Narratives of New Netherland Part 2

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 Toma.s.sen 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 quant.i.ty 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed over a high hill I came to a very even footpath that had been made through the snow by the savages who had pa.s.sed 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 Toma.s.sen, 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 pa.s.sed 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.

January 19. We went as fast as we could in the morning, proceeding on the march; and after going half a league we arrived at the third castle, named Schanadisse, and I looked around in some of the houses to see whether there were any skins. I met nine Onondagas there with skins, that I told to go with me to the second castle, where the chief, Taturot, I should say Tonewerot, was at home, who welcomed us at once, and gave us a very fat piece of venison, which we cooked; and when we were sitting at dinner we received a letter from Marten Gerritsen, brought us by a savage that came in search of us, and was dated January 18. We resolved to proceed at once to the first castle, and to depart on the morrow for Fort Orange, and a good three hours before sunset we arrived at the first castle. We had bread baked for us again, and packed the three beavers we had received from the chief when we had first come here. We slept here this night and ate here.

January 20. In the morning, before daylight, Jeronimus sold his coat for four beaver skins to an old man. We set forth at one hour before daylight, and after marching by guess two leagues the savages pointed to a high mountain where their castle stood nine years before. They had been driven out by the Mahicans, and after that time they did not want to live there. After marching seven or eight leagues we found that the hunters' cabins had been burned, so we were obliged to sleep under the blue sky.

January 21. We proceeded early in the morning, and after a long march we took a wrong path that was the most walked upon; but as the savages knew the paths better than we did they returned with us, and after eleven leagues' marching we arrived, the Lord be praised and thanked, at Fort Orange, January 21, anno 1635.

[Vocabulary of the Maquas.]

a.s.sire or aggaha..............................Cloth.

Atoga.........................................Axes.

Atsochta......................................Adze.

a.s.sere........................................Knives.

a.s.saghe.......................................Rapier.

Attochwat.....................................Spoons.

Ondach........................................Kettles.

Endat hatste..................................Looking-gla.s.s.

Sasaskarisat..................................Scissors.

Kamewari (Garonare?)..........................Awls.

Onekoera......................................Seawan, their money.

Tiggeretait...................................Combs.

Catse (Garistats?)............................Bell.

Dedaia witha..................................Shirts or coats.

Nonnewarory...................................Fur caps.

Eytroghe......................................Beads.

Canagosat.....................................Sc.r.a.per.

Caris.........................................Stockings.

Achta.........................................Shoes.

Names of animals that occur there:

Aque (Gario?).................................Deer.

Aquesados.....................................Horse.

Adiron........................................Cat.

Aquidagon.....................................Ox.

Senoto wanne..................................Elk.

Ochquari......................................Bear.

Sinite........................................Beaver.

Tawyne........................................Otter.

Eyo...........................................Mink.

Senadondo.....................................Fox.

Ochquoha......................................Wolf.

Seranda.......................................Male cat.

Ichar or sateeni..............................Dog.

Tali..........................................Crane.

Kragequa......................................Swans.

Kahanckt......................................Geese.

Schawariwane..................................Turkeys.

Schascari wanasi..............................Eagles.

Tantanege.....................................Hares.

Onckwe........................................Men.

Etsi (Eightjen?)..............................A man.

Coenhechti (Gahetien?)........................A woman.

Ocstaha.......................................An old man.

Odasqueta.....................................An old woman.

Sine gechtera.................................A wooer.

Exhechta......................................A la.s.s.

Ragina........................................Father.

Distan........................................Mother.

Cian..........................................Child.

Rocksongwa (Ronwaye?).........................Boy.

Canna warori..................................Prost.i.tute.

Onentar.......................................Woman in labor.

Ragenonou.....................................Uncle.

Rackesie......................................Cousin.

Anochquis.....................................Hair.

Anonsi........................................Head.

Ohochta.......................................Ears.

Ohonikwa......................................Throat.

Oneyatsa......................................Nose.

Owanisse......................................Tongue.

Onawy.........................................Teeth.

Onenta........................................Arm.

Osnotsa.......................................Hands.

Onata.s.sa......................................Fingers.

Otich kera....................................Thumb.

Otsira........................................Nails.

Onvare........................................Shoulder blade.

Orochquine....................................Spine.

Ossidan.......................................Feet.

Onera.........................................Pudenda.

Oeuda.........................................Excrements.

Onsaha........................................Vesicle.