factory to know, from authentic sources, that
the vestiges of European art, scattered so widely
through that quarter> of. the Country* are duef
almost exclusively; tothe missionaries, fur traders,
and early military commanders of France
and Holland, and do not reach baekbeyond the
Opening cfthe sixteenth century. These poty^rs
first set foot inNorth Americawithinabout ay ear
of the same time^ Champlain having preceded
'Hudson perhaps a little b u t the year 1609, is as
early as either of them, actually, penetrated into
the interior, or outskirts of the present area of
western New York. It was western New, York
which was generally comprehended, at the several
early eras, by the terms Oneida Castle,-Onondaga
Country, that excited their early rivalry.
Both powers regarded ity as the atore house of
the wealth of the fur trade, and the-prop of their
political power. And they manoUvred and
fought for it, in a long series; of-years, and
subtile negotiations, like a strong and wise man,
who has much,,.afjstake. The ^conversion and
civilization of thfTndian tribes was put ,&rih as
a prominent object, and was not disregarded, by
either power; but it is pretty evident, in scanning
the history of the! dimes, that, whatever other
good the plan effected, it became the prominent
means of carrying on a peculiar branch of inland
diplomacy, and furnished the apology, at .first, to
theFrench, for entering into new territories, and
afterwards, for remaining in them.
It is remarkable, however, when we examine
the ancient records, to find, that the Dutch possessed
the jentire and sole trade and control of
the Iroquois cantons, during the whole period of
the supremacy of the- States General, in New
York. This enterprising people, had gathered
wisdom in the extension of their commerce in
the East Indies, China and Japan. They went
to that part of the » world to extend their commerce.
It was a business left exclusively in the
hands of the merchants, who had chartered
privileges ; and the functionaries of the stadt-
holder submitted, as being a mere question of
etiquette, to all the ceremonies and prostrations
imposed by those pompous and semi-barbarous
Oriental' courts. They applied the same policy
hère, and pleased the Iroquois so well, and adhered'
so faithfully to their'Compacts with them,
that.' the French missionaries and emissaries,
although they were active, made but little impression
upon the Iroquois cantons, and did not
draw them into a public alliance until 1667,
being three years after the first surrender of New
Amsterdam to the Duke of York.
If is interesting to trace the early movements
of the French to gain an entrance into the Iroquois
cantons, and serves to show the Strength
of the grasp, which the early colonists had on
them, when it is perceived, that it was not till
after the middle of the seventeenth century, that
the Onondaga country was first successfully
explored from the; direction of Canada, or New
France, as it was then denoted. Time has