me distance east of the Niagara River].

Then he writes, what for the purpose of this article is the most
interesting portion of the letters, as follows:

"Almost south of the Neuter Nation is a large lake, almost 200
leagues in circumference, called Erie, which is formed from the
Fresh Water Sea, [Lake Huron] and falls, from a terrible height,
into a third lake called Ontario, which we call St. Louis.

"From the foam of the waters, roaring at the foot of certain large
rocks, which are found at this place, is formed a stone, or rather
pulverized salt, of a somewhat yellowish color, of great virtue for
healing wounds, fistulas, and malignant ulcers. In this place, full
of horrors, live also certain savages, who live only on elk, deer,
buffalos, and all other kinds of game that the rapids drag and
bring down to the entrance of these rocks; where the savages catch
them, without running for them, more than sufficient for their
needs, and the maintenance of strangers [Indians from other and
distant tribes], with whom they trade in these 'Erie Stones'
['Pierres Eriennes']--thus called because of this lake--who carry
and distribute them to other Nations."

In confirmation of the Doctor's statement that articles were brought to
Niagara, for the purposes of trade,--in 1903 there was opened an Indian
Mound, on top of and close to the edge of the Mountain Ridge, some
three and a half miles east of the Niagara River, on the Tuscarora
Reservation, in the town of Lewiston, Niagara County, N.Y. It was a
Burial Pit; and a Peace Burial Pit; more than probably dating from
1640, which was the last date of the ten-year Ceremonial Burials
observed by the Neuters, who then owned and occupied all this Niagara
Region; for before the expiration of the next ten year period, the
Neuters had been annihilated by the Senecas. In it were found nearly
400 skulls, and the bones of probably an equal number of bodies, some
articles of copper (made by the French, and proving trade with them),
many hundreds of shell beads, and other articles of Indian make, among
them some made from large Conche Shells, such as are found on the
shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and curiously enough three or four large,
unbroken, Conche Shells. These latter, it is fair to assume, were
brought nearly 2,000 miles, to Niagara, there to be traded for those
"Erie Stones" (and they were brought unbroken, so that their