BUSHNELL] NATIVE VILLAGES AND VILLAGE SITES 51 
Late in the month of December, 1634, Arent Van Curler, from the 
manor of Rensselaerwyck, reached the Mohawk village of Teaton- 
taloga, on the north side of the Mohawk and near the mouth of 
Schoharie Creek, in the present Montgomery County. Later this was 
the site of the Lower Mohawk Castle, so often mentioned in history 
during the eighteenth century. Describing the village as it stood 
in the winter of 1634 he wrote (Van Curler, (1), p. 90): 
“The name is Te notoge. There are 55 houses, some 100 and other 
ones more or less paces long . . . This castle has been surrounded 
by: three rows of palisades, but I did not see anything peculiar about 
them, but that six or seven pieces were so thick that it was quite a 
wonder that savages should be able to do that.” 
Another account of the same settlement, though at that time it 
may not have-occupied the identical location, appeared about a 
century later. This later description contains some rather interesting 
information respecting the manners and customs of the Mohawk at 
that time, but it was evidently prepared by one who was not in 
sympathy with Indian habits (Humphreys, (1), pp. 297-298): 
“The Castle or chief Town of these Mohocks is neighbouring to the 
Queen’s Fort, consisting of about 50 Wigwams or Houses. These 
Wigwams are Hutts made of Matts and Bark of Trees put together, 
with Poles about three or four Yards high. The Mohocks Cloathing 
is a short Coat like a Mantle, made of a Blanket or Bear’s Skin, their 
Bed is a Matt or Skin laid on the Ground. They paint and grease 
themselves very much with Bear’s Fat clarified; they cut the Hair 
off from one Side of their Heads, and tye up some of that on the other 
Side, in Knotts, on the Crown, with Feathers.’’ 
This reference to mat and bark covered wigwams is rather more 
suggestive of an Algonquian village, and it is evident the Mohawk 
had, at this time, adopted some of the customs of the neighboring 
Algonquian tribes. The Mahican were living a few miles eastward 
and on the south were the Munsee. Both tribes erected wigwams 
covered with bark and mats. 
The writer continued by saying: 
“For four or five Months in the Year, there is scarce any stirring 
abroad, by Reason of the extream Coldness of the Weather, and the 
deep Snows that fall.” 
The road to ey 44 miles distant, was a “‘rough Jndsan Path 
thro’ vast woods.”’ This less than two centuries ago. 
Leaving Te notoge,Van Curler reached the Oneida village standing 
just east of the present town of Munnsville, Madison Ghee and on 
December 30, 1634, entered the palisade through the gate— 
“Which was 34 ons wide, and at the top were standing three big 
wooden images, of cut wood, like men, and with them I saw three 
scalps fluttering in the wind, that they had taken from their foes as a 
