The Onondagas live near the Salt or Onondaga Lake, about twentyfive miles from the Oneida Lake. In the fpring of 1779, a regiment of men were fent from Albany by General J. Clinton, against the Onondagas. This regiment furprized their town-took thirty-three prifonerskilled twelve or fourteen, and returned without the lofs of a man. A party of the Indians were at this time ravaging the American frontiers. There are very few of the Delaware tribe in this state.

The Five confederated Nations were fettled along the banks of the Sufquehannah, and in the adjacent country, until the year 1779, when General Sullivan, with an army of 4000 men, drove them from their country to Niagara, where being obliged to live on falted provifions, to which they were unaccustomed, great numbers of them died. Two hundred of them, it is faid, were buried in one grave, where they had encamped. General Sullivan burnt feveral of their towns, destroyed their provifions, and defeated them in an engagement at Newton. Since this irruption into their country, their former habitations have been moftly deferted, and many of them have gone into Canada.

On the 13th of November, 1787, John Livingston, Efq; and four others, obtained of the Six Nations of Indians a leafe for 999 years, on a yearly rent referved of 2000 dollars, of all the country included in the following limits, viz. beginning at a place commonly known by the name of Canada Creek, about feven miles weft of Fort Stanwix, now Fort Schuyler, thence north-eastwardly to the line of the province of Quebec; thence along the faid line to the Pennfylvania line; thence eaft on the said line, or Pennfylania line, to the line of Property, fo called by the state of New-York; thence along the faid line of Property, to Canada Creek aforefaid. And on the 8th of January, 1788, the fame perfons obtained a leafe of the Oneida Indians, for 999 years, on a rent reserved for the first year of 1200 dollars, and increafing it at the rate of 100 dollars a year, until it amount to 1500 dollars, of all the tract of land commonly called the Oneida country, except a refervation of feveral tracts specified in the leafe. But thefe leafes having been obtained without the confent of the legiflature of the ftate, the fenate and affembly, in their feflion, March 1788, refolved, That the faid leafes are purchases of lands; and therefore, that by the conftitution of this state the faid leases are not binding on the faid Indians, and are not valid.'-This very important and interefting difpute remains to be fettled.

We fhall conclude this account of the Indians, with an Indian speech to Sir William Johnfon, fuperintendant of Indian affairs, at a treaty held with the Six Nations and others, at Fort Stanwix, in October 1768, for the fettlement of a boundary line between the Colonies and the Indians.

We remember that on our first meeting you, when you came with your fhips, we kindly received you-entertained you-entered into an alliance with you, though we were then great and numerous, and your people inconfiderable and weak. And we know that we entered into a covenant-chain of bark with you, and faftened your fhip therewith. But being apprehenfive the bark would break, and your fhip be loft, we made one of iron, and held it faft that it fhould not flip from us--but feeing the former chain was liable to ruft, we made a filver one to guard against it.'

Ilands.] There are three islands of note belonging to this ftate, viz. York Ifland, which has already been described, Long Island, and Staten Iland.

Long Island extends from the city of New-York eaft 140 miles, and terminates with Montauk-point. It is not more than ten miles in breadth, on a medium, and is feparated from Connecticut by Long Island Sound. The island is divided into three counties; King's, Queen's, and Suffolk.

King's County lies at the weft end of Long Island, oppofite New-York, and is not above ten miles long, and eight broad. The inhabitants are principally Dutch, and live well. It contains a number of pleasant villages, of which Flatbush, Brooklyn, or Breucklin, and Bedford, are the principal.

Queen's County lies next to King's, as you proceed eaftward. It is about thirty miles long, and twelve broad. Jamaica, Newton, Hampftead, in which is a handfome court-houfe, and Oyfter-bay, are the principal villages in this county.

Suffolk County is about 100 miles long, and ten broad, and comprehends all the eastern part of the island, and several little islands adjoining, viz. Shelter Ifland, Fifher's Ifland, Plumb Island, and the Ifle of Wight. Its principal towns are Huntington, Southampton, Smith-Town, BrookHaven, Eaft-Hampton, in which is the academy, Southhold and BridgeHampton.

The fouth fide of the island is flat land, of a light fandy foil, bordered on the fea-coaft with large tracts of falt meadow, extending from the west point of the island to Southampton. This foil, however, is well calculated for raifing grain, especially Indian corn. The north fide of the ifland is hilly, and of a ftrong foil, adapted to the culture of grain, hay and fruit. A ridge of hills extends from Jamaica to Southhold. Large herds of cattle feed upon Hampstead plain, and on the falt marshes upon the fouth fide of the island.

Hampftead plain, in Queen's county, is a curiofity. It is fixteen miles in length, east and west, and seven or eight miles wide. The foil is black, and to appearance rich, and yet it was never known to have any natural growth but a kind of wild grafs, and a few fhrubs. It is frequented by vaft numbers of plovers. Rye grows tolerably well on fome parts of the plain. The moft of it lies common for cattle, horfes and fheep. As there is nothing to impede the profpect in the whole length of this plain, it has a curious but tiresome effect upon the eye, not unlike that of the

ocean.

Eaft of this plain, on the middle of the island, is a barren heath, overgrown with fhrub oaks and pines, in which, it is fuppofed, there are feveral thousand deer. It is frequented alfo by a great number of growse, or heath-hens, a very delicious bird. Laws have been passed for the prefervation of thefe birds and the deer.

It is remarkable, that on Montauk-point, at the east end of the island, there are no flies. Between this point and Eaft Hampton is a beach, three quarters of a mile wide, in the center of which was found, about fifty years ago, under a fand-hill which was blown up by the wind, the entire keleton of a large whale, nearly half a mile from the water,

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There

There are very few rivers upon the ifland. The largest is Peakonok, which rifes about ten miles weft of a place called River head, where the court-house ftands, and runs easterly into a large bay, dividing Southhold from Southampton. In this bay are Robin and Shelter Islands.

The fouth fide of the island is indented with numerous ftreams of vari ous fizes, which fall into a large bay, two or three miles over, formed by a beach, about eighty rods wide, which appears like a border to the island, extending from the weft end of it to Southampton. Through this beach, in various places, are inlets of such depth as to admit of vessels of fixty or feventy tons.

This bay was formerly fresh water. As evidences of this, the ftumps of trees are to be feen in great numbers on the falt marsh, near the upland. Oyfters, clams, and fifh of various kinds, are caught with ease, and in great plenty in this bay, with feines, during the winter feafon. It is not uncommon to fee forty or fifty veffels here loading with oyfters at the fame time. And what is almost incredible, though I was told of it by two gentlemen of truth, and who were well informed as to the matter, thirty waggon loads of bafs have been caught in this bay at one draught.

Rockonkama pond, lies about the centre of the island, between Smithtown and Ifip, and is about a mile in circumference. This pond has been found by obfervation, to rife gradually for feveral years, until it had arrived to a certain height, and then to fall more rapidly to its lowest bed; and thus it is continually ebbing and flowing. The caufe of this curious phenomenon has never been inveftigated. Two miles to the fouthward of this pond is a confiderable stream, called Connecticut river, which empties into the bay.

There are two whale fifheries; one from Sagg harbour, which produces about 1000 barrels of oil annually. The other is much smaller, and is carried on by the inhabitants in the winter feafon, from the fouth fide of the island. They commonly catch from three to feven whales in a feafon, which produce from twenty-five to forty barrels of oil. This fifhery was formerly a fource of confiderable wealth to the inhabitants, but through a fcarcity of whales, it has greatly declined of late years.

There is a confiderable trade carried on from Sagg-harbour, whence is exported to the Weft-Indies and other places, whale oil, pitch-pine boards, horfes, cattle, flax-feed, beef, &c. The produce of the middle and western parts of the island is carried to New-York.

The inland contains 30,863 inhabitants.

Staten Island lies nine miles fouth-weft of the city of New-York, and forms Richmond county. It is about eighteen miles in length, and, at a medium, fix or feven in breadth, and contains 3,152 inhabitants. On the fouth fide is a confiderable tract of level good land; but the ifland in general is rough, and the hills high. Richmond is the only town of any note on the inland, and that is a poor, inconfiderable place. The inhabitants are principally Dutch and French.

Hiftory. Hudfon's River was first discovered in 1608, by Henry Hudfon, an Englishman, who fold his claim to the Dutch.

In 1614, the States General granted a patent to feveral merchants, for an exclufive trade on the river Hudfon. The fame year this company buil

a fort on the weft fide of the river, near Albany, and named it Fort Orange.

In 1615, a fort was built on the fouthwest point of Manhattan's, now York iland; but the first fettlers planted themfelves about two miles from this fort, and built a church there, the ruins of which, it is said, are ftill vifible, near the two mile ftone on the public road. In this fituation, finding themfelves infecure during the wars between the English and Dutch, they left this place, and planted their habitations under the guns of the fort, which laid the foundation of the prefent city.

In 1614, Captain Argall, under Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virgi nia, vifted the Dutch on Hudfon's river, who being unable to refift him, prudently submitted for the prefent, to the king of England, and under him to the governor of Virginia. Determined upon the fettlement of a colony, the States-general, in 1621, granted the country to the West India company; and in the year 1629, Wouter Van Twiller arrived at Fort Amfterdam, now New York, and took upon himself the government.

In August 27, 1664, governor Stuyvefant furrendered the colony to colonel Nicolls, who had arrived in the bay a few days before, with three or four hips, and about 300 foldiers, having a commiffion from king Charles the IId. to reduce the place, which then was called New Amfterdam, but was changed to New York, as was Fort Orange to Albany, in honour of his Royal Highnefs James Duke of York and Albany. Very few of the inhabitants thought proper to remove out of the country; and their numerous defcendants are till in many parts of this ftate, and New-Jersey.

In 1667, at the peace of Breda, New York was confirmed to the English, who in exchange ceded Surinam to the Dutch.

The English kept peaceable poffeffion of the country until the year 1673, when the Dutch, with whom they were then at war, fent a fmall fquadron, which arrived at Staten Island, on the 30th of July. John Manning, a captain of an independent company, who had at that time the command of the fort, fent a messenger down to the commodore, and treacherously made his terms with him: on the fame day the fhips came up, moored under the fort, landed their men, and entered the garrifon, without giving or receiving a fhot. All the magiftrates and conftables from Eaft Jerfey, Long Island, Æfopus, and Albany, were fummoned to New York; and the major part of them fwore allegiance to the States General and the Prince of Orange. The conquerors, however, did not long enjoy the fruits of their fuccefs, for on the 9th of February the year. following, a treaty of peace between England and Holland was figned at Weftminster; by the fixth article of which, this province was restored to the English, in whofe hands it remained until the late revolution.

While New York remained in poffeffion of the Dutch it was called New Netherlands, and governed by a Scout, Burgomafters and Schepens. From its furrender to the English in 1664, to 1683, the province was ruled by governors, appointed and commiffioned by the Duke of York, and their council, whofe rules and orders had the force of laws. From the laft named period, the people were admitted to a fhare of the legislative authority.

The confederated Cantons of Indians, before the incorporation of the Tufcaroras, a people driven by the Carolinians from the frontiers of Virginia, confifted of five nations, viz, the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas, Onondagas,

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Onondagas, and Cayugas. The alliance and trade of thefe fix nations, inhabiting the territory weft of Albany to the diflance of more than 200 miles, though much courted by the French of Canada, have been almost uninterruptedly enjoyed by the English.

In 1684, the French attempted the deftruction of these Indians, because they interrupted their trade with the more diftant tribes, called the Far Nations. The Seneca Indians interrupted this trade, because the French fupplied the Miamies, with whom they were then at war, with arms and

ammunition.

To effect the deftraction of the Indians great preparations were made by the French. But famine and ficknefs prevailing among them the expedition proved fruitless. Four years after this, 1200 Indians attacked Montreal, burnt many houses, and put 1000 of the inhabitants to the fword.

In 1689, Colonel Dongan, the governor, being called home by king James, and a general difaffection to Government prevailing at New York, one Jacob Leifler took poffeffion of the garrifon, for king William and queen Mary, and affumed the fupreme power over the province. His reduction of Albany, held by others for William, and the confifcation of the eftates of his opponents, was an impolitic meafure; and fowed the feeds of mutual animofity, which for a long time greatly embarrassed the public affairs.

The French, in 1689, in order to detach the fix nations from the British intereft, fent out feveral parties against the English colonies. One of the parties, confifting of about 200 French, and fome of the Caghnuaga Indi-, ans, commanded by D'Ailldebout, De Mantel, and Lemoyne, was intended for New York. But by the advice of the Indians, they determined first to attack Skenectady,

For this place they accordingly directed their courfe, and after twenty days march, in the depth of winter, through the fnow, carrying their provifions on their backs, they arrived in the neighbourhood of Skenectady, on the 8th of February, 1690. Such was the extreme diftrefs to which they were reduced, that they had thoughts of furrendering themselves prifoners of war. But their fcouts, who were a day or two in the village entirely unfufpected, returned with fuch encouraging accounts of the abfolute fecurity of the people, that the enemy determined on the attack. They enrered, on Saturday night about eleven o'clock, at the gates, which were found unfhut; and, that every houfe might be invefted at the fame time, divided into small parties of fix or feven men. The inhabitants were in a profound fleep, and unalarmed, until their doors were broke open. Never were people in a more wretched confternation. Before they were rifen from their beds, the enemy entered their houfes, and began the perpetration of the most inhuman barbarities. No tongue can exprefs the cruelties that were committed, The whole village was inftantly in a blaze, Women with child ripped open, and their infants caft into the flames, or dafhed against the pofts of the doors. Sixty perfons perished in the maffacre, and twenty-feven were carried into captivity. The reft fled naked towards Albany, through a deep fnow which fell that very night in a terrible storm; and 25 of the fugitives loft their limbs in the flight, through the feverity of the froft. The news of this dreadful tragedy reached Albany, about break of day, and univerfal dread feized the inhabitants of that city,

the