they practiced to roll themselves in the sand, which caused their bodies
to be covered with a hard skin, so that the arrows of the Tuscaroras only
rattled against their rough bodies and fell at their feet. And the
consequence was, that they were obliged to bide in caves and glens, and
were brought into subjection by those fierce invaders for many winters.
At length the Holder of the Heavens visited his people, and finding that
they were in great distress, he determined to relieve them of these
barbarous invaders. To accomplish this he changed himself as into one of
those giants. As you will remember, it is said that he was able to change
himself into any shape that he wished. He then joined himself with the
invaders, and brandishing his heavy war club, led them on under the
pretence of finding the other five nations, which they were also in the
habit of visiting. When they came near to the strong fort at Onondaga,
they being weary of the long journey, and the night being dark, their
leader bade them lie down at the foot of a mountain until the customary
time to make the attack, which was at the break of day. But during the
night the Indian benefactor ascended the height and overwhelmed the
slumberers below with a vast mass of rocks. At this catastrophe only one
escaped to carry the news of their dreadful fate, and he fled toward the
north.

The Tuscaroras and the other five nations were so much troubled with
giants and other monsters that they were obliged to build forts to
protect themselves. The way they built them was always by selecting an
eminence, or rocky cliff, and on the back part was dug a trench according
to the plan of the fort. Then timbers were set in the trench upright,
projecting above the ground several feet, and being adjusted together as
close as possible, and the trench being filled in again. They had two
gates, one way to get their water, the other for a sally port.