TRAILS 



In the League of the Iroquois, Mr Morgan gave a definite and 

 interesting account of the principal Indian trails of New York, over- 

 looking some things which seriously affected his scheme. Sites of 

 Indian towns were constantly changing, and trails of necessity 

 changed and were forgotten. An abandoned forest path is soon 

 obliterated. All his towns were not properly located if the record 

 is to be considered two centuries old. Much of the time Indians 

 took a general rather than a fixed course in going from place to 

 place, for the advantage of hunting or for other reasons. Thus 

 trails were very faint in some places, becoming plainer as they 

 approached towns. Remembering such things, Mr Morgan's gen- 

 eral plan will serve as a proper basis for some remarks on Indian 

 trails. At some period it may have been essentially correct, but in 

 the nature of things this was but for a brief time. With this reser- 

 vation it deserves high praise. 



His scheme makes the trail leave Albany along the old turnpike, 

 going to a spring 6 miles west and thence to Schenectady, crossing 

 the river at the ford, where a bridge was afterward built. This 

 may be allowed, though it may not have been Van Curler's exact 

 route in 1634. Yet it is doubtful whether there was any trail or 

 much travel there before the Dutch came, for the Mahicans at 

 Albany were at war with the Mohawks west of Schoharie creek, 

 and made their footprints as light as possible. At Schenectady the 

 trail probably divided, when there was one, following both banks 

 of the Mohawk. When Van Curler followed that stream westward 

 in 1634, all the Mohawk towns were west of Schoharie creek, and 

 the Indians did not care to ford that for some reason. Curler 

 crossed the river, followed the north bank till the creek was passed, 

 and then recrossed to the south bank, where all the towns were. 

 When all these were on the north side, a few years later, there was 

 no use for the southern trail. When the south bank was occupied 

 it was used again. Mr Morgan's scheme places but one small 

 village on the north. 



In 1634, and for some years later, all the Mohawk towns were 

 between Schoharie creek and Spraker's. His scheme places 



