houses, but we did not know what it meant, and after awhile Jeronimus
de la Croix came and told us what this was--that the savages are
preparing and arming. I asked them what all this was about, and they
said to me: "Nothing, we shall play with one another," and there were
four men with clubs and a party with axes and sticks. There were
twenty people armed, nine on one side and eleven on the other; and they
went off against each other, and they fought and threw each other.
Some of them wore armor and helmets that they themselves make of thin
reeds and strings braided upon each other so that no arrow or axe can
pass through to wound them severely; and after they had been playing
thus a good while the parties closed and dragged each other by the
hair, just as they would have done to their enemies after defeating
them and before cutting off their scalps. They wanted us to fire our
pistols, but we went off and left them alone. This day we were invited
to buy bear meat, and we also got half a bushel of beans and a quantity
of dried strawberries, and we bought some bread, that we wanted to take
on our march. Some of the loaves were baked with nuts and cherries and
dry blueberries and the grains of the sunflower.
December 24. It was Sunday. I saw in one of the houses a sick man.
He had invited two of their doctors that could cure him--they call them
simachkoes; and as soon as they came they began to sing and to light a
big fire. They closed the house most carefully everywhere, so that the
breeze could not come in, and after that each of them wrapped a
snakeskin around his head. They washed their hands and faces, lifted
the sick man from his place, and laid him alongside the big fire. Then
they took a bucket of water, put some medicine in it, and washed in
this water a stick about half a yard long, and kept sticking it in
their throats so that no end of it was to be seen; and then they spat
on the patient's head, and over all his body; and after that they made
all sorts of farces, as shouting and raving, slapping of the hands; so
are their manners; with many demonstrations upon one things and another
till they perspired so freely that their perspiration ran down all sides.
December 25--being Christmas. We rose early in the morning and wanted
to go to the Sinnekens; but, as it was snowing steadily, we could not
go, because nobody wanted to go with us to carry our goods. I asked
them how many chiefs there were in all, and they told me thirty.
December 26. In the morning I was offered two pieces of bear's bacon
to take with us on the march; and we took our departure, escorted by
many of them that walked before and after us. They kept up shouting:
"Allesa rondade!" that is, to fire our pistols; but we did not want to
do so, and at last they went back. This day we passed over many a
stretch of flat land, and crossed a kill where the water was knee-deep;
and I think we kept this day mostly the direction west and northwest.
The woods that we traversed consisted in the beginning mostly of oaks,
but after three or four hours' marching it was mostly birch trees. It
snowed the whole day, so it was very heavy marching over the hills; and
after seven leagues, by guess, we arrived at a little house made of
bark in the forest, where we lighted a fire and stopped for the night
to sleep. It went on snowing, with a sharp, northerly wind. It was
very cold.
December 27. Early in the morning again on our difficult march, while
the snow lay 2 1/2 feet in some places. We went over hills and through
underwood. We saw traces of two bears, and elks, but no savages.
There are beech trees; and after marching another seven or eight
leagues, at sunset we found another little cabin in the forest, with
hardly any bark, but covered with the branches of trees. We made a big
fire and cooked our dinner. It was so very cold during this night that
I did not sleep more than two hours in all.
December 28. We went as before, and after marching one or two leagues
we arrived at a kill that, as the savages told me, ran into the land of
the Minquaass, and after another mile we met another kill that runs
into the South River, as the savages told me, and here a good many
otter and beaver are caught. This day we went over many high hills.
The wood was full of great trees, mostly birches; and after seven or
eight leagues' marching we did the same as mentioned above. It was
very cold.
December 29. We went again, proceeding on our voyage; and after
marching a while we came on a very high hill, and as we nearly had
mounted it I fell down so hard that I thought I had broken my ribs, but
it was only the handle of my cutlass that was broken. We went through
a good deal of flat land, with many oaks and handles for axes, and
after another seven leagues we found another hut, where we rested
ourselves. We made a fire and ate all the food we had, because the
savages told us that we were still about four leagues distant from the
castle. The sun was near setting as still another of the savages went
on to the castle to tell them we were coming. We would have gone with
him, but because we felt so very hungry the savages would not take us
along with them. The course northwest.
December 30. Without anything to eat we went to the Sinnekens' castle,
and after marching awhile the savages showed me the branch of the river
that passes by Fort Orange and past the land of the Maquas. A woman
came to meet us, bringing us baked pumpkins to eat. This road was
mostly full of birches and beautiful flat land for sowing. Before we
reached the castle we saw three graves, just like our graves in length
and height; usually their graves are round. These graves were
surrounded with palisades that they had split from trees, and they were
closed up so nicely that it was a wonder to see. They were painted
with red and white and black paint; but the chief's grave had an
entrance, and at the top of that was a big wooden bird, and all around
were painted dogs, and deer, and snakes, and other beasts. After four
or five leagues' marching the savages still prayed us to fire our guns,
and so we did, but loaded them again directly and went on to the
castle. And we saw to the northwest of us, a large river, and on the
other side thereof tremendously high land that seemed to lie in the
clouds. Upon inquiring closely into this, the savages told me that in
this river the Frenchmen came to trade. And then we marched confidently
to the castle, where the savages divided into two rows, and so let us
pass through them by the gate, which was--the one we went through--3
1/2 feet wide, and at the top were standing three big wooden images,
carved 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 scalp was also hanging; but this
gate was 1 1/2 feet smaller than the other one. When at last we
arrived in the chief's house, I saw there a good many people that I
knew; and we were requested to sit down in the chief's place where he
was accustomed to sit, because at the time he was not at home, and we
felt cold and were wet and tired. They at once gave us to eat, and
they made a good fire. This castle likewise is situated on a very high
hill, and was surrounded with two rows of palisades. It was 767 paces
in circumference. There are 66 houses, but much better, higher, and
more finished than all the others we saw. A good many houses had
wooden fronts that are painted with all sorts of beasts. There they
sleep mostly on elevated boards, more than any other savages. In the
afternoon one of the council came to me, asking the reason of our
coming into his land, and what we brought for him as a present. It told
him that we did not bring any present, but that we only paid him a
visit. He told us that we were not worth anything, because we did not
bring him a present. Then he told us how the Frenchmen had come
thither to trade with six men, and had given them good gifts, because
they had been trading in this river with six men in the month of August
of this year. We saw very good axes to cut the underwood, and French
shirts and coats and razors; and this member of the council said we
were scoundrels, and were not worth anything because we paid not enough
for their beaver skins. They told us that the Frenchmen gave six hands
of seawan for one beaver, and all sorts of things more. The savages
were pressing closely upon us, so that there was hardly room for us to
sit. If they had desired to molest us, we could hardly have been able
to defend ourselves; but there was no danger. In this river here
spoken of, often six, seven, or eight hundred salmon are caught in a
single day. I saw houses where 60, 70, and more dried salmon were
hanging.
December 31. On Sunday the chief of this castle came back (his name is
Arenias), and one more man. They told us that they returned from the
French savages, and some of the savages shouted "Jawe Arenias!" which
meant that they thanked him for having come back. And I told him that
in the night we should fire three shots; and he said it was all right;
and they seemed very well contented. We questioned them concerning the
situation [of the places] in their castle and their names, and how far
they were away from each other. They showed us with stones and maize
grains, and Jeronimus then made a chart of it. And we counted all in
leagues how far each place was away from the next. The savages told us
that on the high land which we had seen by that lake there lived men
with horns on their heads; and they told us that a good many beavers
were caught there, too, but they dared not go so far because of the
French savages; therefore they thought best to make peace. We fired
three shots in the night in honor of the year of our Lord and Redeemer,
Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord above all! In the castle Onneyuttehage, or Sinnekens,
January 1, 1635.
January 1, 1635. Another savage scolded at us. We were scoundrels, as
told before; and he looked angry. Willem Tomassen got so excited that
the tears were running along his cheeks, and the savages, seeing that
we were not at all contented, asked us what was the matter, and why we
looked so disgusted at him. There were in all 46 persons seated near
us; if they had intended to do mischief, they could easily have caught
us with their hands and killed us without much trouble; when I had
listened long enough to the Indian's chatter I told him that he was a
scoundrel himself and he began to laugh, said he was not angry and
said: "You must not grow so furious, for we are very glad that you
came here." And after that Jeronimus gave the chief two knives, two
pairs of scissors, and a few awls and needles that we had with us. And
in the evening the savages suspended a band of seawan, and some other
stringed seawan that the chief had brought with him from the French
savages as a sign of peace and that the French savages were to come in
confidence to them, and he sang: "Ho schene jo ho ho schene I
atsiehoewe atsihoewe," after which all the savages shouted three times:
"Netho, netho, netho!" and after that another band of seawan was
suspended and he sang then: "Katon, katon, katon, katon!" and all the
savages shouted as hard as they could: "Hy, hy, hy!" After long
deliberation they made peace for four years, and soon after everyone
returned to his home.
January 2. The savages came to us and told us that we had better stop
another four or five days. They would provide for all our needs and
have us treated nicely; but I told them we could not wait so long as
that. They replied that they had sent a message to the Onondagas--that
is, the castle next to theirs--but I told them they nearly starved us.
Then they said that in future they would look better after us, and
twice during this day we were invited to be their guests, and treated
to salmon and bear's bacon.
January 3. Some old men came to us and told us they wanted to be our
friends, and they said we need not be afraid. And I replied we were
not afraid, and in the afternoon the council sat here--in all, 24
men--and after consulting for a long while an old man approached me and
laid his hand upon my heart to feel it beat; and then he shouted we
really were not afraid at all. After that six more members of the
council came, and after that they presented me a coat made of beaver
skin, and told me they gave it to me because I came here and ought to
be very tired, and he pointed to his and my legs; and besides, it is
because you have been marching through the snow. And when I took the
coat they shouted three times: "Netho, netho, netho!" which means,
"This is very well." And directly after that they laid five pieces of
beaver skins on my feet, at the same time requesting me that in the
future they should receive four hands of seawan and four handbreadths
of cloth for every big beaver skin, because we have to go so far with
our skins; and very often when we come to your places we do not find
any cloth or seawan or axes or kettles, or not enough for all of us,
and then we have had much trouble for nothing, and have to go back over
a great distance, carrying out goods back again. After we sat for a
considerable time, an old man came to us, and translated it to us in
the other language, and told us that we did not answer yet whether they
were to have four hands of seawan or not for their skins. I told him
that we had not the power to promise that, but that we should report
about it to the chief at the Manhatans, who was our commander, and that
I would give him a definite answer in the spring, and come myself to
their land. Then they said to me "Welsmachkoo," you must not lie, and
surely come to us in the spring, and report to us about all. And if you
will give us four hands of seawan we will not sell our skins to anyone
but you; and after that they gave me the five beaver skins, and shouted
as hard as they could: "Netho, netho, netho!" And then, that
everything should be firmly binding, they called or sang: "Ha assironi
atsimach koo kent oya kayuig wee Onneyatte Onaondaga Koyocke hoo hanoto
wany agweganne hoo schene ha caton scahten franosoni yndicho." That
means that I could go in all these places--they said the names of all
the castles--freely and everywhere. I should be provided with a house
and a fire and wood and everything I needed; and if I wanted to go to
the Frenchmen they would guide me there and back; and after that they
shouted again: "Netho, netho, netho!" and they made a present of
another beaver skin to me, and we ate to-day bear meat that we were
invited to. In this house, belonging to the chief, there were three or
four meals a day, and they did not cook in it, as everything was
brought in from the other houses in large kettles; for it was the
council that took their meals here every day. And whoever then happens
to be in the house receives a bowlful of food; for it is the rule here
that everyone that comes here has his bowl filled; and if they are
short of bowls they bring them and their spoons with them. They go
thus and seat themselves side by side; the bowls are then fetched and
brought back filled, for a guest that is invited does not rise before
he has eaten. Sometimes they sing, and sometimes they do not, thanking
the host before they return home.
January 4. Two savages came, inviting us to come and see how they used
to drive away the devil. I told them that I had seen it before; but
they did not move off, and I had to go; and because I did not choose to
go alone I took Jeronimus along. I saw a dozen men together who were
going to drive him off. After we arrived the floor of the house was
thickly covered with the bark of trees for the hunters of the devil to
walk upon. They were mostly old men, and they had their faces all
painted with red paint--which they always do when they are going to do
anything unusual. Three men among them had a wreath on their heads, on
which stuck five white crosses. These wreaths are made of deer hair
that they had braided with the roots of a sort of green herb. In the
middle of the house they then put a man who was very sick, and who was
treated without success during a considerable time. Close by sat an old
woman with a turtle shell in her hands. In the turtle shell were a
good many beads. She kept clinking all the while, and all of them sang
to the measure; then they would proceed to catch the devil and trample
him to death; they trampled the bark to atoms so that none of it
remained whole, and wherever they saw but a little cloud of dust upon
the maize, they beat at it in great amazement and then they blew that
dust at one another and were so afraid that they ran as if they really
saw the devil; and after long stamping and running one of them went to
the sick man and took away an otter that he had in his hands; and he
sucked the sick man for awhile in his neck and on the back, and after
that he spat in the otter's mouth and threw it down; at the same time
he ran off like made through fear. Other men then went to the otter,
and then there took place such foolery that it was a wonder to see.
Yes; they commenced to throw fire and eat fire, and kept scattering hot
ashes and red-hot coals in such a way that I ran out of the house.
To-day another beaver skin was presented to me.
January 5. I bought four dried salmon and two pieces of bear bacon
that was about nine inches thick; and we saw thicker, even. They gave
us beans cooked with bear bacon to eat to-day, and further nothing
particular happened.
January 6. Nothing particular than that I was shown a parcel of flint
stones wherewith they make fire when they are in the forest. Those
stones would do very well for firelock guns.
January 7.--We received a letter from Marten Gerritsen, dated from the
last of December; it was brought by a Sinneken that arrived from our
fort. He told us that our people grew very uneasy about our not coming
home, and that they thought we had been killed. We ate fresh salmon
only two days caught, and we were robbed to-day of six and a half hands
of seawan that we never saw again.
January 8. Aarenias came to me to say that he wanted to go with me to
the fort and take all his skins to trade. Jeronimus tried to sell his
coat here, but he could not get rid of it.
January 9. During the evening the Onondagas came. There were six old
men and four women. They were very tired from the march, and brought
with them some bear skins. I came to meet them, and thanked them that
they came to visit us; and they welcomed me, and because it was very
late I went home.
January 10. Jeronimus burned the greater part of his pantaloons, that
dropped in the fire during the night, and the chief's mother gave him
cloth to repair it, and Willem Tomassen repaired it.
January 11. At ten o'clock in the morning the savages came to me and
invited me to come to the house where the Onondagans sat in council.
"They will give you presents"; and I went there with Jeronimus; took
our pistols with us and sat alongside of them, near an old man of the
name of Canastogeera, about 55 years of age; and he said: "Friends, I
have come here to see you and to talk to you;" wherefore we thanked
him, and after they had sat in council for a long time an interpreter
came to me and gave me give pieces of beaver skin because we had come
into their council. I took the beaver skins and thanked them, and they
shouted three times "Netho!" And after that another five beaver skins
that they laid upon my feet, and they gave them to me because I had
come into their council-house. We should have been given a good many
skins as presents if we had come into his land; and they earnestly
requested me to visit their land in the summer, and after that gave me
another four beaver skins and asked at the same time to be better paid
for their skins. They would bring us a great quantity if we did; and
if I came back in the summer to their land we should have three or four
savages along with us to look all around that lake and show us where
the Frenchmen came trading with their shallops. And when we gathered
our fourteen beavers they again shouted as hard as they could, "Zinae
netho!" and we fired away with our pistols and gave the chief two pairs
of knives, some awls, and needles; and then we were informed we might
take our departure. We had at the time five pieces of salmon and two
pieces of bear bacon that we were to take on the march, and here they
gave a good many loaves and even flour to take with us.
January 12. We took our departure; and when we thought everything was
ready the savages did not want to carry our goods--twenty-eight beaver
skins, five salmon, and some loaves of bread--because they all had
already quite enough to carry; but after a good deal of grumbling and
nice words they at last consented and carried our goods. Many savages
walked along with us and they shouted, "Alle sarondade!" that is, to
fire the pistols; and when we came near the chief's grave we fired
three shots, and they went back. It was about nine o'clock when we
left this place and walked only about five leagues through 2 1/2 feet
of snow. It was a very difficult road, so that some of the savages had
to stop in the forest and sleep in the snow. We went on, however, and
reached a little cabin, where we slept.
January 13. Early in the morning we were on our journey again, and
after going seven or eight leagues we arrived at another hut, where we
rested awhile, cooked our dinner, and slept. Arenias pointed out to me
a place on a high mountain, and said that after ten days' marching we
could reach a big river there where plenty of people are living, and
where plenty of cows and horses are; but we had to cross the river for
a whole day and then to proceed for six days more in order to reach it.
This was the place which we passed on the 29th of December. He did us
a great deal of good.
January 14. On Sunday we made ready to proceed, but the chief wished
to go bear hunting and wanted to stop here but, because it was fine
weather, I went alone with two or three savages. Here two Maquas
Indians joined us, as they wanted to go and trade elk skins and satteeu.
January 15. In the morning, two hours before daylight, after taking
breakfast with the savages, I proceeded on the voyage, and when it was
nearly dark again the savages made a fire in the wood, as they did not
want to go farther, and I came about three hours after dark to a hut
where I had slept on the 26th of December. It was very cold. I could
not make a fire, and was obliged to walk the whole night to keep warm.
January 16. In the morning, three hours before dawn, as the moon rose,
I searched for the path, which I found at last; and because I marched
so quickly I arrived about nine o'clock on very extensive flat land.
After having passed over a high hill I came to a very even footpath
that had been made through the snow by the savages who had passed this
way with much venison, because they had come home to their castle after
hunting; and about ten o'clock I saw the castle and arrived there about
two o'clock. Upward of one hundred people came out to welcome me, and
showed me a house where I could go. They gave me a white hare to eat
that they caught two days ago. They cooked it with walnuts, and they
gave me a piece of wheaten bread a savage that had arrived here from
Ford Orange on the fifteenth of this month had brought with him. In
the evening more than forty fathoms of seawan were divided among them
as the last will of the savages that had died of the smallpox. It was
divided in the presence of the chief and the nearest friends. It is
their custom to divide among the chief and nearest friends. And in the
evening the savages gave me two bear skins to cover me, and they
brought rushes to lay under my head, and they told us that our kinsmen
wanted us very much to come back.
January 17. Jeronimus and Tomassen, with some savages, joined us in
this castle, Tenotogehage, and they still were all right; and in the
evening I saw another hundred fathoms of seawan divided among the chief
and the friends of the nearest blood.
January 18. We went again to this castle, I should say from this
castle on our route, in order to hasten home. In some of the houses we
saw more than forty or fifty deer cut in quarters and dried; but they
gave us very little of it to eat. After marching half a league we
passed through the village of Kawaoge, and after another half league we
came to the village of Osquage. The chief, Ohquahoo, received us well,
and we waited here for the chief, Arenias, whom we had left in the
castle Te Notooge.