Skinner: Indian Camp or Village Sites 93 



the first of a series of explorations for the purpose of locating 

 and investigating the Indian sites of New Jersey adjacent to New 

 York Bay. 



Crossing the Staten Island Sound to Perth Amboy, N. J., a 

 search was made along the shore from Perth Amboy to Cheese- 

 quake Creek, a tidal stream about a mile southeast of South 

 Amboy. 



From the southern bank of the Raritan River to about one third 

 of a mile beyond the town proper of South Amboy, the above men- 

 tioned district is either built upon or filled in with soil brought 

 from elsewhere, so that the original surface of the ground is de- 

 stroyed or concealed. In one or two places, where small patches 

 of the original surface remained, oyster shells, old, and possibly of 

 Indian introduction, were seen. But they were, if aboriginal, 

 merely souvenirs of a brief and limited occupation. No other 

 traces were noted. 



Shortly after leaving South Amboy, however, one comes upon 

 less disturbed land, and all along the railroad, which follows the 

 shore, and cuts through most of the hills and knolls, one may 

 obtain a section of the country which will tell at a glance whether 

 it was occupied in Indian days or not. 



The soil is a fine white sand which overlays large deposits of 

 kaolin, etc. This sand is in some places discolored by iron and 

 is occasionally filled with small pebbles and iron concretions of 

 various kinds. This sand is very quick to show the dark stains 

 left by charcoal or the decay of organic matter, which is so 

 plentiful on most of the ancient Algonquin village sites or kitchen 

 middens. 



No traces of any importance were noted until a point a little 

 more than a quarter of a mile west of Morgan's Station was 

 reached. Here the shore rises up from the water, forming a steep 

 blufif from thirty to forty feet high, at the foot of which the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad runs. This bluff continues to Cheese- 

 quake Creek, turning and following an arm of the creek which 

 runs back, forming a V-shaped plateau in part, which stands high 



