tory. It seemed desirable that before the modern
materials of the Iroquois history could be well
employed, we should accumulate something
tangible and certain of their general polity, wars,
and actual statistics, and also something of the
ancient period of their earlier traditions; and lore,
which might help the inquirer to ,clear ‘i»P the
boundaries of histori#al mystery which shroud
the. Indian 'period, prior to 149;2i This forms the
true .epoch of American ethnology.
It was a desideratum in American statistics,
that a complete „census, of one of the primary
stocks,, who had lived in our neighborhood ah
this time, and , still preserve their nationality,
should be taken. This task New York executed
in 1845. It appeared desirable to the agent ap-
pointed to carry the actnf the legislature iuto
effect^ that the opportunity.should notrbe lost of
making some notes of the kind here> indicated;
and it is in this feature indeed^ if any thing in
thu following notes, thatithey Aspire' to the .qh«^-.
racter of research, though they betintended only
to .shadow forth outlines, to be filled up hereafter!
In reprinting the original notes, in order to
supply a derpand of the public for them, which
is still unabated, the occasion has been taken to
revise them, and to add other' portions of the
original materials, which were suppressed in the
publication, together with some further traditions,
and biographical and historical notices and
researches, which it is thought will tend to impart
further interest and value to the work.