SENECAS, a tribe of Indians, of the Six Nations, living in the state of New York w. of Seneca lake. Their tribal name is Tsonnundawaono, or "people of the great hill,' receiving the name of Senecas frcm Dutch settlers who called them Sinnekaas. The tribe was originally divided into eight families, the Turtle, Snipe, Hawk, Beer, Beaver, Wolf, Deer, and Heron; and they gained front cenquert d tribes the Scannoneenrat (Hurons), and a majority of the Neuters, the Eries, end Susquehannes. They were visited by missionaries in the 17th e.—Climunonot in 1057, and Fremin in 1668. La Salle built a block-house at Niagara without molestation, and the French built a fort there in 1712; but the Indians were hostile from time to time, and left the confederation of the Six Nations to join Pontiac in his league against the English, destroying Venengo and making an assault on fort Niagara in 1703. They were on the side of England during the revolution, end in 1779 their villages were destroyed by gen. Sullivan. They joined in the fort Sienwix treaty in 1784, selling most of their lands in the Genesee valley, and moved to lake Erie and the Allegheny river. In 1812 they joined with the Americans, and rendered valuable service 011 the frontier. A number living
at and Stony creek, Ohio, were hostile; but in 1815 they joined in a .friendly treaty at Spring Valley, ceding all but a reservation with the Shawnees in 1818, selling that also in 1831, to go to the Indian territory on the Neesho. The New York Seneca! occupy 66,000 acres of reservation called the Allegheny, Cettaraugus, and Tonawanda, and near them are several large towns. They numbered in '70, 3,060 in New York, in the Indian territory 206, and 00 with the Mohawks en the Grand reservation in Canada. The society of Friends has done much to improve the condition of these tribes, end missions of different sects have been established since 1805. Each clan speaks a differ ent dialect of the same language. The rev. Ashur Wright. missionary, 1802-75. prepared a grammar and dictionary of their language, translated a portion of the Bible into it, and arranged a hymn-book. Red Jacket and Coin-planter were their most distin guished chiefs. They have prospered in agriculture and in religious and secular educa tion, and have largely increased since 1812.