The intersection of lakes and streams, separated only by sihort portages, the continuous valleys being divided by no mountain barriers, offered unequalled facilities for intercommunication. Their custom of settling on both sides of a river or encircling a lake made the tribal boundaries well defined. One of the most interesting features of aboriginal geography was the location of their principal trails. If we travel either of the great railways extending through our State, we are upon one of the leading trails that Lewis H. Morgan stated were used in 1732. They followed the lines of the least resistance. The central trail, extending from east to west, intersedted by cross trails wthic'h passed along the shores of lakes or banks of the rivers, commenced at the point where Albany now is, touched the Mohawk at Schenectady, following the river to the carrying place at Rome, from thence west, crossing the Onondaga Valley, along the foot of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, terminating at Buffalo Creek, the present site of the city of Buffalo.

72 NEW ^'ORK STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.

This trail was later the route taken by early settlers, because it connected the principal villages and established a line of travel intxD Canada on the west and over the Hudson on the east. Upon the banks of the Susquehanna and its tributaries, which have their source near the Mohawk, and the banks of the Chemung, which has its source near the Genesee river, were other trails, all of which converged at the junction of these two rivers, forming the southern route, into Pennsylvania and Virginia. On these footpaths the Iroquois conducted war parties and became well versed in the topography of the country. Lakes, hills and streams had significant names, many of w*hich the Anglicized orthography and pronunciation have robbed of their euphony and force of accent.