After a while, a great pestiferous and arinoy-
ing creature -of the insect tribe, appeared about
the forts at Onondaga, in theguise ofthe-Gè-we-
un-dah-sais-ke; or huge musquito. It first ap-
pearedin the Onondaga country. It flew about
the fört with vast Wings, making a loud nol&èj*
with a long stinger, and on whomsoever it
lighted, it aucked out his blood and killed him.
Many warriors were killed-' in this way, and all
attempts made to subdue it were abortive,’- till
TarenyaWagon, or the Holder of the Heavens,
waaon a visit one day to the ruler of the Onoh-
dagas. The giant musquito happened'to’comé
flying about the fort, as flqual, at this time.
Tarenyawagon attacked it, but Such was its- rapidity
of flight that he could scarcely keep in
sight of it. 'He chased it around the border of
the great lakes, towards sun-setting, and round
the great country at large, east and west. At
last he overtook it and killed it near Cren-Un-
do-a, or the salt lake of Onondaga. From the
blood flowing out on this Occasion, the present
species of small musquitoes originated^
THE IROQUOIS QUETZALCGAiPL.^ -
A TRADITION OF THE ORIGIN OF THE LEAGUE OF THÉ Flt*ÊiïÖcTlÖ>fSi.
It appears from the best authorities, that the
first inhabitants of the ancient valley of Ana-
huac, or Mexico, came from the north. According
to the historian Sahagun, these early inhabitants
were Toltees. They lived first at Tullant-
zinco, and thence migrated to Tulla. They had
for their god Quetzalcoatl, whom they regarded
as their teacher in arts and learning. They
traced to him their progress in power and civilization^
he repde^efl them superior to other men
in war and veultiyation-,san4 as-he was deemed
both a god and a man,, they appealed to him as a
divine director*. ; as well ajs their _ leader and
founder-. They also had in „after times a king, or
a ruling priest* of thp. same. name. ; By the counsel
of the fprmer they left Tulla,„and travelled
eastward till they found a plage called Tlapallan*
or the city of the. sun. This city they, in process
of time, condemned? and destroyed. Having
flonei this, they went and (founded th^Celebrated
town of Cholula jj— still known forfthe r-uins of its
magnificent terraced pyramid* Thus far Quetzalcoatl,
Under whom* they hud trisen, to power,
abode rwith them, and, having accomplished the
object .jpig his carej it was in this quarter that he
left them, and disappeared. He was, however,
expected to reappear, and, this belief was preserved
up to the-, time of the ^ conquest of the
country by Cortez, whom the Aztecs, at first, mistook
for their benefector, the lost Quetzalcoatl.
- It is remarkable that we find in the dim vista
of Iroquois tradition, a counterpart of this story
of Quetzalcoatl, differing chiefly in the name of
the individual and some of the incidents, to
Whom the hold northern clans ascribed their
early power and supremacy, and in the extent to
* This pyramid, which liées in three V&st steps to the height
of 177 feet* has a basé of 1,423 feet..