HISTORY OF DERRYFIELD. 93 



OCCUPATION AND SETTLEMENT. 



In the century preceding the first settlement upon the soil of 

 New Hampshire numerous attempts at colonization had met 

 with failure, and it will have been seen that the first permanent 

 settlements, made respectively by the French, Dutch and Eng- 

 lish, were nearly contemporaneous. It is definitely known that 

 there were not less than four great through Indian trails leading 

 from points upon the coast to the country of the St. Lawrence. 

 One of these was from Portsmouth up the Salmon F'alls valley, 

 passing to the east of Winnepesauke, west of Ossipee, and so 

 northerly through the Pequauket region, leaving the White 

 Hills to the left. This was the line of subsequent white exten- 

 sion from Exeter and Dover. The great Nipmuck trail followed 

 the Merrimack, Pemigewasset and Baker River valleys, passing 

 Moosilauke on the right, over Warren summit, and thence up the 

 valley of the Connecticut. This was likewise the line followed 

 by the stream of settlement from Massachusetts. These con- 

 spicuous routes, if they did not coalesque, were joined here and 

 there by cross-country trails, one of these being from Ancient 

 Dover, through old Chester to Amoskeag, to which further ref- 

 erence will be made. 



These old Indian ways were probably first trodden by the feet 

 of French explorers, nearly if not quite three centuries ago, 

 accompanied by Indian guides from Quebec, and their footsteps 

 were followed northward a few years later by the English. The 

 Pilgrim father played the double rdle of Puritan and pioneer ; 

 while austere and saintly, he was adventurous and daring. The 

 wilderness had no terrors and the sea no dangers to deter the 

 hearts of oak who in the wake of the Mayflower settlers every- 

 where pushed on beyond the Plymouth homesteads. Without 

 guide or compass they followed the fertile valleys ranging to the 

 north, camping only when arrested by the gloom of night. Be- 

 side the flowing waters each hunter halted where he wished and 

 chose his home. 



