NO. 8 MANAHOAC TRIJ'.ES IN VIRGINIA BUSHNELL I5 



in 1607, the name of the ancient settlement was in no way associated 

 with that of the stream. 



During the year 1676 a fort was erected " at or neare the f falls of 

 Rapahanack river ", and soon the country that lay beyond the forks 

 became better known to the colonists. In 1682 Cadwalader Jones, 

 then commander of the Rappahannock Rangers, explored far west- 

 ward, traversed the region previously mentioned by Lederer, where 

 were to be found " vast herds of red and fallow deer ", and may have 

 crossed the Blue Ridge. Among his companions was John Taliaferro, 

 who some years later testified that he had been with Jones in 1682 

 and said in part : 



We traviled up the South river till we came to sev" small mountains & so 

 to the North River. In our travills we were sev" times on the North River 

 and went up the South River to the great Mountains where we discovered 

 the South River's Springs to head into the Mountains. All our Judgm'^ 

 was the South river to be the bigest and were inform'd so by all the Indians 

 y* was our Pilotts ; and saw an Indian y* made a periauger at the moun- 

 tain and brought her down to the Garison with Skins and venison, where the 

 said Jones Commanded.'" 



In this statement South River referred to the present Rapidan, and 

 North River was that part of the present Rappahannock above the 

 mouth of the kapidan. " Periauger " was the name then applied to 

 a dugout canoe, made of a single log. 



The brief quotation from Taliaferro's testimony proves of much 

 interest, as it contains the only reference known to the writer of the 

 actual use of a dugout canoe by Indians in piedmont Virginia. It 

 also indicates that long journeys were made in such craft from the 

 foothills of the Hlue Ridge, down the Rapidan, and on to the fort 

 near the falls of the Rappahannock, then on the frontier of the colony. 



EVIDENCE OF INDIAN OCCUPANCY 

 As already stated, the region now being considered extends up the 

 Rappahannock River from the falls just above Fredericksburg to 

 Kellys Ford, and along the Rapidan from its junction with the Rappa- 

 hannock to the vicinity of Mortons Ford. The supposed site of 

 Stegara on the Rapidan, and of Tanxsnitania on the Rappahannock, 

 are beyond these limits and consequently will not be included in the 

 present narrative. 



It is interesting to discover traces of Indian occupancy on nearly 

 every acre of cleared or cultivated land along the river banks, wher- 



'" Harrison, op. cit. The quotation was made from the manuscript of Talia- 

 ferro's testimony, document 5 : 13 15, in the Colonial Office, London. 



