e
mountain range above the Lackawana, where the river wends its way
through a gorge a thousand feet deep, south-westerly to where the
river again finds its way through a range equally lofty and
precipitous. This was the SCHAHENTOA or SCHAHEN-DOWANE of the
Iroquois, signifying _great plains_, as does also the Delaware name of
Wyoming. From its earliest known history, this valley has been a
favorite place of Indian residence, and was the probable seat of an
Iroquois tribe, called SCHAHENTOAR-RONONS by Brebeuf in 1635, whom he
describes as allies of the Hurons, and speaking their language. In
1614, three Dutchmen in the employ of the Directors of New Netherland,
accompanied a party of Mahican Indians from near Fort Orange, in a war
expedition against the CARANTOUANNAIS, a powerful Iroquois tribe,
whose main village containing more than eight hundred warriors, was
located on the so-called "Spanish Hill" near Waverly, N.Y. These
Dutchmen were captured by the Carantouannais, and were the first white
men these Indians had ever seen; believing them to be French, who were
allies of their friends the Hurons, they treated them kindly, and
conducted them down the Susquehanna to this point, and thence by way
of the Lehigh river, to the Delaware, where they were ransomed by
Capt. Hendricksen, "giving for them kittles, beads and merchandise."
In the map made by the Captain from information furnished by these
Dutchmen, he indicated four towns on the west side of the river, at
this point, and designated the tribe as MINQUAS, this being the
general name applied by the Dutch to all the Iroquois tribes south of
the Five Nations, and west of New Netherland, several of which are
known to have been in existence at that early date, but which appear
to have been entirely overlooked by the scholars of the country.

[45] JACOB'S PLAINS.--A plateau on the east side of the river, above
present Wilkesbarre in the town of Plains. Abraham's Plains are on
the west side of the river. "June 17.--Decamped at 10 o'clock. The
three regiments marched up to Jacob's Plains, encamped near the
bank of the river on the east shore, about four miles above the
garrison."--_Nathaniel Webb's Journal._

[46] "July 20.--Three hundred boats arrived with provisions from
Sunbury.

July 21.--Eight hundred head of cattle, five hundred horses, five
hundred wagons arrived.

July 24.--Two hundred boats arrived, with stores, at which time thirty
cannon were fired from the