signed to break the strength of the Lenapes soon became evident.

They woke up from their magnanimous dream, to find them From that time they were

selves in the power of the Iroquois.

the cousins of the Iroquois, and these were their uncle. 1

While this tradition bears the impress of theory upon a sub ject in regard to which

little

was known, and while it is much

water, unfortunately landed at each end of this long house of our grandfathers,

powerful, assisted the common enemy, the Maquas, in erecting a strong house

and it was not long before they began to pull the same down at both ends. Our

tion by an

grandfather still kept repairing the same, though obliged to make it from time to

time shorter ; until

length the white people, who had by this time grown very at

on the ruins of our grandfathers."

Relaaged Mahican, given by Hecke-

'welder.

Life

45, 46.

and Times of David Zeisberrer

THE INDIAN TRIBES

less clear than that already quoted, as

wholly unsupported.

from a Mahican, it is not

The Lenapes did, to a very considerable

extent, act in the capacity of mediators, and the Dutch traders did no doubt have part in the hostilities between

terminating

them and the Iroquois. nations subjugated

It is a singular fact, too, that

of all the

by the Iroquois, the Lenapes alone bore the While the council-fires of other nations

name of women. were " and their survivors

merged in the confederacy, was Lenapes kept burning, and their civil govern