Indian Paths in the Great Metropolis — Passage 23
[Reginald Pelham Bolton (1922)] through the Watchung mountains. From Pompton an old roadway, possibly the successor of a trail, followed the course of the Ramapo river along the base of the southern Ramapo mountains, by which route the traveler would have reached Suffern most conveniently. There two known Indian trails diverged, one leading into the narrow valley of the Ramapo river through the heart of the mountains to the Highlands, and the other turning eastwardly along Mahwah creek directly to Haverstraw. Through these mountain trails there doubtless flowed a great part of the traffic that brought the pelts and game of the wild forests to Manhattan, and carried back again over their steep and tortuous courses the coveted beads of wampum for which they had been exchanged. The Minisink path was an important native highway which connected the bay of New York and the sea coast with the mountain regions of upper New Jersey in which the Lenni Lenape made their home. This great pathway was so well known a INDIAN NOTES BOLTON— INDIAN PATHS IN THE GREAT METROPOLIS Original map of a portion of eastern h tiguous to Staten Island, showing a part of 1750 as an exhibit in the Elizabeth boundary