Thus the mountainous range from St George to Richmond, and the extensive marshes of the Fresh kills extending therefrom to the Arthur kill, divide the island longitudinally and reduce the opportunity for convenient access from west to east to one or two passes which afforded reasonable grades, such as the Clove road. A trail over that pass would have connected the north and northwestern sections, occupied by the Hackensack, with the easterly and southern parts of the island, the latter being conveniently reached by a line of trail approximating the Richmond road and Amboy road, which traverse the base of the hills and avoid the marshes and waterways between Arrochar and Tottenville.

On the west side of the range of hills the old Richmond turnpike passes through native sites from New Brighton and Silver Lake to Linoleum ville, and on the north shore several important settlements were doubtless connected by some path that

INDIAN NOTES

RICHMOND PATHS

paralleled the Kill van Kull between West New Brighton and Howlands hook. This trail would probably have followed the shore-line as closely as the present shoreroad, as far as Mariners Harbor, where it would have terminated at the Bowmans Brook site, with a branch path to the south, extending past Arlington station, to Old Place and Bloomfield.

The native settlements on Staten Island were both ancient and extensive. They are described by Skinner,33 who explored the majority of the sites, and to whom we are indebted for most of our available information. One of several stations at West New Brighton was situated on the shore at Peltons cove, or Upper cove (72), on the line of the present Shore road. A village of extensive character, and one which was asserted to have been the scene of important gatherings and ceremonies in ancient times, was situated at Cedar and Dongan streets, West New Brighton, and burials within its area were found on the site of the parish house of the Church of the Ascension.