Town of Manlius.—The deep spring on lot 79 was the eastern door of the Onondagas, and shows signs of their occupancy. It was the starting-point for surveys. There is a reputed earthwork in the west part of this town, but of doubtful character.
GENERAL REMARKS.
Some banner-stones of striped slate have been found in Camillus, and one on Skaneateles Lake. Arrow and spearheads are occasionally found in all parts of the country.
The settlements in Southeastern Onondaga show a large and general intercourse with the whites; those in the northern part but very little, the only indications there being the Indian orchards, a few brass kettles at Jack's Rifts, and a few glass beads at Baldwinsville. Many sites have no signs of vessels of any kind. Potstone vessels occur in several localities, but seldom in connection with earthenware. Banner-stones, bird totems, and gorgets of striped slate occur in many places, some apparently recent. Catlinite is found at Phœnix and Onondaga Lake. Polished slate arrows are found on all the rivers, but sparingly. Stone tubes are generally of striped slate, and of many forms, while pipes have their usual variety of form and material. Copper articles are not common, but are generally fine. Stone cups take many shapes, a handsome circular one of striped slate from Hannibal being the finest. Banner-stone and gorgets vary greatly in form and material. Plummets are often highly finished, and some of the finest drills have been discovered here. Arrows and spears are of all materials and finish. Sinkers and hammer-stones occur on most sites, and the latter exhibit a perplexing variety of forms. Many fine articles have been found on the great trail from the north crossing at Brewertown, and others near the east and west trails.
The Onondagas were partial to stockades, although they also had earthworks. None of the settlements seem very ancient, and the defensive works may be placed in four groups: Earthworks along the Seneca and Oswego Rivers, east and north of Baldwinsville; simple stockades about Baldwinsville; earthworks in Elbridge; earthworks and stockades combined in Pompey. The last two groups have features in common, but the others are distinct; they seem of different periods.
The pottery is of the ordinary Indian type, and some attempt has been made to compare sites by its styles of ornament. Celts are of both hard and soft stone, and pestles and mortars of common forms. Semi-circular slate knives are sometimes found, generally without a thickened back.
There are no large burial-places known near the Seneca River, but the bodies found are in a sitting posture, and corn frequently occurs in graves. Horn implements are found on the southern sites, seldom on the northern; and there are marked differences in arrows, spears, and earthenware.
