' | Among
and its effects upon their prosperity and. population,
if tradition is to he credited;- w,ere at times
appalling. The theory of the popular belief; as
it existedin theseveral oanton^Was this. 'M^Sjafe
witches and wizzards constituted asecretasso-
ciation, which met at night to consult on J mischief,
and each was hound to inviolable ^.ser
-crecy.. They say this fraternity' first arose
umdng: -tb^Ulfeiitieofes.*
"had power to turn into a. fox or wolf; and- run
very swift, emitting flashes of light.' They could
also transform themselves into a turkey or big
owl, and fly very fast. If detected, or hotly pur-
shed, they could change into a stone or rotten
log. They sought„ carefullyhto>j procure the
poison of snakes or poisonous roots, to effect
their purposes. They could blow hairs or worms
into a person.
While in Onondaga, James Gould, obO of the
original settlers on the Military tract, told me
that he had been intimate with Webster, the
naturalised Onondaga, who told hini^many
things respecting the- ancient 1 aws and customs
of this people: Amongst -them there was a curious
reminiseenee on the
Webster had heard this from ah aged On-,
ondaga, whom he conversed with during a
visit which he once made to Canada.: This
Onondaga said that he had formerly lived near
the old church on the Kasonda! creek, near
Jamesville, where there was in ©Id times a populous
lndian village. One evening, he said,
whilst he; lived there, he stepped out of his lodge,
and immediately sank in the earth, and found
ftimselfin/ a large room, surrounded by three
hundred Next morning
he went to the. council and told the chiefs of
this, extraordinary occurrence. They asked him
whether he could not identify the persons. He
said he could. They then accompanied him oh
a visit to all the' lodges, where he pointed out
this and that one, who were marked for execution.
Before this^ inquiry was ended, a very large
number of persons of both sexes were killed.
He' said ——.^hundred.
Another tradition says that about fifty persons
were burned to death at the Onondaga castle for
witches.; I
The delusion prevailed among all thecantons.
The last-persons executed for witchcraft among
the Oneidasj suffered about forty years ago.
They were two females. The executioner was
the notorious Hon Yost, of revolutionary memory.
He entered the lodge, according to a prior
decree of the council, and struck them down
with a tomahawk. One was found in the lodge;
the other suffered near the lodge door.
; Marriage among the Iroquois* appears to be a
verbal contract between the parties, which does
not affeet the rights of property. Hoods, per.
* Haying doubts, I nrnijt blank.