in the path
of the traveller; streams are muddy, and hunger, nakedness and general
misery, are severely felt by those who unfortunately become his tenants.
He takes pleasure in afflicting the Indians here, and after their death
receives all those into his dreary dominions, who in their life time
have been so vile as to be rejected by Nauwaneu, under whose eye they
are continued in an uncomfortable state forever. To this source of
evil they offer some oblations to abate his vengeance, and render
him propitious. They, however, believe him to be, in a degree, under
subjection to his brother, and incapable of executing his plans only by
his high permission.
Public religious duties are attended to in the celebration of particular
festivals and sacrifices, which are observed with circumspection and
attended with decorum.
In each year they have five feasts, or stated times for assembling in
their tribes, and giving thanks to Nauwaneu, for the blessings which
they have received from his kind and liberal and provident hand; and
also to converse upon the best means of meriting a continuance of
his favors. The first of these feasts is immediately after they have
finished sugaring, at which time they give thanks for the favorable
weather and great quantity of sap they have had, and for the sugar that
they have been allowed to make for the benefit of their families. At
this, as at all the succeeding feasts, the Chiefs arise singly, and
address the audience in a kind of exhortation, in which they express
their own thankfulness, urge the necessity and propriety of general
gratitude, and point out the course which ought to be pursued by each
individual, in order that Nauwaneu may continue to bless them, and that
the evil spirit may be defeated.
On these occasions the Chiefs describe a perfectly straight line, half
an inch wide, and perhaps ten miles long, which they direct their people
to travel upon by placing one foot before the other, with the heel of
one foot to the toe of the other, and so on till they arrive at the end.
The meaning of which is, that they must not turn aside to the right hand
or to the left into the paths of vice, but keep straight ahead in the
way of well doing, that will lead them to the paradise of Nauwaneu.
The second feast is after planting; when they render thanks for
the pleasantness of the season--for the good time they have had for
preparing their ground and planting their corn; and are instructed by
their Chiefs, by what means to merit a good harvest.
When the green corn becomes fit for use, they hold their third, or green
corn feast. Their fourth is celebrated after corn harvest; and the fifth
at the close of their year, and is always celebrated at the time of the
old moon in the last of January or first of February. This last deserves
a particular description.
The Indians having returned, from hunting, and having brought in all the
venison and skins that they have taken, a committee is appointed,
says Mrs. Jemison, consisting of from ten to twenty active men, to
superintend the festivities of the great sacrifice and thanksgiving that
is to be immediately celebrated. This being done, preparations are
made at the council-house, or place of meeting, for the reception and
accommodation of the whole tribe; and then the ceremonies are commenced,
and the whole is conducted with a great degree of order and harmony,
under the direction of the committee.
Two white dogs, [Footnote: This was the practice in former times; but at
present I am informed that only one dog is sacrificed.] without spot or
blemish, are selected (if such can be found, and if not, two that have
the fewest spots) from those belonging to the tribe, and killed near the
door of the council-house, by being strangled. A wound on the animal or
an effusion of blood, would spoil the victim, and render the sacrifice
useless. The dogs are then painted red on their faces, edges of their
ears, and on various parts of their bodies, and are curiously decorated
with ribbons of different colors, and fine feathers, which are tied and
fastened on in such a manner as to make the most elegant appearance.
They are then hung on a post near the door of the council-house, at the
height of twenty feet from the ground.
This being done, the frolic is commenced by those who are present, while
the committee run through the tribe or town, and hurry the people to
assemble, by knocking on their houses. At this time the committee are
naked, (wearing only a breech-clout,) and each carries a paddle, with
which he takes up ashes and scatters them about the house in every
direction. In the course of the ceremonies, all the fire is extinguished
in every hut throughout the tribe, and new fire, struck from the flint
on each hearth, is kindled, after having removed the whole of the ashes,
old coals, &c. Having done this, and discharged one or two guns, they go
on, and in this manner they proceed till they have visited every house
in the tribe. This finishes the business of the first day.
On the second day the committee dance, go through the town with
bear-skin on their legs, and at every time they start they fire a gun.
They also beg through the tribe, each carrying a basket in which to
receive whatever may be bestowed. The alms consist of Indian tobacco,
and other articles that are used for incense at the sacrifice.
Each manager at this time carries a dried tortoise or turtle shell,
containing a few beans, which he frequently rubs on the walls of the
houses, both inside and out. This kind of manoeuvering by the committee
continues two or three days, during which time the people at the
council-house recreate themselves by dancing.
On the fourth or fifth day the committee make false faces of husks, in
which they run about, making a frightful but ludicrous appearance.
In this dress, (still wearing the bear-skin,) they run to the
council-house, smearing themselves with dirt, and bedaub every one who
refuses to contribute something towards filling the baskets of incense,
which they continue to carry, soliciting alms. During all this time they
collect the evil spirit, or drive it off entirely, for the present, and
also concentrate within themselves all the sins of their tribe, however
numerous or heinous.
On the eighth or ninth day, the committee having received all the sin,
as before observed, into their own bodies, they take down the dogs, and
after having transfused the whole of it into one of their own number,
he, by a peculiar slight of hand, or kind of magic, works it all out of
himself into the dogs. The dogs, thus loaded with all the sins of the
people, are placed upon a pile of wood that is directly set on fire.
Here they are burnt, together with the sins with which they were loaded,
surrounded by the multitude, who throw incense of tobacco or the like
into the fire, the scent of which they say, goes up to Nauwaneu, to whom
it is pleasant and acceptable.
This feast continues nine days, [Footnote: At present, as I have been
informed, this feast is not commonly held more than from five to seven
days. In former times, and till within a few years, nine days were
particularly observed.] and during that time the Chiefs review the
national affairs of the year past; agree upon the best plan to be
pursued through the next year, and attend to all internal regulations.
On the last day, the whole company partake of an elegant dinner,
consisting of meat, corn and beans, boiled together in large kettles,
and stirred till the whole is completely mixed and soft. This mess is
devoured without much ceremony--some eat with a spoon, by dipping out of
the kettles; others serve themselves in small dippers; some in one way,
and some in another, till the whole is consumed. After this they perform
the war dance, the peace dance, and smoke the pipe of peace; and then,
free from iniquity, each repairs to his place of abode, prepared to
commence the business of a new year. In this feast, temperance is
observed, and commonly, order prevails in a greater degree than would
naturally be expected.
They are fond of the company of spectators who are disposed to be
decent, and treat them politely in their way; but having been frequently
imposed upon by the whites, they treat them generally with indifference.
* * * * *
OF THEIR DANCES.
Of these, two only will be noticed. The war dance is said to have
originated about the time that the Six Nations, or Northern Indians,
commenced the old war with the Cherokees and other Southern Indian
Nations, about one hundred years ago.
When a tribe, or number of tribes of the Six Nations, had assembled for
the purpose of going to battle with their enemies, the Chiefs sung
this song, and accompanied the music with dancing, and gestures that
corresponded with the sentiments expressed, as a kind of stimulant to
increase their courage, and anxiety to march forward to the place of
carnage.
Those days having passed away, the Indians at this day sing the 'war
song,' to commemorate the achievements of their fathers, and as a kind
of amusement. When they perform it, they arm themselves with a war-club,
tomahawk and knife, and commence singing with firm voice, and a stern,
resolute countenance: but before they get through they exhibit in their
features and actions the most shocking appearance of anger, fury and
vengeance, that can be imagined: No exhibition of the kind can be more
terrifying to a stranger.
The song requires a number of repetitions in the tune, and has a chorus
that is sung at the end of each verse. I have not presumed to arrange it
in metre; but the following is the substance: "We are assembled in the
habiliments of war, and will go in quest of our enemies. We will march
to their land and spoil their possessions. We will take their women and
children, and lead them into captivity. The warriors shall fall by our
war-clubs--we will give them no quarter. Our tomahawks we will dip in
their brains! with our scalping knives we will scalp them." At each
period comes on the chorus, which consists of one monosyllable only,
that is sounded a number of times, and articulated like a faint, stifled
groan. This word is "eh," and signifies "we will," or "we will go," or
"we will do." While singing, they perform the ceremony of killing and
scalping, with a great degree of dexterity.
The peace dance is performed to a tune without words, by both sexes. The
Indians stand erect in one place, and strike the floor with the heel
and toes of one foot, and then of the other, (the heels and toes all the
while nearly level,) without changing their position in the least. The
squaws at the same time perform it by keeping the feet close together,
and without raising them from the ground, move a short distance to the
right, and then to the left, by first moving their toes and then their
heels. This dance is beautiful, and is generally attended with decency.
* * * * *
OF THEIR GOVERNMENT.
Their government is an oligarchy of a mixed nature; and is administered
by Chiefs, a part of whose offices are hereditary, and a part elective.
The nation is divided into tribes, and each tribe commonly has
two Chiefs. One of these inherits his office from his father. He
superintends all civil affairs in the tribe; attends the national
council, of which he is a member; assents to all conveyances of land,
and is consulted on every subject of importance. The other is elected
by the tribe, and can be removed at the pleasure of his constituents
for malconduct. He also is a member of the national council: but his
principal business is to superintend the military concerns of his tribe,
and in war to lead his warriors to battle. He acts in concert with the
other Chief, and their word is implicitly relied on, as the law by which
they must be governed. That which they prohibit, is not meddled with.
The Indian laws are few, and easily expounded. Their business of a
public nature is transacted in council, where every decision is final.
They meet in general council once a year, and sometimes oftener. The
administration of their government is not attended with expense. They
have no national revenue, and consequently have no taxes.
* * * * *
THE EXTENT AND NUMBER OF THE SIX NATIONS.
The Six Nations in the state of New-York are located upon several
reservations, from the Oneida Lake to the Cattaraugus and Allegany
rivers.
A part of those nations live on the Sandusky, in the state of Ohio,
viz--380 Cayugas, 300 Senecas, 64 Mohawks, 64 Oneidas, and 80 Onondagas.
The bulk of the Mohawks are on Grand River, Upper Canada, together with
some Senecas, Tuscaroras, Cayugas, Oneidas, and Onondagas.
In the state of New-York there are 5000, and in the state of Ohio
688, as we are assured by Capt. Horatio Jones, agent for paying their
annuities, making in the whole, in both states, 5688.
* * * * *
OF THEIR COURTSHIPS, &c.
When an Indian sees a squaw whom he fancies, he sends a present to her
mother or parents, who on receiving it consult with his parents, his
friends, and each other, on the propriety and expediency of the proposed
connexion. If it is not agreeable, the present is returned; but if it
is, the lover is informed of his good fortune, and immediately goes to
live with her, or takes her to a hut of his own preparing.
Polygamy is practised in a few instances, and is not prohibited.
Divorces are frequent. If a difficulty of importance arises between a
married couple, they agree to separate. They divide their property and
children; the squaw takes the girls, the Indian the boys, and both are
at liberty to marry again.
They have no marriage ceremony, nor form of divorcement, other than what
has been mentioned.
* * * * *
OF FAMILY GOVERNMENT.
In their families, parents are very mild, and the mother superintends
the children. The word of the Indian father, however, is law, and must
be obeyed by the whole that are under his authority.
One thing respecting the Indian women is worthy of attention, and
perhaps of imitation, although it is now a days considered beneath the
dignity of the ladies, especially those who are the most refined; and
that is, they are under a becoming subjection to their husbands. It is
a rule, inculcated in all the Indian tribes, and practised throughout
their generations, that a squaw shall not walk before her Indian, nor
pretend to take the lead in his business. And for this reason we never
can see a party on the march to or from hunting and the like, in which
the squaws are not directly in the rear of their partners.
* * * * *
OF THEIR FUNERALS.
The deceased having been laid out in his best clothing, is put into a
coffin of boards or bark, and with him is deposited, in every instance,
a small cup and a cake. Generally two or three candles are also put into
the coffin, and in a few instances, at the burial of a great man, all
his implements of war are buried by the side of the body. The coffin is
then closed and carried to the grave. On its being let down, the person
who takes the lead of the solemn transaction, or a Chief, addresses the
dead in a short speech, in which he charges him not to be troubled about
himself in his new situation, nor on his journey, and not to trouble his
friends, wife or children, whom he has left. Tells him that if he meets
with strangers on his way, he must inform them what tribe he belongs
to, who his relatives are, the situation in which he left them, and that
having done this, he must keep on till he arrives at the good fields in
the country of Nauwaneu. That when he arrives there he will see all his
ancestors and personal friends that have gone before him; who, together
with all the Chiefs of celebrity, will receive him joyfully, and furnish
him with every article of perpetual happiness.
The grave is now filled and left till evening, when some of the nearest
relatives of the dead build a fire at the head of it, near which they
set till morning. In this way they continue to practise nine successive
nights, when, believing that their departed friend has arrived at the
end of his journey, they discontinue their attention. During this time
the relatives of the dead are not allowed to dance.
Formerly, frolics were held, after the expiration of nine days, for
the dead, at which all the squaws got drunk, and those were the
only occasions on which they were intoxicated: but lately those are
discontinued, and squaws feel no delicacy in getting inebriated.
* * * * *
OF THEIR CREDULITY.
As ignorance is the parent of credulity, it is not a thing to be
wondered at that the Indians should possess it in a great degree, and
even suffer themselves to be dictated and governed by it in many of the
most important transactions of their lives.
They place great confidence in dreams, attach some sign to every
uncommon circumstance, and believe in charms, spirits, and many
supernatural things that never existed, only in minds enslaved to
ignorance and tradition: but in no instance is their credulity so
conspicuous, as in their unalterable belief in witches.
They believe there are many of these, and that next to the author of
evil, they are the greatest scourge to their people. The term witch, by
them, is used both in the masculine and feminine gender, and denotes a
person to whom the evil deity has delegated power to inflict diseases,
cause death, blast corn, bring bad weather, and in short to cause
almost any calamity to which they are liable. With this impression, and
believing that it is their actual duty to destroy, as far as lies in
their power, every source of unhappiness, it has been a custom among
them from time immemorial, to destroy every one that they could convict
of so heinous a crime; and in fact there is no reprieve from the
sentence.
Mrs. Jemison informed us that more or less who had been charged with
being witches, had been executed in almost every year since she has
lived on the Genesee. Many, on being suspected, made their escape:
while others, before they were aware of being implicated, have been
apprehended and brought to trial. She says that a number of years ago,
an Indian chased a squaw, near Beard's Town, and caught her; but on
the account of her great strength she got away. The Indian, vexed and
disappointed, went home, and the next day reported that he saw her
have fire in her mouth, and that she was a witch. Upon this she was
apprehended and killed immediately. She was Big-tree's cousin, Mrs.
Jemison says she was present at the execution. She also saw one other
killed and thrown into the river.
Col. Jeremiah Smith, of Leicester, near Beard's Town, saw an Indian
killed by his five brothers, who struck him on the head with their
tomahawks at one time. He was charged with being a witch, because of his
having been fortunate enough, when on a hunting party, to kill a number
of deer, while his comrades failed of taking any.
Col. Smith also saw a squaw, who had been convicted of being a witch,
killed by having small green whips burnt till they were red hot, but
not quite coaled, and thrust down her throat. From such trifling causes
thousands have lost their lives, and notwithstanding the means that
are used for their reformation, the pagans will not suffer "a witch to
live."
* * * * *
OF THE MANNER OF FARMING, AS PRACTISED BY THE INDIAN WOMEN.
It is well known that the squaws have all the labor of the field to
perform, and almost every other kind of hard service, which, in civil
society, is performed by the men. In order to expedite their business,
and at the same time enjoy each other's company, they all work together
in one field, or at whatever job they may have on hand. In the spring
they choose an old active squaw to be their driver and overseer when at
labor, for the ensuing year. She accepts the honor, and they consider
themselves bound to obey her.
When the time for planting arrives, and the soil is prepared, the squaws
are assembled in the morning, and conducted into a field, where each
plants one row. They then go into the next field, plant once across,
and so on till they have gone through the tribe. If any remains to
be planted, they again commence where they did at first, (in the same
field,) and so keep on till the whole is finished. By this rule they
perform their labor of every kind, and every jealousy of one having done
more or less than another, is effectually avoided.
Each squaw cuts her own wood; but it is all brought to the house under
the direction of the overseer--each bringing one back load.
* * * * *
OF THEIR METHOD OF COMPUTING TIME, AND KEEPING THEIR RECORDS.
This is done by moons and winters: a moon is a month, and the time from
the end of one winter to that of another, a year.
From sunset till sunrise, they say that the sun is asleep. In the old of
the moon, when it does not shine in the night, they say it is dead. They
rejoice greatly at the sight of the new moon.
In order to commemorate great events, and preserve the chronology of
them, the war Chief in each tribe keeps a war post. This post is a
peeled stick of timber, 10 or 12 feet high, that is erected in the town.
For a campaign they make, or rather the Chief makes, a perpendicular
red mark, about three inches long and half an inch wide; on the opposite
side from this, for a scalp, they make a red cross, thus, +; on another
side, for a prisoner taken, they make a red cross in this manner, X',
with a head or dot, and by placing such significant hireoglyphics in
so conspicuous a situation, they are enabled to ascertain with great
certainty the time and circumstances of past events.
Hiokatoo had a war-post, on which was recorded his military exploits,
and other things that he tho't worth preserving.
* * * * *
ANECDOTES.
Hiokatoo used to say that when he was a young man, there lived in the
same tribe with him an old Indian warrior, who was a great counsellor,
by the name of Buck-in-je-hil-lish. Buckinjehillish having, with
great fatigue, attended the council when it was deliberating upon war,
declared that none but the ignorant made war, but that the wise men
and the warriors had to do the fighting. This speech exasperated his
countrymen to such a degree that he was apprehended and tried for being
a witch, on the account of his having lived to so advanced an age; and
because he could not show some reason why he had not died before, he was
sentenced to be tomahawked by a boy on the spot, which was accordingly
done.
In the last war, (1814,) an Indian who had been on fatigue, called at
a commissary's and begged some bread. He was sent for a pail of water
before he received it, and while he was absent an officer told the
commissary to put a piece of money into the bread, and observe the
event. He did so. The Indian took the bread and went off: but on the
next day having ate his bread and found the money, he came to the
commissary and gave him the same, as the officer had anticipated.
Little Beard, a celebrated Indian Chief, having arrived to a very
advanced age, died at his town on the Genesee river about the first of
June, 1806, and was buried after the manner of burying chiefs. In his
life time he had been quite arbitrary, and had made some enemies whom he
hated, probably, and was not loved by them. The grave, however, deprives
envy of its malignity, and revenge of its keenness.
Little Beard had been dead but a few days when the great eclipse of the
sun took place, on the sixteenth of June, which excited in the Indians
a great degree of astonishment; for as they were ignorant of astronomy,
they were totally unqualified to account for so extraordinary a
phenomenon. The crisis was alarming, and something effectual must be
done, without delay, to remove, if possible, the cause of such coldness
and darkness, which it was expected would increase. They accordingly ran
together in the three towns near the Genesee river, and after a short
consultation agreed that Little Beard, on the account of some old grudge
which he yet cherished towards them, had placed himself between them and
the sun, in order that their corn might not grow, and so reduce them to
a state of starvation. Having thus found the cause, the next thing was
to remove it, which could only be done the use of powder and ball.
Upon this, every gun and rifle was loaded, and a firing commenced, that
continued without cessation till the old fellow left his seat, and the
obscurity was entirely removed, to the great joy of the ingenious and
fortunate Indians.
In the month of February, 1824, Corn Planter, a learned pagan Chief
at Tonnewonta, died of common sickness. He had received a liberal
education, and was held in high estimation in his town and tribe, by
both parties; but the pagans more particularly mourned his loss deeply,
and seemed entirely unreconciled. They imputed his death to witchcraft,
and charged an Indian by the name of Prompit, with the crime.
Mr. Prompit is a Christian Indian, of the Tuscarora nation, who has
lived at Tonnewonta a number of years, where he has built a saw-mill
himself, which he owns, and is considered a decent, respectable man.
About two weeks after the death of Corn Planter, Mr. Prompit happened in
company where the author was present, and immediately begun to converse
upon that subject. He said that the old fashioned Indians called him a
witch--believed that he had killed Corn Planter, and had said that
they would kill him. But, said he, all good people know that I am not a
witch, and that I am clear of the charge. Likely enough they will kill
me; but if they do, my hands are clean, my conscience is clear, and I
shall go up to God. I will not run nor hide from them, and they may kill
me if they choose to--I am innocent. When Jesus Christ's enemies, said
he, wanted to kill him, he did not run away from them, but let them kill
him; and why should I run away from my enemies?
How the affair will terminate, we are unable to decide.
* * * * *
DESCRIPTION OF GENESEE RIVER AND ITS BANKS, FROM MOUNT MORRIS TO THE
UPPER FALLS.
From Mount Morris the banks of the Genesee are from two to four hundred
feet in height, with narrow flats on one side of the river or the other,
till you arrive at the tract called Gardow, or Cross Hills. Here you
come to Mrs. Jemison's flats, which are two miles and a quarter long,
and from eighty to one hundred and twenty rods wide, lying mostly on the
west side of the river.
Near the upper end of these flats is the Great Slide. Directly above
this, the banks (still retaining their before mentioned height) approach
so near each other as to admit of but thirty acres of flat on one side
of the river only, and above this the perpendicular rock comes down to
the water.
From Gardow you ascend the river five miles to the lower falls, which
are ninety-three feet perpendicular. These falls are twenty rods wide,
and have the greatest channel on the east side. From Wolf creek to these
falls the banks are covered with elegant white and Norway pine.
Above the lower falls the banks for about two miles are of perpendicular
rock, and retain their height of between two and four hundred feet.
Having travelled this distance you reach the middle falls, which are an
uninterrupted sheet of water fifteen rods wide, and one hundred and ten
feet in perpendicular height. This natural curiosity is not exceeded
by any thing of the kind in the western country, except the cataract at
Niagara.
From the middle falls the banks gradually rise, till you ascend the
river half a mile, when you come to the upper falls, which are somewhat
rolling, 66 feet, in the shape of a harrow. Above this the banks are
of moderate height. The timber from the lower to the upper falls is
principally pine. Just above the middle falls a saw-mill was erected
this season (1823) by Messrs. Ziba Hurd and Alva Palmer.
HUNTING ANECDOTE.
In November, 1822, Capt. Stephen Rolph and Mr. Alva Palmer drove a deer
into Genesee river, a short distance above the middle falls, where the
banks were so steep and the current so impetuous, that it could not
regain the shore, and consequently was precipitated over the falls, one
hundred and ten feet, into the gulph below. The hunters ran along the
bank below the falls, to watch the fate of the animal, expecting it
would be dashed in pieces. But to their great astonishment it came up
alive, and by swimming across a small eddy, reached the bank almost
under the falls; and as it stood in that situation, Capt. Ralph, who was
on the top of the bank, shot it. This being done, the next thing to be
considered was, how to get their prize. The rock being perpendicular,
upwards of one hundred feet, would not admit of their climbing down to
it, and there was no way, apparently, for them to get at it, short of
going down the river two miles, to the lower falls, and then by creeping
between the water and the precipice, they might possibly reach their
game. This process would be too tedious. At length Mr. Palmer proposed
to Capt. Rolph and Mr. Heman Merwin, who had joined them, that if they
would make a windlas and fasten it to a couple of saplings that stood
near, and then procure some ropes, he would be let down and get the
deer. The apparatus was prepared; the rope was tied round Palmer's body,
and he was let down. On arriving at the bottom he unloosed himself,
fastened the rope round the deer, which they drew up, and then threw
down the rope, in which he fastened himself, and was drawn up, without
having sustained any injury. From the top to the bottom of the rock,
where he was let down, was exactly one hundred and twenty feet.
FINIS