It appears a trip was performed up the Alleghany river in the Fifth month last, as high as Olean, in the state of New York, by a new steamboat, and as it was the first that had ever ascended that river, as far as the Indian towns, it excited some astonishment. The account states, that “On the thirteenth of May, at nine o’clock, she arrived opposite the village of Cornplanter. Here a deputation waited on that ancient and well known Indian king or chief, and invited him on board this new, and to him wonderful visiter, a steamboat. We found him in all his native simplicity of dress and manner of living, lying on his couch, made of rough pine boards, and covered with deer skins and blankets. His habitation, a two story log house, is in a state of decay, without furniture, except a few benches, and wooden bowls and spoons to eat out of. This convinced us of his determination to retain old habits and customs. This venerable old chief was a lad in the first French war, in 1744, and is now nearly one hundred years of age. He is a smart active man, seemingly possessed of all his strength of mind, and in perfect health, and retains among his nation all that uncontrolled influence he has ever done.
“He, with his son Charles, sixty years of age, and his son-in-law, came on board, and remained until she had passed six miles up, and then they returned home in their own canoe, after expressing great pleasure. His domain is a delightful bottom of rich land, two miles[3] square, nearly adjoining the line between Pennsylvania and New York. On this, his own family, about fifty in number, in eight or ten houses reside. Cornplanter’s wife, and her mother, one hundred and fifteen years of age, are in good health.
The lands of this tribe being forty miles long and half a mile wide on each side of the river, lie just above, but all in the state of New York. They have a number of villages, and are about seven hundred in number, scattered all along this reserve. Many of them have good dwellings, and, like the whites, some are intelligent, industrious, and useful—while others are the reverse. On the whole they are becoming civilized and christianized, as fast as can be expected. The natives appeared in great numbers, (we counted four hundred) who were attracted to view this unexpected sight on their waters. Their lands terminate eight miles below Olean.”
A vocabulary of some of the most familiar words and phrases in the Seneca language, and the English, in alphabetical order.
| All | Cock way go |
| All gone | Ono, cock way go |
| Any where, any thing, &c. | Te caw a noo we |
| A quiet mind | Ska no sa na to nee |
| Axe | At too ga |
| Boy or child | Uc shaw |
| Brother | Hogh gee |
| Blood | Ot quoon sah |
| Board | Con nish ta |
| Bear | U qui |
| Black | Gis taa |
| Beaver | Te con ne a ga |
| Big lake | Con nu di go wan nee |
| Birds | Ge daa |
| Bread | Wagh qua |
| Beans | Ci daw |
| Beyond | Shee qua |
| Both | De jall |
| Book | Ki au dau shaw |
| Blanket | Ee yuse |
| Bed | Con noch ta |
| Barrel or tub | Con noch qua |
| Blacksmith | Cow wish to nee |
| Bad | Toos coss |
| Cold | Hit too a |
| Cow | Tus quan |
| Cat | Dac coos |
| Child | Uc shaw |
| Cousin | Kaa say |
| Chief | Shin e wan nee |
| Cannon | Ca u da go aw |
| Coat | Ja dau wis a |
| Chest | Count sah |
| Cup | Cow wish ta |
| Candle | Ogish to taugh qua |
| Canoe | Cau waugh |
| Chocolate | Nig a di u |
| Crane | Jo a sah |
| Deer | Nea yu ka |
| Duck | Se wack |
| Dead | A way yu |
| Devil | Nishe o nee |
| Dog | Gee ah |
| Dish | Cud gee |
| Day | Udaugh |
| Drink | Nig ge ah |
| Dark | U dagh sin di go |
| Do you want it | Ees no wees |
| Earth | U en jau dy |
| Elk | Je naun de |
| Eel | Con taa na |
| Eat | Sutte coo nee |
| Eye | Ka haa |
| Ear | Woun tah |
| Evening, or sun down | Ono gagh qua |
| Father | Hau nee |
| Field | K ion to |
| Farmer | E yeant has |
| Fox | O nung quat qua |
| Fish | Kin jugh |
| Fire | O gish ta |
| Flour or meal | Tee sah |
| Fruit | O yah |
| Flea | Te was en tas |
| Fine day | O we see ah |
| Fire-fly | Gish te noch qua |
| God, or Great Spirit | How wau ne au |
| Grandmother | Uc sute |
| Good | Scoss |
| Grist-mill | Cau thish e o ne |
| Gnat | O gaw whont |
| Gun | Ca u da |
| Greedy | Dus ki hau sy |
| Gift | Ska no |
| House | Con ne sute |
| Horse | Con don nah que |
| Hungry | A dus swa dau nee |
| High | Eait kah |
| Here in this place | Nich hooh |
| Him or her | Au whau |
| Hear | Gut hoon dy |
| Happy | Ska no so ne to nee |
| Hat or cap | Kah e quay |
| Hand | Kas chuch tah |
| Half | Sut te wau so nee |
| How many | Ton ne yu |
| How many miles | Ton ne yute cot ho |
| Hawk | Swin go dau ge au |
| Have you any, &c. | Goih yah |
| Indians | A gue o we |
| Indian corn | O ne ah |
| If | Cow a nee |
| I myself | Ee |
| I don’t know | Te quaw |
| I think | E we |
| Island | Cow we naut |
| Iron | Con ne u sah |
| Ice | O we sa |
| I don’t understand | Te gunk hau |
| I want it | Ic no wees |
| I am going now | Ono se gogh tan dee |
| Iron pot | Te quosh e naute |
| King | Co wa co a |
| Kettle | Can naun jau |
| Knife | Ka gun ne au sau |
| Land | U aun ja |
| Louse | Gee no e |
| Lonesome | A goon date |
| Lake, or sea | Con nu di |
| Lie | Sun noo aunt |
| Large | Go wau nee |
| Long ago | O nuch chee |
| Little, or small | Nee wau, or wis too |
| Little while ago | Wau gee |
| Linen | Con ne ga un sah |
| Like this | Sau gat |
| Log | Can hagh tau |
| Man or male | Can gee nah |
| Mother | No yegh |
| Many | Con nong gee |
| Much | We sue |
| Meat | Au wagh |
| Mosquito | Ge ne au da sa |
| Mush | Gis qua |
| Mountain | Non on dau dee |
| Mile | Yute cot hoo |
| Money | O wish ta |
| Merry, or pleased | Oon dut ca dee |
| Milk | Nung qua |
| Moon | Gagh qua |
| Mouth | Kish e gaen |
| Morning | Se tugh ge au |
| Make it | Shish she o ne |
| New town | Can na da say |
| Noon | Gick ne gah quaw |
| No | Tah |
| Now | Nay wau |
| Not many | Tanty co nong gee |
| Not much | Tanty we sue |
| Not | Tanty |
| Nose | Ka kan dah |
| Nonsense, trifling, &c. | Gish nit |
| One month | Swa no dock |
| Owl | E he |
| Old | Caw cuch gee |
| Over the river | Ska hoon dee |
| On this side | Caw oo |
| Philadelphia | Ca ne di an go au |
| Pittsburg | Taun too ga |
| Pig | Quees quees |
| Provisions | A den a sah |
| Potatoes | Non nun dau |
| Plenty | Con nong gee |
| Pipe | Se guah ta |
| Pretty | We u |
| Pheasant | Chuc que a ne |
| Pigeons | Jah go au |
| Presently | A ge quash |
| People | Ung que |
| Rain | Us taun dee |
| River | Ka hone dee |
| Racoon | Jo ah qua |
| Rattlesnake | So quant |
| Right, or proper | Ty wi ye a |
| Raining, or stormy | Onish wy ate kah |
| Sea, or ocean | Ska ne la te co ne |
| Shoes, or sandals | At tagh qua |
| Sun | Gagh qua |
| Squashes, &c. | O nuch sha |
| Sheep | Te de ne gen do |
| Stone | Cos quagh |
| Spinning wheel | See in yeah ta |
| Saw mill | Con nish te o nee |
| Sick | Nonk ta nee |
| Strong | Cau haus tee |
| Star | O gish un da |
| Sit down | Sut tee |
| Snow | Cun ne i |
| Snow falling | U gaun dee |
| Spoon | At te quot sa |
| See, or look | Sut cot hoo |
| Silver | O wish ta no e a |
| Shut the door | Se ho tong goo |
| Snipe | Te ith to we |
| Shoemaker | At taugh qua nee |
| Susquehanna | Cau wa ne wy ne i ne |
| Turkey | Os soo aunt |
| Thief | Nus qus |
| Turnips | Uc te au |
| Town | Con na da go |
| Tobacco | Yaun gwa |
| Turtle | Cun ne wau |
| This | Nick hoo |
| Thou | Eece |
| Tooth, or teeth | Ca noo jah |
| Tell it | Sat hu e |
| Talk | Gish nee |
| True, or truth | To gas |
| To-morrow | U haut |
| Uncle | Auh no ze |
| Ugly | Wy ate u |
| Verily, or very true | To gas neh hue |
| Very large | Agos go wan nee |
| Very far | Way uh |
| Winter | Ka unch neh |
| Water | Nick a noos |
| Woods | Ca ha da go |
| Wheat | O naun jah |
| Weeds | We aah ta |
| Wolf | Ty o nee |
| Wild geese | Hung gawk |
| Watch | Gah que shawk ta |
| White people | Hit teen yah |
| Warm | Di u |
| Warm day | Con naa no |
| Woman | Yee uh |
| Wife | Yeak nee |
| Wind | Ga haa |
| Work | Sutte ye dott |
| Want. I want it, &c. | Ick no eece |
| Where | Cong gwa |
| Yonder | Ho quaw |
| You | Eece de jal |
| Yes | Naye |
| You want it | Eece no wees |
| Year | Tush shate |
| Yesterday | Tay day |
| Names of some of the Indians, and their signification. | |
|---|---|
| Ki on twa ky | Cornplanter |
| Te ki on da | A wager, or money staked |
| Con ne di u | Hansom lake |
| Neh ta go a | A large pine tree |
| Waun dung guh ta | Passed by |
| Sa go e wah ta | Keeper arise |
| O gish quat ta | Dried mush |
| Tak e wau sah | Go to war |
| Twa de ac | Broken gun |
| Yeang gwa haunt | Chew tobacco |
| Ki an gwah ta | Smoke |
| Numerical terms, &c. | |
| One | Scote |
| Two | Tick nee |
| Three | Shaugh |
| Four | Keah |
| Five | Wush |
| Six | Yeah |
| Seven | Chaw tawk |
| Eight | Tick yugh |
| Nine | Tugh tah |
| Ten | Wush hau |
| Twenty | Te was hau |
| Thirty | Sha ne was hau |
| Forty | Kea ne was hau |
| Fifty | Wush ne was hau |
| Sixty | Yea ne was hau |
| Seventy | Chaw tawk ne was hau |
| Eighty | Tick yaugh ne was hau |
| Ninety | Tugh ta ne was hau |
| One hundred, that is, ten times ten | Wush haw ne was haw, or scote de wy ne i |
| Two hundred | Te non de wy ne i |
| Three hundred | Sha non de wy ne i |
| Four hundred | Keah non de wy ne i, &c. &c. |
| One dollar | Scow wish taut |
| Two dollars | Te gaw wish tau gay |
| Three dollars | Sha ne gaw wish tau gay |
| Four dollars | Kea ne gaw wish tau gay, &c. |
| One penny | Quin nish |
| One shilling | Sco ti on shate |
| Two shillings | Te gash e on se gay |
| Three shillings | Sha ne gash e on se gay |
| One yard | Tu we naut |
| Two yards | Tic ne ju we non gay |
| Three yards | Sha ne ju we non gay |
| One pound | Cau goon sate |
| Two pounds | Tich ne cou goon se ga |
| Three pounds | Sha ne cou goon se ga |
| One quart | Cus saa dee |
| Two quarts | Tick ne cus say dee |
| Three quarts | Shane cus say dee |
| One day | Onish shate |
| Two days | Te ne wa nish a gay |
| Three days | Sha ne wa nish a gay |
| One month | Swa ne dock |
| Two months | Te wa ne da gay |
| Three months | Sha ne wau ne da gay |
| One year | Tush shate |
| Two years | Te ush a gay |
| Three years | Sha ne ush a gay, &c. |
The author not having an opportunity of examining the proof sheets, some typographical errors have occurred, especially in the Indian words—the following errata will be observed by the reader.
Page 5, line 20 from top, before motives, insert the words natives the.
Page 8, line 18 from bottom, for retaining read retained.