Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-29

keeping alive the old tradition, and the
historical importance of the land mark.
ED. F. P. & T.
THE GREAT ROCK ROCCO"
The identity of this object, so remark
able in Indian traditions and so conspicu-
Gus in early colonial transactions, is
not only subject of curious inquiry
but important in its historic interest.
have no difficulty or hesitation i'll iden-
tifying it with the familiar Rock Dun
der" which stands like huge sentinel
at the mouth of Burlington Bay With
a singular disregard to the force of docu-
mentary evidence which is open to the
inspection of all, or ignorance of its ex-
istence, this great landmark i'll Indian
traditions is often confounded with
Split Rock"
Among the cherished traditions Of the
Mohawks WAS the story that distin-
guished warrior of that tribe named Ro-
geo, long before the advent of the
whites was drowned near this rock !;
and in their dialect both the rock and
the lake, in commemoration of the event,
were named "Rogeo." Uydius's affidavit,
April 9TH, 1862 This catastrophe doubt
less impressed the superstitious mind
of the Indian with deep interest, and
| L, IL Al
spot with awe and veneration. The
strange and picturesque, equally with
the beautiful and imposing, were ever
attractive to their poetic fancy. This
rock was peculiarly calculated to excite
such emotions. 1t was solitary object
widely visible i'll every direction on the
waters /; 1t arose from the bosom Of the
lake, solitary and isolated, dark and
naked object, symmetrical and cone like,
softened by no vegetation: 1t WAS gloomy
and impressive, and when hallowed by
the memory of the unfortunate chief
tain it could not have failed to enlist
their deepest interest and reverence, and
it became an important landmark, not
only TO their superstition and passions
but i'll their political relations with other
tribes.
The Great Rock Regeo'' at an early
period was recognized and adopted as
the marked boundary between the Iro-
quois and the Algonquin tribes of Cana
la. 1t seems to be we'll authenticated
that ali imaginary line was run from that
conspicuous point through the wilder
ness to the mouth of the Oswegatchie riy-
er, now Ogdensburg This line, which
the Indian by his native instinct, could
run with almost the accuracy and pre-
cision of the surveyor guided by his
compass, probably marked and distin-
guished the hunting grounds of the hos
tile confederacies. Afterwards when the
Christian powers had assumed an inter
est in Indian territory The Great Rock"
was conceded to be the boundary between
the French provinces and the Mohawk do
main under the protectorate of England.
The rock WAS then not only natural OBJ
ject, attractive and imposing, but must
have been familiar from these circum-
stances, to the political authorities
and the military leaders, both of France
and England. Sir William Johnson i'll
letter to the Lords of Trade (Col. His
rics claimed by the Give nations as
original proprietors, and after stating
the southern line he continues thence to
Lake Champlain and from Regiohne, n
rock on the East side of said lake to
Oswegatchie, on the river st. Lawrence,
they having long since coded their cl2im
north of said line to the Canada Indians
as hunting ground" John Schuyler, in
his journal, writes in 1851 Advanced
ty miles distant" johnson, twice in his
published correspondence, refers to it by
that name. David Schuyler, in a letter
to the Earl of Bellomont, August, 100,
says : The French guards met him in
IL canoe ut the Otter Greek. eighteen
miles on this side of Reggie, the great
rock that is in COrlea' hakc." These
distances | infer were mere estimates |
but remarkably approach exactness.
The most conclusive evidence, however,
is furnished by French map of Lake |
Champlain, prepared about the year
1871 from divers memories" and repro
duced i'll the Colonial History, volume
TX, p l023. On this map, between the
rivers OUiHoOSkie (Wnooski) and I"r
Lout,ts otter Creek directly opposite
Rock Dunder, there is inscribed on the
map and upon the eastern shore the
word "'Rougio."
No other rock exists in the lake cores
ponding i'll appearance and location to
The great Rock ReSen." have care
fully inquired Of numerous and intelli-
gent sailors on its waters, who unani
mously concur i'll that statement and
I.ydius, III the affidavit already cited uf-
firms that neither hath he ever heard of
any other rock called by the Mdians Ro
geo.
In seems extraordinary, i'll the presence
Df evidence So clearly disclosed by docu-
mentary records, that any mistake should
have occurred i'll localizing this cele-
hrated landmark. 1t apparently origi-
nnted in the mistaken idea Of an early
writer, which has been followed without
by others. that the Dellius
grant extended to Rogeo, and that the
prescribed seventy miles length of that
pntent carried 1t to Split Rock, and hence
le assumed that Split Rock was Rogeo.
Every student Of Colonial History knows ,
low vague and illusory everything was
which was connected with that stipend /
,us fraud 1t was, think, never loca-
ed and the only Hypothetical map I
nave seen places its northern limit II i
mall distance south of Split Rock. The
)ellius patent embraced land only on the G
astcrn side of the lake.
In addition to the testimony have al ,