of the Indian war axes; for he averred that; It
was customary for war parties who went out
south against the Cherokees, to come and sharpen
their axes upon this stone, and paint themselves
for war. Whatever th^re was in this custom, I
think he was probably mistaken in his locality;
yet it is a question, in wflaich others may differ.
At any rate, geology had beenquite beforehand
with the Oneida legendary and philosopher, in
producing and accounting for these twu phenomena,
namely, the red color and smoothed
and channelled surfaces. Geology having been
mentioned, I may add the following incident.
I told Skanawadi, one of my guides, while standing
at the Oneida,, stone, lying on its proud ancient
elevation, that there was no stone like this,
in place, till we went nbrth to the Adirondacks,
or Tehawas, or great lakes, and that this block
of syenite had been brought 'here by the ocean,
when it Covered: the whole land, and left on its
recession. He replied, after a moment's‘reflection,
that5 “ he believed this.” .
- ,Af the time the Oneidas came to fix their location
at this stone, the Konoshioni or Iroquois
had not confederated. This people, In the early
eras’ of their history, like the Algonquins,- sent
out individuals and bands, whet became powerful,
and assumed the character of separate find
independent tribes,- making war and peace ad
liMhimi If thismode of multiplication be compared
to the lower orders of creation, it had some
striking'analogies with itiv'Like the bear and the
hawk, the moment the young member was ready
to quit the parent lair or nest, it had not only to
forage for subsistence, but to defend itself against
other bears and ha’wks, and all other claimants
to the food of the forest. To make war, is in
fact the' first and the last :act of sovereignty of
the pettiest” of all our aboriginal tribes. War is
with them the road, and the only road to fame*
and the readiest Way to secure a supply of spontaneous
food. They fight to increase* or defend
the boundaries of their hunting grounds. Thus,
doubtless;ffrOS'e the first difficulties between the
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