342

PAPERS RELATING TO THE ONEIDA COUNTRY AND MOHAWK VALLEY.

doned. The inhabitants of these houses compose a company with those of Fort Kouari at the oppositeside of the river.

The portage at the Little Falls is a quarter of a league, and is passed with carts. There is a roadon both sides of the river, but that on the left bank is preferable, being better.

From the portage at the Little Falls, continuing along the left bank of the river , there is only afoot path which is traveled with difficulty on horseback. Three leagues must be made over thispath to arrive at the Canada creek where we meet the high road that passes from the termination ofthe Little Falls portage, along the right bank of the Mohawk river , where there is a ford above FortCannatchocari, opposite the mouth of the Canada Creek. There is also a ferry boat at this place toput carts across when the river is high.

After fording Canada Creek, we continue along the left bank of the Mohawk river and high roadwhich is passable for carts for 12 leagues to Col Johnson’s mansion. In the whole of this distancethe soil is very good. About 500 houses are erected, at a distance one from the other. The greatestnumber of those on the bank of the river are built of stone. Those at a greater distance from theriver in the interior are about half a league off; they are new Settlements, built of wood.

There is not a fort in the whole of this distance of 12 leagues; There is but one former’s housebuilt of stone that is somewhat fortified and surrounded with pickets. It is situate on the bank ofthe river three leagues from where the Canada Creek empties into the Mohawk river.

The inhabitants of this Country are Germans . They form four companies of 100 men each.

Col. Johnson’s mansion is situate on the border of the left bank of the River Mohawk ; it is threestories high; built of stone, with port holes ( crmelees ) and a parapet and flanked with four bastionson which are some small guns. In the same yard, on both sides of the Mansion, there are two <jma.ilhouses; that on the right of the entrance in a Store, and that on the left is designed for -workmen,negroes and other domestics. The yard gate is a heavy swing gate well ironed; it is on the Mohawkriver side; from this gate to the river there is about 200 paces of level ground. The high roadpasses there. A small rivulet coming from the north empties itself into the Mohawk river, about200 paces below the enclosure of the yard. 1 On this stream there is a Mill about 50 paces distancefrom the house; below the Mill is the miller’s house where grain and flour are stored, and on theother side of the creek 100 paces from the mill, is a barn in which cattle and fodder are kept. Onehundred and fifty paces from Colonel Johnson’s Mansion at the North side, on the left bank of thelittle creek, is a little hill on which is a small house with port holes where is ordinarily kept a guardof honour of some twenty men, which serves also as an advanced post.

From Colonel Johnson’s house to Chenectedi is counted seven leagues; the road is good ; all sortsof vehicles pass over it. About twenty houses are found from point to point on this road.

The Mohawk river can be forded during summer, a league and a quarter west of Chenectedi.Opposite Chenectedi the traverse is usually in a ferry boat and batteaux.

The inhabitants of this country are Dutchmen. They form a Company of about 100 men withthose on the opposite side of the river below Fort Hunter.

Going from Chenectedi to the mouth of the Mohawk river where it discharges into that of Orange,there is a Great Fall (Cohoes) which prevents the passage of batteaus, so that every thing on theriver going from Chenectedi to Orange, passes over the high road that leads there direct.

From Orange to New York is counted 50 to 60 leagues. Barks from New York ascend to Orange.There is also a high road from one to the other of these towns, on the left bank of the river. Thecountry is thickly inabited on both sides of the river. The inhabitants of Orange are, also, mostlyDutch like those of Chenectedi.

1 Thi» Creek (I am informed by Fisher Putnam, Esq. P. M. of Tribes Hill,) goes now by the name of Old Fort Creek.Its original Indian name, he adds, was Kayadarosseros.