But the friendship of their father Miquon, could not save them from the fate which sooner or later overwhelms the native tribes of this country. The power of their enemies finally prevailed; their lands were seized, their council-fire extinguished, and they, themselves, were driven to seek a refuge in the cold climes of Canada, or in the regions beyond the Mississippi.
A like fate soon overtook their chief enemies, the Six Nations. During the revolutionary war, this people remained always faithful to the English cause, and suffered severely from the arms of the Americans. Since that time, they have rapidly declined, both in numbers and power; some have emigrated to Canada,—but the greater part of the remnant of this warlike nation still remains, sunk in crime and wretchedness, on a few tracts of land which have been reserved for them in the State of New York.
[9] The fear created by the Mingoes, of which the Mohawks were a part, appears to have continued to a late date. Colden, in his “History of the Five Nations,” says, “I have been told by old men in New England, who remembered the time when the Mohawks made war on their Indians, that as soon as a single Mohawk was discovered in the country, their Indians raised a cry, from hill to hill—a Mohawk! a Mohawk!—upon which, they all fled like sheep before wolves, without attempting the least resistance.
“The poor New England Indians immediately fled to the Christian houses, and the Mohawks often pursued them so closely, that they entered along with them, and knocked their brains out in the presence of the people of the house. But if the family had time to shut the door, they never attempted to force it, and on no occasion did any injury to the Christians.”
[10] The Five Nations consisted of the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneydas, and Mohawks. The Tuscaroras, a southern tribe, afterwards joined them, and they were then called the Six Nations.
[11] When the Delawares learned the meaning of the word Pen in English, they always called their white friend, Miquon, which means quill in their language.
Ruins of Babylon.
Babylon, one of the most famous cities of ancient times, is now a heap of ruins, consisting, chiefly, of immense mounds of bricks. These are situated on the banks of the river Euphrates, and near the modern city of Bagdat.
In one place there is a heap of brickwork 126 feet high, and 300 feet in circumference; to this is given the name of Nimrod’s palace. Another mound is 140 feet high, and 2200 feet in circumference. Among these ruins are found pieces of pottery and fragments of alabaster, carved in various forms.