vicinity, showing that light cannon were used, either for defence,
or in the reduction of this fortification. > There is ’ a
large fock in the ravine ön the south, nil which, are. inscribed
the following characters, thus, IIII1X, cut three-quarters of'un
inch broad,' nine inches Ipng, three quarters of an inch dëèp,
perfectly regular, lines'straight. Whethér it was’a work ©f
taneÿ, or ha'd signlficance, I know hot.4 ?
On the site-of ' the village’ of ' Gazfenoviù, I am told there
was a fort or embankment;'some persons say'it was” roundish;
others that it was angular, with sides at right'‘angles.
Recollections respecting it are'very" imperffect. Many reliés
have been found here,' indicating'an earlier ‘occupancy than
those usually foÛhd In this count}. This 'Was^sn' the OneR
da’s territory.' There is a singular coincidence‘in the Jöca.-
tion of these fortifications which I have blyér .observed-until
my recent visit. They are,nearly all, if not quite all,-Situated
on land rather elevated above that whfch isimmedlately cob-''
tiguouS, arid Surrounded, or partly So, by 'deepravhies, So that
these form a part of the fortification' themselves. 1 At onè-Of
these (on the farm of David Williams, in-Pûmpeyb'fhe banks
on .either side are Found- to^contdiri bulléïsrôf 'Téàd, ‘ a's uf'shot
across at,opposing forces. TKe'spaee between may be about
thrSe-or four Öd^' and the*natural cutting twenty^ or'twenty-
live feet deep. This only goes to Show the^Stîe these architects
had in selecting the móst faiVoràble,situations tor defence,
and the fear and'expeetdtion they'were in of attacks.
f j I do not believe any of the fortifications in this neighborhood
are more ancient than the--period of tho French settled
ment of missionaries ambng the Oriondagâs, during the early
part of the seventeenth centuiy. ;- Rut thé-mbrê I investigate,
thé more I am eonvinced that there were many more of the
French established here among thé Indians, by far, than has
been generally supposed, and their qpntihuahce with them
longer. 5
The nature of the articles found, utensils of farmers and
mechanics, hoes, axes, horse shoes, hammers, See., go to prove
ORIGINAL NOTES. 471
that „agriculture was praçtjsed somewhat extensively, as well
as the mechanic arte. Jfhe Indian name by which it was
anciently Galled,.;apd:is now, by the natives, I think goes to
substantiate £his £act; Ote-que-sah' -fi-zh, an open place, with
rouçh gr,aé> an opening, or prairiq. j( The timber has a vigorous
gröw4, and/although in many places large, there is a
upiformi^gin «the^i^e and âge;, which, shows that it has all
grown up^s^i^|e,ocQupanoy; because under the trees , are
not -qnly found;thêf rejks* bût among them in many instances,
corn hilMqap rows at considcrable distances.
The presentation^ medals,.,! believe to have been a very
common’cn^pm,ampng)the missionaries and traders. Several
found. ' Î v i a b l e ‘cfpss'ef pure gold, sold fpr
$30, was-found cndhg.farmnf%?David Hinsdale, west part
jjj qf 'Thé significant HIS wasaipon it. Brass crosses
are' frequ^tly^fcuqdii‘^nd Jo -are mêlais of the same metal.
Q.pf> ircftpiattffound on the last named farm', about the size > of
: o ’figure. ofca.R<paan pontiff in a stand-
• ing position,-in his/hand a; projdék; surrounded with this m-
fSG<ri#tion, h ly i fg . sin. P. origL cm-,, which I have ventured
to .-write itót, Epata virgo, sfae- pecmto originali amt&pta; or
as we might §qy ■ in/English, the Blessed virgin, conceived
without original sin. ^On the other side was a representation
of the,bfazen,serpent,' andiwonearly naked figures, looking
intenjtly uponlt. the mokt perfect-ope I have
seen. ,Thû|^prs^§r§ as per$ectÿs if struck but yesterday.
It was, undoubtedly compressed -between dies. It is oval in
1 shape, apd bored, that? it might be suspended from the neck,
v A ,silver medal-was f%and near-Eagle village, two miles east
%p£ .this, abouche size of a dollar,.but a little thinner, with a
ring or loop at pne.-^ge'lo admit accord, by which it might
he suspended. On one side appears in «dief,; a somewhat
rude representation of a fortified .tpwn, with several tall steeples
rising.aböve its buildings,.and a. citadel, from which the British
flag is 'flying. A river broken by an island pr two, occupies
the foreground, and above, ' along the upper edge of the