ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE SIX NATIONS***


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Transcriber’s note:

      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

      The author’s style is that of a non-native speaker of English,
      and in places is grammatically unusual, mixing tenses and
      using odd sentence structure. Only printer’s errors have been
      changed; a full list is given at the end.





                    DAVID CUSICK’S
                      SKETCHES OF
                    ANCIENT HISTORY
                        OF THE
                     SIX NATIONS,

                      COMPRISING

         FIRST—A TALE OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE
                     GREAT ISLAND,
                 (NOW NORTH AMERICA.)
                 THE TWO INFANTS BORN,
                        AND THE
               CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.

 SECOND—A REAL ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY SETTLERS OF NORTH
            AMERICA, AND THEIR DISSENSIONS.

THIRD—ORIGIN OF THE KINGDOM OF THE FIVE NATIONS, WHICH
                      WAS CALLED
                     A LONG HOUSE:
             THE WARS, FIERCE ANIMALS, &c.

                   LOCKPORT, N. Y.:
     TURNER & McCOLLUM, PRINTERS, DEMOCRAT OFFICE.
                         1848.




PREFACE.


I have been long waiting in hopes that some of my people, who have
received an English education, would have undertaken the work as to
give a sketch of the Ancient History of the Six Nations; but found no
one seemed to concur in the matter, after some hesitation I determined
to commence the work; but found the history involved with fables;
and besides, examining myself, finding so small educated that it was
impossible for me to compose the work without much difficulty. After
various reasons I abandoned the idea: I however, took up a resolution to
continue the work, which I have taken much pains procuring the materials,
and translating it into English language. I have endeavored to throw
some light on the history of the original population of the country,
which I believe never have been recorded. I hope this little work will be
acceptable to the public.

                                                         DAVID CUSICK.

TUSCARORA VILLAGE, June 10th, 1825.




[Illustration: _ATOTARHO, A FAMOUS WAR CHIEF, RESIDED AT ONONDAGA._]

[Illustration: _A WAR DANCE._]

[Illustration: _STONISH GIANTS._]

[Illustration: _THE FLYING HEAD PUT TO FLIGHT BY A WOMAN PARCHING
ACORNS._]




PART I.

A TALE OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE GREAT ISLAND, NOW NORTH
AMERICA;—THE TWO INFANTS BORN, AND THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.


Among the ancients there were two worlds in existence. The lower world
was in a great darkness;—the possession of the great monster; but the
upper world was inhabited by mankind; and there was a woman conceived and
would have the twin born. When her travail drew near, and her situation
seemed to produce a great distress on her mind, and she was induced by
some of her relations to lay herself on a mattress which was prepared,
so as to gain refreshments to her wearied body; but while she was asleep
the very place sunk down towards the dark world. The monsters of the
great water were alarmed at her appearance of descending to the lower
world; in consequence all the species of the creatures were immediately
collected into where it was expected she would fall. When the monsters
were assembled, and they made consultation, one of them was appointed
in haste to search the great deep, in order to procure some earth, if
it could be obtained; accordingly the monster descends, which succeeds,
and returns to the place. Another requisition was presented, who would
be capable to secure the woman from the terrors of the great water, but
none was able to comply except a large turtle came forward and made
proposal to them to endure