At daybreak we were at Syracuse in Onondaga County, through which Onondaga Creek flows. This place is a significant, large town where several roads cross. It is usually called a village, even though it has the look of a town. There are said to be more than 500 houses here, among them very handsome ones; several inns, in particular a very large, attractive one; a few nice churches; a courthouse; a jail; a bank; many good stores; and other buildings.

A great quantity of salt is extracted here. The whole surrounding area is supposed to be full of it and has many salt springs. Places are prepared nearby where the water evaporates under the sun; [the water] is directed [there] from the salt springs near Salina, about one mile distant. The salt works at Salina are located north of Syracuse, and Onondaga Lake is in their vicinity. See the Traveller’s Guide (p. 241) cited before, and other works.

We stopped at Syracuse and waited for the packet boats that bring passengers from Lake Oswego (where steamboats [navigate]) on a canal here. In the meantime we looked around in town. Last spring there had been a big fire here, of which we could still see traces. On the right bank, in a southwesterly direction from Syracuse, a broad, gentle valley extends, bordered by distant forest heights; we could see several nice towns. The most remarkable among them is Onondaga Hill on a green hill in the distance. In its vicinity the remnants of the Onondaga Indians settled. [The distance is] 8 miles from Syracuse to that place where, in times gone by, their main village, Onondaga, was located; there they had their council fires and this warlike nation discussed important matters concerning them, declared war, and made peace. Onondaga Hill is supposed to be a nice town where the courthouse was formerly located; that [building] is still standing, but Syracuse is now the county seat.

This Syracuse did not exist twenty years ago. At that time, a single, old house stood on this place. Now the wide, flat valley is heavily cultivated. The soil is fertile, [and there are] bustling places in different areas. Lovely elevations with forest and fields surround it. This area provides the eye with many changes [of scenery]. The land was purchased from the Onondaga Indians. We saw several Onondagas in the town of Syracuse; they did not differ significantly from the Senecas and Tuscaroras. Their costume was also entirely the same; the women walked around wrapped in white blankets.

After a stop of about an hour, the boat continued the voyage. Large stretches of the wide valley are completely covered with the stumps of cleared forests, other [areas] with crumpled rootstocks burned black that make a strange, unattractive sight. Forests often cover the marshy places. They are full of marsh larches with many withered trees; the elevations are overgrown with broad-leafed trees. On the canal there is some larch forest. Several new passengers came aboard at Syracuse, and the boat was very full.

Because it is a custom in America—even among gentlemen—to chew tobacco, all these boats keep large, round, tin containers with an opening in the sunken upper part. The less than lovely brown liquids are spat into these [cuspidors]. This boat, filled with people of all persuasions, ages, and gender, [demonstrates] how, here in America, profit is cleverly sought—the [boat’s] equipment is highly functional and practical, attracting and accommodating a great many passengers.

In this area six species of conifers grow—the hemlock (Pinus canadensis), the spruce, white pine (Pinus strobus), the yellow pine (Pinus [——]), the Norway pine (Pinus [——]), and the pitch pine (Pinus rigida); the latter two on barren ground. The forests are mixed here, and 5 miles south from here, they say no more conifers grow. They increase more and more toward the north. The withered trunks in the coniferous forests that we noticed here are supposed to be mostly Thuja trunks [and] are often 60 feet high. This wood makes excellent posts, also wood for tubs, and from the young trunks, very good hop poles [for vines] are made. We saw many of these poles set together here at the banks of the canal in the vicinity of the forests.

We passed Holls Creek, which flows to the left of the canal. Then we reached the village of Manlius in Manlius Township, in Onondaga County. There were still arborvitae thickets out of which other conifers rose higher. When young, the hemlock pines are very nice, with their drooping, slender branches. However, they lose this grace with age. The number of canal boats passing in this area was large.

We reached Cutville in Manlius Township, then Chittenango. Before that [was] a region of forested mountains alternating with cultivated areas. Here Chittenango Creek was flowing. We saw beautiful forests [of] mixed broad-leafed trees and conifers, marshes with clumps of arborvitae bushes, Sambucus and Asclepias blooming everywhere, Typha in all marsh meadows. After an hour we passed Canastota, a large village or town, with good houses [and] some attractive churches with steeples and green-painted shutters. [There were] nice wheat fields around, [but] they were not yet ripe. [We saw] more broad-leafed forests mixed with arborvitae and Canadian pines. [The ground was] marshy everywhere near the canal. Many blackbirds [were seen] all around.

At twelve o’clock we reached Oneida (village), [built] on both sides of the canal with one irregular street. Here we saw perhaps more than one hundred Oneida Indians, whose lands, given to them by the government, are located not far to the south. The women wore black, round felt hats; the men, red woolen sashes on top of their blue overcoats. Their skin color was mostly yellowish brown and not dark. They are not tall. As stated earlier [about] the remainder of the six nations, the women [appear] more characteristically [native] than the men. A part of this nation is about to embark from here to settle at Green Bay. We were told [that] most of them live scattered 12 to 15 miles distant on their farms, and this is normally called a village, even though one does not actually exist [when so] completely unconnected. There is a building here, usually called Oneida Castle, where they discuss on occasion matters concerning their nation, and [also] the so-called council-grove, a place with tall, old trees where the Oneidas assemble for general activities. Even now they still get together every year on 6 June at Oneida Castle and form a circle in the council-grove, each family by itself, and representatives from the government pay each one of them 7 dollars because they sold their land to the United States.

[After] leaving Oneida, we soon reached Verona, a small village with a windowpane factory. To the left toward [——], Lake Oneida is located; there are plans to construct a canal from here [to there]. Oneida County and Oriskany Madison County contain the old place of residence of the Oneida nation; they still live here but sold part of the land to the United States.

About two o’clock we were in the small village of New London, 22 miles from Utica. The whole area is full of wide forests that are heavily mixed with hemlock. Isolated settlements lie in between [the forests]. Beside the canal [are] marshes with trees in them. The forests [are] heavily mixed with dry fir trees, towering over the woods, a wild sight, like a forest of ships’ masts in a busy sea harbor. Wood is worked with everywhere—boards, chopped wood, building timber—and shipped on flat canal boats. Five miles from New London, we reached Rome, a significant town located a little to the north of the canal bank, although there are buildings on the canal, too. The place has five towers [that can be] seen from a distance—-two are [quite] graceful. The surrounding area, through which the Mohawk River flows, is wide and flat, [while] forest borders the horizon.

A large number of bridges were constructed across the canal; the boats move below [them]. The wooded areas alternated pleasantly [with] orchards full of shadows; on the bank, dense bushes of blooming Sambucus; forests mixed with arborvitae (Thuja). [Next] we reached the village Oriskany on Oriskany Creek, an area that was formerly the main place of residence of the Oneida nation. The canal cuts through the village. The subsequent meadow areas alternate with friendly homes and beautiful forests everywhere. On the meadows are bushes of Sambucus and Rhus; a row of short Lombardy poplars of inferior growth, dry on top, traverses the valley floor. In front of us appeared nice elevations with forest and picturesque hills. In the meadows we see hay sheds with retractable roofs, like [those] in Holland.

In the brightest sunshine, at about five thirty, we reached Whitestown on the left canal bank, a charming, productive place. The White family started this town, i.e., they were the first settlers here. A certain Henry White, who gave me detailed [family history] information, was on our boat. His grandfather had been one of the first settlers here, and the place was named after him. The first barn that was constructed in this area still exists.

To the right of the canal is located a large cotton factory of Mr. Marshall [of] New York, forming a whole snow-white village. Two similar manufacturing plants are located here higher up with. However, on Sauquoit Creek, which drops into the Mohawk, [there] are perhaps twelve more factories where cotton fabric is produced.

When the Messrs. White settled here, the Oneida Indians lived in this whole area. Their foremost revered chief at the time was Skenandoah. He visited the White family often, and a very good relationship existed. Mr. Henry White’s oldest sister, a little child who was two years old at the time, was highly thought of by the Indians. One day they asked [her parents] if they would let her go home with them into their forests. This question frightened the parents, who discussed what could be done. They considered the matter and found it politically expedient not to cause any distrust, so they let her go. The Indians were very happy and took her. Impatiently [her parents] awaited the determined day when she was supposed to return, according to the agreement. The deadline came, and with it the Indians punctually brought the child, who had been given small gifts that were attached here and there to her clothing. Afterward [the Indians] were very grateful for the proof of trust shown.

The whole area of Whitestown (in general, the whole, beautiful valley of the Mohawk River) is highly picturesque and attractive. Everywhere, large, friendly places are visible, and this area is doubtless the most beautiful and friendly I have seen in North America. To the left we saw the first saw and grist ([——]) mill erected in this area. [Near] the canal lay large piles of gray gypsum pieces that are ground [up] and used to fertilize the fields.

The Mohawk nation formerly lived in this area. They were, however, enemies of the United States and took the side of the British; therefore, they were later resettled in Canada. The Oneidas were the only [one] of the six [Iroquois] nations who remained allies of the Americans.

[Next] the view toward the town of Utica opened up in front of us; we soon reached [the town]. The canal was crowded with boats near this sizable and lively place. [There was] a large crowd of people [on] the [canal] bank near a few handsome inns. Innkeepers scrambled, so to speak, for tourists, and [kept] their agents on [the lookout]. The place is laid out with regular streets, has very imposing buildings, and is full of life and commerce. Many bridges have been constructed over the canal in [this] town. They are usually [continuations?] of cross streets, [and] their names are written on [the bridges]. The last one to the east is Mohawk Street.

Long rows of Italian poplars stood there, no better than [ones seen] earlier. The evening was very pleasant; many passengers were on the boat. [We had] a nice view of the wide, green bottoms and the wooded hills of the Mohawk Valley. The river and smaller streams are picturesquely edged with tall trees, particularly the [river]—the many bends of its mirrored surface shone in the evening sun. Pretty meadows were bordered with fences, [and] many marsh grasses grew in the [meadows]. The evening was cool. We approached the so-called German Flats, which are located a few miles from the canal in the Mohawk Valley. The area was first cultivated by Germans whose descendants still live there. Here by the canal, many settlers are also of German descent.