The Documentary History of the State of New York/Volume I/Chapter I/Article II

OBSERVATIONS OF WENTWORTH GREENHALGH,
IN A JOURNEY FROM ALBANY TO Y$e$ INDIANS WESTWARD; BEGUN MAY 20th, 1677, AND ENDED JULY Y$e$ 14 FOLLOWING.

[Lond. Doc. III] The Maquaes have four townes, vizt. Cahaniaga, Canagora, Canajorha, Tionondogue, besides one small village about 110 miles from Albany.

Cahaniaga is double stockadoed round; has four forts, [ports?] about four foot wide a piece, conteyns about 24 houses, and is situate upon the edge of an hill, about a bow shott from the river side.

Canagora is only singly stockadoed; has four ports like the former, conteyns about 16 houses; itt is situated upon a fflatt, a stone’s throw from y$e$ water side.

Canajorha is also singly stockadoed, and the like man'r of ports and quantity of houses as Canagora; the like situacon; only about two miles distant from the water.

Tionondogue is double stockadoed around, has four ports, four foot wide a piece, contain.- ab't 30 houses; is scituated on a hill a bow shott from y$e$ River.

The small village is without ffence, and conteyns about ten houses; lyes close by the river side, on the north sicle, as do all the former.

The Maquaes pass in all for about 300 fighting men.

Their Corn grows close by the River side.

Of the Situacôn of the Oneidas and Onondagoes and their Strength.
The Onyades have but one town, which lys about 130 miles westward of the Maques. Itt is situate about 20 miles from a small river which comes out of the hills to the southward, and runs into lake Teshiroque, and about 30 miles distant from the Maquaes river, which lyes to the northward; the town is newly settled, double stockadoed, but little cleared ground, so thatt they are forced to send to the Onondagoes to buy corne; The towne consists of about 100 houses. They are said to have about 200 fighting men, Their Corne grows round about the towne.

The Onondagoes have butt one towne, butt itt is very large; consisting of about 140 houses, nott fenced; is situate upon a hill thatt is very large, the banke on each side extending itself att least two miles, all cleared land, whereon the corne is planted. They have likewise a small village about two miles beyond thatt, consisting of about 24 houses. They ly to the southward of y$e$ west, about 36 miles from the Onyades. They plant aboundance of Corne, which they sell to the Onyades. The Onondagos are said to be about 350 fighting men. They ly about 15 miles from Tshiroqui.

Of the Caiougos and Senecques, their Situacôn and Strength, &c.
The Caiougos have three townes about a mile distant from each other; they are not stockadoed. They do in all consist of about 100 houses; they ly about 60 miles to the southward of y$e$ Onondagos; they intend the next spring to build all their houses together and stockade them; they have abundance of Corne; they ly within two or three miles of the lake Tiehero. They pass for about 300 fighting men.

The Senecques have four townes, vizt. Canagora, Tiotohatton, Canoenada and Keint-he. Canagora and Tiotohatton lye within 30 miles of y$e$ Lake ffrontenacque, and y$e$ other two ly ahout four of five miles apiece to y$e$ Southward of those. They have abundance of Corne. None of their towns are stockadoed.

Canagorah lyes on the top of a great hill, and in that, as well as in the bignesse, much like Onandago, contayning 150 houses, northwestward of Caiougo 72 miles. Here y$e$ Indyans were very desirous to see us ride our horses, w$ch$ wee did: they made great feasts and dancing, and invited us y$t$ when all y$e$ maides were together, both wee and our Indyans might choose such as lyked us to ly with.

Tiotohattan lyes on the brincke or edge of a hill; has not much cleared ground; is near the river Tiotehatton, w$ch$ signifies bending. It lyes to Westward of Canagorah about 30 miles, containing about 120 houses, being y$e$ largest of all the houses wee saw, y$e$ ordinary being 50 @ 60 foot long with 12 @ 13 fires in one house. They have good store of corne, growing about a mile to the Northward of the towne.

Being at this place the 17 of June, there came 50 prisoners from the Southwestward. They were of two nations, some whereof have few guns; the other none at all. One nation is about 10 days journey from any Christians and trade onely with one greatt house, nott farr from the sea, and the other trade only, as they say, with a black people. This day of them was burnt two women, and a man and a child killed with a stone. Att night we heard a great noyse as if y$e$ houses had all fallen, butt itt was onely y$e$ Inhabitants driving away y$e$ ghosts of y$e$ murthered.

The 18$th$ going to Canagorah, wee overtook y$e$ prisoners; when the soudiers saw us they stopped each his prisoner, and made him sing, and cutt off their fingers, and slasht their bodies w$th$ a knife, and when they had sung each man confessed how many men in his time hee had killed. Thatt day att Canagorah, there were most cruelly burnt four men, four women and one boy. The cruelty lasted aboutt seven hours. When they were almost dead letting them loose to the mercy of y$e$ boys, and taking the hearts of such as were dead to feast on.

Canoenada lyes about four miles to y$e$ Southward of Canagorah; conteynes about 30 houses, well furnished with Corne.

Keint-he lyes aboutt four or five miles to y$e$ Southward of Tietehatton; contayns about 24 houses well furnished with corne.

The Senecques are counted to bee in all aboutt 1000 fighting men.

The French call the

Note.– The above paper will be found also in Chalmers’ Political Annals, in which, however, Greenhalgh’s name is misspelt. That paper differs likewise in other respects from the MS. now followed.