THE AK( 1 1 KOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 3 1 



streams. Tonawanda creek, Cattaraugus creek and other mixed 

 land and water routes brought the Niagara peninsula, the fertile 

 Cattaraugus region and the great overland trails within reach and 

 led the way down the Allegheny to the Ohio. Indeed, the Mohawk 

 valley route is the great natural trail from the east to the west that 

 led to remote wildernesses beyond. 



Other important water routes were the Susquehanna and the 

 Delaware leading to the south country. The Susquehanna through 

 its headwaters could be reached from the Mohawk trail and afforded 

 a convenient though tortuous trail into the Pennsylvania wildernesses 

 and still farther on into the Chesapeake country and the southern- 

 most portions of Virginia. A little study of the river systems and 

 watersheds will demonstrate to the student the great bearing they 

 have on the" routes of travel. 



Of almost equal importance are the natural overland trails that 

 follow the ancient shore and beach lines of the greater lakes. These 

 beaches or ridges afforded natural road beds over which ran the 

 Indian trails, later the wagon roads and finally the railways. The 

 entire region, it will be seen, is united by natural agencies, that also 

 put it in touch with other areas, north, south, east and west. This 

 fact is most important so far as either the native Indian was con- 

 cerned or the white race today is concerned. It makes travel easy 

 and transportation of heavy loads possible. With both the Indian 

 and the modern American the water routes and the portages are of 

 utmost importance and are carefully conserved. The colonists erected 

 forts at all portages to guard them against the French and Indians. 

 Suitable landing places and the portage forts grew into thriving 

 towns and cities. The archeoiogist will find that nearly all these 

 places are built directly over the older village sites of the Indians. 



A region easily traversed might not invite settlement, if its climate 

 and vegetation were unsuitable. Both these factors must be reckoned 

 with in studying physiography as affecting human occupation. 

 But here was an abundance of food. In the spring the ground 

 was covered by succulent verdure, tempting to vast herds of rumin- 

 ants from the Virginia deer to the bison. For human consumption 

 there were numerous plants that could be cooked as " greens " and 

 the heavy rains and stream overflows washed out plenty of edible 

 roots. Certain springtime barks were also edible, and then, there 

 was the sap of the maple and the birch. All these edible vegetable 

 foods were employed with the Indians. Of the animal food there was 

 plenty. The grazing grounds attracted the big game, the waters 



