A Journey into Mohawk and Oneida Country, 1634-1635: The Journal of Harmen Meyndertsz Van Den Bogaert, Revised Edition

The Journal of Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert

1 THE JOURNAL OF HARMEN MEYNDERTSZ VAN DEN BOGAERT Praise God above all. At Fort Orange, 1634. 11 December. Report of the most important things that happened to me while traveling to the Maquasen and Sinnekens .1 First of all, the reasons why we went were that the Maquasen and Sinnekens had often come to our Commissary Marten Gerritsen2 and me, saying that there were French Indians in their country, and that they had called a truce with them, so that they, namely, the Maquasen, would trade furs with them there, because the Maquasen wanted as much for their furs as did the French Indians.3 Therefore, I asked Sr. Marten Gerritsen’s permission to go there and learn the truth of the matter in order to report to their High Mightinesses4 as soon as possible, because trade was going very badly. So for these reasons I went with Jeromus la Croex and Willem Tomassen. May the Lord bless our journey. Between 9 and 10 o’clock we left with 5 Maquasen Indians mostly toward the northwest,5 and at 1/2 hour into the evening, after eight miles,6 we came to a hunter’s cabin, where we spent the night by the waterway that runs 2 JOURNEY INTO MOHAWK AND ONEIDA COUNTRY into their country and is named Oÿoge.7 The Indians fed us venison here. The country is mostly covered with pine trees and there is much flat land. This waterway flows past their castle8 in their country, but we were unable to travel on it because of the heavy flooding. 12 ditto. We continued our journey 3 hours before dawn. The Indians, who traveled with us, would have left us there, if I had not noticed it; and when we intended to eat something, their dogs had eaten up our meat and cheese so that we had nothing but dry bread to travel on. After we had traveled an hour, we came to the tributary that flows into our river and past the Maquase’s villages.9 Here there was a heavy ice flow. Jeronimus crossed first in a canoe made of tree bark with an Indian because only 2 men could travel together in it.10 After this Willem and I [crossed]. It was so dark that we could not see one another without staying close together so that it was not without danger. After crossing over, we went another 1 1/2 miles and came to a hunter’s cabin.11 We entered and ate some venison there. We then continued our journey. After we had gone another 1/2 mile, we saw some people coming toward us. When they saw us, they ran away. Throwing down their bags and packs, they ran into a marsh and hid behind a thicket so that we were unable to see them. We looked at their goods and packs, taking a small loaf of bread baked with beans.12 We ate it up and continued on mostly along this aforesaid waterway, which flowed most fiercely because of the flood. There are many islands in this waterway, on the banks of which are 500 or 600 morgens of flatland; indeed, much more.13 When we had THE JOURNAL 3 4 JOURNEY INTO MOHAWK AND ONEIDA COUNTRY covered, by estimation, 11 miles, we came at one hour into the evening to a cabin 1/2 mile from the first castle.14 No one was there but women. We would have then continued on, but I could not move my feet because of the rough going; so, we slept there. It was very cold, with a north wind. 13 ditto. In the morning we went together to the castle over the ice that had frozen in the waterway during the night.When we had gone 1/2 mile, we came into their first castle, which stood on a high hill.15 There were only 36 houses, row on row in the manner of streets, so that we easily could pass through. These houses are constructed and covered with the bark of trees, and are mostly flat above. Some are 100, 90, or 80 steps long; 22 or 23 feet high.16 There were also some interior doors made of split planks furnished with iron hinges. In some houses we also saw ironwork: iron chains, bolts, harrow teeth, iron hoops, spikes, which they steal when they are away...