Onondaga canton. | This canton were then numerous,
proud and warlike. They cultivated
the zea maize in their rich valleys. They hunted
the deer on their hills, and their war parties uttered
their shouts of defiance on the distant Illinois,
and under-the walls of Queheh.
Karrakontea had communicated personally*
or otherwise with the European racesi.who^had
settled respectively, on the watera pf the Goha-
tatea or Hudson, and thevSt.;Lawrence. His
war parties had visited other shades of the white
race of men, who had planted themselves, fearfully,
on the: waters of the Chesapeake, and at
several points on the wide stretching shores of
Virginia, and he was well acquainted with the
several efforts at colonization, which had been
made during the next preceding period of forty to
fifty years, on the storm-beaten shores of New
England.
He was a sachem of a wise and benevolent
character, lie saw himself and his people
seated at vfery remote points .from the->gea*;
board, where these embryo colonies had planted
themselves. They existed*, moreover* in each
case, among particular branches, of the Indian
race, against whom his people warred, and sorne
of whom they had before partially conquered
or laid under tribute. He had, therefore,, no
objections to see Europeans come among them.
It gave, neither himself, nor his fellow counsellors
of the Iroquois league, pain to observe that
the fierce Manhattans and Narragansetts, or the
counselling. Lenapees and Powhattans, were
suhjeqt to, dwindle away in numbers, and become
‘less formidable enemies, to themselves.
He clearly saw. and acknowledged the. great
heneftts^hich they ajl, as a race, had derived
from the introduction of foreign goods and manufactures,
wines'll they I could readily obtain, at
various* points, an exchange for their furs. Nay,
be pointedly saw the advantages to be reaped
by them from the introduction of a, superior type
of *arts and knowledge,; to any-which the red
men possessed. And he came to the conclusion
of asking the foreign race, to send some persons
to come and “ s,it down” with them, that his
people might learn #tm'e .of thUse superior arts
and practice», -whichhe observed that the white
race, everywhere, more or less, possessed. To
this proposition his fellow, sachems and people
as^nted; and the invitation was,given, to the,
French, who had . proved themselves, at a very
early date, not mnly the most enterprising, in
pushing their way from , the mouth of the St.
Lawrence westward into the interior of the continent;*
hut who fell into the manners and customs
of the. Indian race, with the best grace,
and rendered themselves very acceptable to this
people, wherqver they went.. One reason of this
was, perhaps; to be found in the custom of taking
wives of the red stock ofiinen, wherever they
settled or dwelt ; another was, doubtless, in a
trait of national Comity, which forbade their ever
turning Jo ridicule the religious and superstitious