His conceptions were beyond his time, and beyond ours; but their effect, within a limited sphere, was very great. For more than three centuries the bond which he devised held together the Iroquois nations in perfect amity. It proved, moreover, as he intended, elastic. The territory of the Iroquois, constantly extending as their united strength made itself felt, became the "Great Asylum" of the Indian tribes. Of the conquered Eries and Hurons, many hundreds were received and adopted among their conquerors. The Tuscaroras, expelled by the English from North Carolina, took refuge with the Iroquois, and became the sixth nation of the League. From still further south, the Tuteloes and Saponies, of Dakota stock, after many wars with the Iroquois, fled to them from their other enemies, and found a cordial welcome. A chief still sits in the council as a representative of the Tuteloes, though the tribe itself has been swept away by disease, or absorbed in the larger nations. Many fragments of tribes of Algonquin lineage--Delawares, Nanticokes, Mohicans, Mississagas,--sought the same hospitable protection, which never failed them. Their descendants still reside on the Canadian Reservation, which may well be styled an aboriginal "refuge of nations,"--affording a striking evidence in our own day of the persistent force of a great idea, when embodied in practical shape by the energy of a master mind. The name by which their constitution or organic law is known among them is _kayanerenh_, to which the epitaph _kowa_ [Transcriber's note: the "o" is the Unicode o-macron], "great," is frequently added. This word, _kayanerenh_, is sometimes rendered "law," or "league," but its proper meaning seems to be "peace." It is used in this sense by the missionaries, in their translations of the scriptures and the prayer-book. In such expressions as "the Prince of Peace," "the author of peace," "give peace in our time," we find _kayanerenh_ employed with this meaning. Its root is _yaner_, signifying "noble," or "excellent," which yields, among many derivatives, _kayanere_, "goodness," and _kayanerenh_, "peace," or "peacefulness." The national hymn of the confederacy, sung whenever their "Condoling Council" meets, commences with a verse referring to their league, which is literally rendered, "We come to greet and thank the PEACE" (_kayanerenh_). When the list of their ancient chiefs, the fifty original Councillors, is chanted in the closing litany of the meeting, there is heard from time to time, as the leaders of each clan are named, an outburst of praise, in the words-- "This was the roll of you-- You that were joined in the work, You that confirmed the work, The GREAT PEACE." (_Kayanerenh-kowa._) [Transcriber's note: the "o" in "kowa" is the Unicode o-macron.]