[Edward Manning Ruttenber (1872)] selves in the power of the Iroquois. From that time they were 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 powerful, assisted the common enemy, of this long house of our grandfathers, the Maquas, in erecting a strong house and it was not long before they began to on the ruins of our grandfathers." Rela-pull the same down at both ends. Our tion by an aged Mahican, given by Hecke-grandfather still kept repairing the same, 'welder. though obliged to make it from time to 1 Life and Times of David Zeisberrer time shorter; until at length the white 45, 46. people, who had by this time grown very 66 THE INDIAN TRIBES less clear than that already quoted, as from a Mahican, it is not wholly unsupported. The Lenapes did, to a very considerable extent, act in the capacity of mediators, and the Dutch traders did no doubt have part in terminating the hostilities between them and the Iroquois. It is a singular fact, too, that of all the nations subjugated by the Iroquois, the Lenapes alone bore the name of women. While the council-fires of other nations were " put out," and their survivors merged in the confederacy, that of the Lenapes was kept burning, and their civil govern ment remained undisturbed.