44 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in Tully. Beyond this the trail was bad, but they went by way 

 of Cardiff, as later travelers did. Most of the trail to Owego was 

 so little used that it was hardly discernible even to Indians, who 

 depended as much on the lay of the land as the actual path. 



Zeisberger and Frey attempted this route alone in 1753, starting 

 properly from Owego, but losing the faint trail so often that they 

 were discouraged and turned back. Afterward they were told that 

 if they had gone on a day longer they would " have had a good 

 road, because two roads meet there, and a road branches off, turning 

 toward Cayuga lake. It is much frequented." Their observation 

 on this is of interest: 



The Indians had no proper trail, but where they cannot distinguish 

 it each one runs through the woods according to his own judgment. 

 Consequently it frequently occurs that from two to three miles, and 

 farther, there is no visible road. Zeisberger, p. 1753 



On this occasion they finally went up the east branch of the 

 Tioughnioga by canoe as far as they could, leaving it northeast of 

 Cortland and crossing the hill to Onogariske creek, now called the 

 west branch of the Tioughnioga. When they left the river the 

 Indian guides " ran hither and thither into the forest, until at length 

 they found a path." They reached the west branch between Homer 

 and Preble, and " the trail that comes up from Owego, and is quite 

 clearly defined here." At the lake the trail divided, one branch 

 going to Onondaga and the other to the village of Tueyahdassoo r 

 where other trails diverged. 



It is evident that hundreds of trails have left neither trace nor 

 tradition, though some were once of great importance. Wherever 

 there were towns or frequent camps there must have been forest 

 paths. In a score of counties there was a network of these, old 

 and new, almost as complex as our own roads now. No general 

 scheme of these is possible, but it may be assumed that all early 

 towns were connected and most lakes and valleys were accessible 

 by them. Even distant points were reached by the most practicable 

 routes. There were war paths, hunting paths and paths of peace. 

 Very few of these are on record and it will suffice to mention those 

 briefly. 



